Bible Dictionary
Er
Er was the eldest son of Judah and was judged wicked in the sight of the Lord, who put him to death. The name is also used for other men in Judah’s genealogy and for an ancestor in Luke’s genealogy of Jesus.
Definition
Er is a name meaning “watchful.” It designates Judah’s eldest son, who was the son of Shua the Canaanite, and also two other men in biblical genealogical records.
Biblical Usage
Judah took Tamar as Er’s wife, but Er was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord slew him. Another Er is called the father of Lecah, and a third appears as an ancestor of Jesus in Luke’s genealogy.
Historical Background
The name occurs in genealogical lists connected with Judah and with the ancestry of Jesus.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(watchful).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>ar (`er, "watcher"; Er'):</p><p>(1) The eldest son of Judah, the son of Jacob, by Shua the Canaanite. Judah took for him a wife named Tamar. It is recorded that Er "was wicked in the sight of Yahweh; and Yahweh slew him" (Ge 38:3,6,7; 46:12).</p><p>(2) "Er the father of Lecah" is mentioned among "the sons of Shelah the son of Judah" (1Ch 4:21).</p><p>(3) An ancestor of Jesus in Luke's genealogy in the 7th generation before Zerubbabel (Lu 3:28).</p>