Er

ER (Heb. ‘ēr, watchful)

Eldest son of Judah by the daughter of Shua the Canaanite. Judah took a wife for him named Tamar. He was so wicked the Lord put him to death (Gen.38.3, Gen.38.6-Gen.38.7).The third son of Shelah, the son of Judah (1Chr.4.21).An ancestor of Jesus in the maternal line (Luke.3.28).

1. The first-born son of Judah by his wife Shua, a woman of Canaan (Gen. 38:3). Judah gave Tamar to Er for a wife, but the Lord slew him for his wickedness before he had any children (Gen 38:7f.; 46:12; 1 Chron 2:3).

2. A grandson of Judah through Shelah, Judah’s youngest son (1 Chron 4:21). This makes this Er a nephew of the one above whom the Lord slew. Er begat Lecah.

3. A son of Joshua and an ancestor of Joseph, the husband of Mary (Luke 3:28f.). There is no OT record of this Er.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

(`er, "watcher"; Er’):

(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).

(2) "Er the father of Lecah" is mentioned among "the sons of Shelah the son of Judah" (1Ch 4:21).

(3) An ancestor of Jesus in Luke’s genealogy in the 7th generation before Zerubbabel (Lu 3:28).