Bible Figure
Er
biblical character; eldest son of Judah; husband of Tamar; killed by God due to his wickedness, although no details are given
Er was Judah's firstborn son and Tamar's first husband; the Lord put him to death because he was wicked.
Biography
Genesis 38 identifies Er as the firstborn son of Judah and the Canaanite woman Shua's daughter. Judah arranged for Er to marry Tamar, but the text states simply that Er was wicked in the sight of the Lord and that the Lord put him to death. No details of his wickedness are supplied. His death set in motion the levirate obligations involving his brother Onan and ultimately the birth of Perez and Zerah through Judah and Tamar.
Biblical Significance
Er's brief story is important chiefly as the beginning of the Judah-Tamar narrative that leads to Perez, an ancestor in the royal and messianic genealogy. Scripture does not authorize speculation about the nature of Er's wickedness.