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Genesis 38:20-22
Revised Geneva Translation
Genesis 38:20-22
Revised Geneva Translation
20 Afterward, Judah sent a kid from the goats by the hand of his neighbor, the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand. But he did not find her.
21 Then he asked the men of the place, saying, “Where is the whore who sat in Enaim, by the wayside?” And they answered, “There was no whore there.”
22 Therefore, he came back to Judah, and said, “I cannot find her. And the men of the place also said, ‘There was no whore there.’”
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Genesis 38:20-22
New International Version
Genesis 38:20-22
New International Version
20 Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite(A) in order to get his pledge(B) back from the woman, but he did not find her. 21 He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute(C) who was beside the road at Enaim?”
“There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said.
22 So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here.’”
Genesis 38:20-22
New English Translation
Genesis 38:20-22
New English Translation
20 Then Judah had his friend Hirah[a] the Adullamite take a young goat to get back from the woman the items he had given in pledge,[b] but Hirah[c] could not find her. 21 He asked the men who were there,[d] “Where is the cult prostitute[e] who was at Enaim by the road?” But they replied, “There has been no cult prostitute here.” 22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I couldn’t find her. Moreover, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no cult prostitute here.’”
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- Genesis 38:20 tn Heb “sent by the hand of his friend.” Here the name of the friend (“Hirah”) has been included in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 38:20 tn Heb “to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand.”
- Genesis 38:20 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Judah’s friend Hirah the Adullamite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 38:21 tn Heb “the men of her place,” that is, who lived at the place where she had been.
- Genesis 38:21 sn The Hebrew noun translated “cult prostitute” is derived from a verb meaning “to be set apart; to be distinct.” Thus the term refers to a woman who did not marry, but was dedicated to temple service as a cult prostitute. The masculine form of this noun is used for male cult prostitutes. Judah thought he had gone to an ordinary prostitute (v. 15), but Hirah went looking for a cult prostitute, perhaps because it had been a sheep-shearing festival. For further discussion see E. M. Yamauchi, “Cultic Prostitution,” Orient and Occident (AOAT), 213-23.
Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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New English Translation (NET)
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