4824. 'And she called his name Onan' means the essential nature of this, that is to say, of the evil referred to immediately above in 4823. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in 4822. 'Onan' means and implies the nature of that evil.

4826. 'And she called his name Shelah' means the essential nature of this. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with above where Judah's first two sons, Er and Onan, are dealt with, 4822, 4824. The essential nature of that idolatry is meant by Shelah, for there are many kinds of idolatry. There is external idolatry and there is internal; and in general both involve the worship of falsity and evil.