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NASB | Genesis 38:9 Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother's wife, he wasted his seed on the ground in order not to give offspring to his brother. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 38:9 Onan knew that the child (heir) would not be his [but his dead brother's]; so whenever he lay with his brother's widow, he spilled his seed on the ground [to prevent conception], so that he would not give a child to his brother. |
Bible Question: Where in the scriptures does it say that it is better to spill your seed in the belly of a whore than on the ground? |
Bible Answer: Better to cast your seed... 'Sayings Not Found in Scripture' (www.blueletterbible.org/faq/sayings.html#belly) 'Better to cast your seed... 'A commonly referenced proverb to highlight the evils of masturbation frequently mistaken as a biblical admonition is typically phrased as, "It is better to cast your seed in the belly of a whore than to spill it on the ground." The fact is, though, this is not anything to be found in the pages of Scripture. We get this question fairly often and have been trying to track down the origin of the saying, but alas, with no luck. While not certain of the phrase's exact origin, it does seem to be a false extrapolation of Genesis 38 and the story of Onan, Tamar, and Judah. 'According to Ancient Near Eastern culture, it would have been the responsibility of Onan to impregnate his dead brother's wife that his brother's line might continue. Selfishly, Onan did not wish any of his offspring to bear any name other than his own; and so while he did, in fact, take up the responsibility of sexual relations with his brother's wife, he would not ejaculate inside her but instead practiced the withdrawal method of birth control. God punished Onan for his wickedness and greed by putting him to death (and not, as is popularly believed, for masturbating). The rest of the narrative features the wife, Tamar, posing as a prostitute and seducing Onan's father, Judah. By him, she conceives and bears a son from whom Christ would descend. And God does not strike Judah or punish him in any way in the narrative. 'So it appears that some cynic had taken the veneer of the tale and crafted a wry commentary that has come to be known as actual Scripture (unfortunately). In the end, the admonition is far from biblical and has nothing to do with masturbation.' ____________________ 'Sayings Not Found in Scripture 'We often get questions by people asking us to locate various sayings in the Bible which do not exist. Many sayings have developed throughout the years by a variety of means. Scripture supports the purposes of some of the sayings while contradicting others. Sayings 'Moderation in all things. [new!] Once saved, always saved. [new!] Better to cast your seed.... [new!] Spare the rod, spoil the child. To thine ownself be true. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. God helps those who help themselves. Money is the root of all evil. Cleanliness is next to godliness. This too shall pass. God works in mysterious ways. The eye is the window to the soul. 'Miscellaneous The Three Wisemen [new!] The Sinner's Prayer [new!] Wedding Vows [new!] The Seven Deadly Sins' ____________________ (www.blueletterbible.org/faq/sayings.html#belly) |