Dictionary entry

Onan

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

o'-nan ('onan, "vigorous"; compare ONAM, a "son" of Judah (Ge 38:4,8-10;46:12;Nu 26:19;1Ch 2:3); "The story of the untimely death of Er and Onan implies that two of the ancient clans of Judah early disappeared" (Curtis, Chron, 84). See Skinner, Gen, 452, where it is pointed out that inGe 38:11Judah plainly attributes the death of his sons in some way to Tamar herself. The name is allied to Onam.