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Genesis 38

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Judah Settles in Canaan 1–5

1
And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. ​
2
And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her. ​
3
And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.
4
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
5
And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.

Er and Onan Die 6–11

6
And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.
7
And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. ​
8
And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. ​
9
And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. ​
10
And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also. ​
11
Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house. ​

Tamar Deceives Judah 12–23

12
And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. ​
13
And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.
14
And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife. ​
15
When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face. ​
16
And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me? ​
17
And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?
18
And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. ​
19
And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20
And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.
21
Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.
22
And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.
23
And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

Judah Judges and Acknowledges 24–26

24
And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. ​
25
When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff. ​
26
And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more. ​

The Birth of Pharez and Zarah 27–30

27
And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.
28
And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.
29
And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez. ​
30
And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Genesis 38

Verse 1

Judah went down from his brethren — The chapter stops the story of Joseph (ch. 37; 39) to follow Judah, from whom the promise runs: 'The sceptre shall not depart from Judah… until Shiloh come' (Gen 49:10). Judah settles with 'a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah', who appears again in vv.12, 20.

Verse 2

a daughter of a certain Canaanite — The verbs are plain: Judah 'saw', 'took', and 'went in unto her'. Abraham had made his servant swear not to take a wife for Isaac 'of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell' (Gen 24:3), and Isaac gave Jacob the same charge (Gen 28:1).

Verse 7

wicked in the sight of the LORD — No sin is named. The Hebrew is ra' ('evil') in the eyes of the LORD, and the verb 'slew' is the same in v.10. Er and Onan are remembered in the family lists as the sons of Judah who 'died in the land of Canaan' (Gen 46:12).

Verse 8

raise up seed to thy brother — The duty of a husband's brother, given in the Law: 'her husband's brother shall go in unto her… and the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead' (Deut 25:5–6). The Sadducees quote it to Christ (Matt 22:24).

Verse 9

he spilled it on the ground — The verse states the motive: 'lest that he should give seed to his brother'. Under the duty of v.8 the firstborn son would 'succeed in the name of his brother which is dead' (Deut 25:6), so the child would be counted Er's. The verb shachath means to ruin or waste.

Verse 10

displeased the LORD — Literally 'was evil in the eyes of the LORD', the expression used of Er in v.7, and the judgment is the same: 'he slew him also'. The verse gives the LORD's own verdict on 'the thing which he did', the refusal of the duty in v.8.

Verse 11

Remain a widow at thy father's house — Judah's reason is his own fear: 'Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did.' Shelah is the third son (v.5). Tamar's return to her father's house leaves the duty unmet, and v.14 says she 'was not given unto him to wife'.

Verse 12

Judah was comforted — The verb nacham is the one used of Jacob, who 'refused to be comforted' for Joseph (Gen 37:35). Judah then 'went up' to the sheepshearers at Timnath. Shearing was an occasion for gathering and feasting: Nabal 'held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king' (1 Sam 25:36).

Verse 14

covered her with a vail — The word tsa'iph is used in Genesis only here (vv.14, 19) and of Rebekah, who 'took a vail, and covered herself' when she met Isaac (Gen 24:65). Tamar puts off the garments of her widowhood because Shelah 'was grown' and she had not been given to him.

Verse 15

he thought her to be an harlot — The verse gives Judah's reason: 'because she had covered her face.' He judges from the veil alone, and v.16 says he 'knew not that she was his daughter in law'. What proves who she is, and who he is, is not her face but the pledge (vv.25–26).

Verse 16

he knew not that she was his daughter in law — The parenthesis tells the reader what Judah does not know. She asks 'What wilt thou give me', which leads to the pledge in vv.17–18. His not knowing is answered in v.26, where he 'acknowledged them'.

Verse 18

Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff — 'Pledge' is arabon, found in Genesis only in vv.17, 18 and 20. The signet (chotham) is a seal, 'bracelets' is pethil, a cord or thread, and the staff (matteh) is the one in his hand. Together they identify the man 'whose these are' (v.25).

Verse 24

let her be burnt — Judah gives the sentence himself, as soon as he is told. The Law later names burning for a priest's daughter who 'profane herself by playing the whore' (Lev 21:9) and for certain unlawful unions (Lev 20:14). Tamar had been left unmarried by Judah's own promise (v.11).

Verse 25

Discern, I pray thee — Nakar, to look closely and recognise. It is the word of Gen 37:32–33: Judah's brothers sent Jacob the coat with 'know now whether it be thy son's coat or no', and Jacob 'knew it'. The same verb now falls on Judah as it fell on his father.

Verse 26

She hath been more righteous than I — Judah 'acknowledged' (nakar, v.25) the pledge. Tsadeq means to be in the right, and the reason is stated: 'because that I gave her not to Shelah my son.' Judah later says of Benjamin, 'I will be surety for him' (Gen 43:9).

Verse 29

Pharez — Perets, 'breach': 'How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee'. Pharez is in the line to David and Christ (Ruth 4:18–22; Matt 1:3), and the people of Bethlehem blessed Ruth: 'let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah' (Ruth 4:12).