Genesis 38:21
ContextNETBible | He asked the men who were there, 1 “Where is the cult prostitute 2 who was at Enaim by the road?” But they replied, “There has been no cult prostitute here.” |
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NET © Notes |
1 tn Heb “the men of her place,” that is, who lived at the place where she had been. 2 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. |