And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.
Onan knew that any child born wouldn't be considered his own heir, but his dead brother's. So whenever he slept with his brother's widow, he deliberately prevented her from getting pregnant, because he didn't want to give his brother descendants.
This verse describes how Onan selfishly refused to fulfill his family duty to give his deceased brother children through the brother's widow.
📚 Historical Context
In ancient Hebrew culture, there was a law called 'levirate marriage' where if a man died without children, his brother was obligated to marry the widow and have children who would carry on the dead brother's name and inheritance. Onan was supposed to father children for his deceased brother Er, but he refused this responsibility out of self-interest.
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