Judah And Tamar
May 31, 2024
Commentary
Judah, the brother who suggested they sell Joseph, married a Canaanite woman. They had three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah (vv. 1-5). Intermarriage with the Canaanites had been avoided up to this time. Judah’s first son Er died because he was wicked (vv. 6-11). By custom the “husband’s brother” Onan, was to marry Tamar, and raise up offspring (vv. 12-23). But Oman was killed by the Lord after he refused to perform his brotherly duty, and Judah feared his youngest son would die as well. Tamar felt she would have to take matters into her own hands if she were to be granted the rights of the custom. When the time seemed right, Tamar put on a mask and deceptively lured her father-in-law, Judah, into an immoral relationship, posing as a temple prostitute, (vv. 15 & 21). In pledge that he would send a goat for payment, he left his seal (which hung suspended from a cord around his neck) and his staff with her. When he tried to get them through a friend, she could not be found. Again, Jacob’s family experienced deception, this time by his Canaanite daughter-in-law (vv. 24-26).
Judah lacked integrity (v. 16), and now he was seen to be a hypocrite. When Tamar was reported to be three months pregnant, he condemned her to death as a prostitute. Then she proved by the seal and staff that he was the guilty partner. Tamar had won the right to be the mother of Judah’s children, in a deceitful way. Her action was desperate and risky. This final part of the story provides the significance of the whole account. God gave Tamar twins, and the line of Judah continued because of her. But in the birth of the boys an unusual situation occurred, paralleling the births of Jacob and Esau (vv. 27-30). After one twin’s hand came out the other twin made a breach and was born first, so he was rightly named Perez (“breach”). Then the second twin was named Zerah (“scarlet “) because of the scarlet thread the midwife tied on his wrist. It is as if the oracle concerning Jacob’s ruling over his older brother (Gen. 27:29) was being relived in the line of Judah. Despite his attempts to hinder Tamar’s marriage, God’s will confirmed that the elder would serve the younger. The line of promise would carry on through Perez (Matt. 1:3), for God’s program cannot be set aside.
Application
God’s program for my life has been and will continue to be carried out no matter what. If my children ever see me try to deceive someone, they will probably do the same.
Genesis 38:1– 30 (NET)
1 At that time Judah left his brothers and stayed with an Adullamite man named Hirah. 2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. Judah acquired her as a wife and slept with her. 3 She became pregnant and had a son. Judah named him Er. 4 She became pregnant again and had another son, whom she named Onan. 5 Then she had yet another son, whom she named Shelah. She gave birth to him in Kezib.
6 Judah acquired a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord killed him.
8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her so that you may raise up a descendant for your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the child would not be considered his. So whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he wasted his emission on the ground so as not to give his brother a descendant. 10 What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord killed him too.
11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until Shelah my son grows up.” For he thought, “I don’t want him to die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
12 After some time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah was consoled, he left for Timnah to visit his sheepshearers, along with his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 Tamar was told, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she removed her widow’s clothes and covered herself with a veil. She wrapped herself and sat at the entrance to Enaim which is on the way to Timnah. (She did this because she saw that she had not been given to Shelah as a wife, even though he had now grown up.)
15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face. 16 He turned aside to her along the road and said, “Come, please, I want to sleep with you.” (He did not realize it was his daughter-in-law.) She asked, “What will you give me so that you may sleep with me?” 17 He replied, “I’ll send you a young goat from the flock.” She asked, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?” 18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?” She replied, “Your seal, your cord, and the staff that’s in your hand.” So he gave them to her, then slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. 19 She left immediately, removed her veil, and put on her widow’s clothes.
20 Then Judah had his friend Hirah the Adullamite take a young goat to get back from the woman the items he had given in pledge, but Hirah could not find her. 21 He asked the men who were there, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim by the road?” But they replied, “There has been no cult prostitute here.” 22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I couldn’t find her. Moreover, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no cult prostitute here.’” 23 Judah said, “Let her keep the things for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”
24 After three months Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution, and as a result she has become pregnant.” Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” 25 While they were bringing her out, she sent word to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” Then she said, “Identify the one to whom the seal, cord, and staff belong.” 26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more upright than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” He was not physically intimate with her again.
27 When it was time for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb. 28 While she was giving birth, one child put out his hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But then he drew back his hand, and his brother came out before him. She said, “How you have broken out of the womb!” So he was named Perez. 30 Afterward his brother came out—the one who had the scarlet thread on his hand—and he was named Zerah.
Illustration: Unforgiveness Confuses Others With Your Hypocrictical Lifestyle
“If you are offended, and with an unforgiving spirit refuse to repent of this sin, you have not come to the knowledge of the truth. You are deceived, and you confuse others with your hypocritical lifestyle. No matter what the revelation, your fruit tells a different story. You’ll become a spring spewing out bitter waters that will bring deception, not truth” (The Bait of Satan).