TRV
Translation
King James Version
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
So he returned to Y'hudah and said, "I couldn't find her; also the people there said, 'There hasn't been any prostitute here.'"
Berean Standard Bible
So Hirah returned to Judah and said, “I could not find her, and furthermore, the men of that place said, ‘No shrine prostitute has been here.’”
American Standard Version
And he returned to Judah, and said, I have not found her; and also the men of the place said, There hath been no prostitute here.
World English Bible Messianic
He returned to Judah, and said, “I haven’t found her; and also the men of the place said, ‘There has been no prostitute here.’”
Geneva Bible (1599)
He came therefore to Iudah againe, and said, I can not finde her, and also the men of the place said, There was no whore there.
Young's Literal Translation
And he turneth back unto Judah, and saith, `I have not found her; and the men of the place also have said, There hath not been in this place a separated one,'
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In the KJVVerse 1,142 of 31,102
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Commentary on Genesis 38 verses 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.
It is a very ill-favoured story that is here told concerning Judah; one would not have expected such folly in Israel. Judah had buried his wife; and widowers have need to stand upon their guard with the utmost caution and resolution against all fleshly lusts. He was unjust to his daughter-in-law, either through negligence or design, in not giving her his surviving son, and this exposed her to temptation.
I. Tamar wickedly prostituted herself as a harlot to Judah, that, if the son might not, the father might raise up seed to the deceased. Some excuse this by suggesting that, though she was a Canaanite, yet she had embraced the true religion, and believed the promise made to Abraham and his seed, particularly that of the Messiah, who was to descend from the loins of Judah, and that she was therefore thus earnestly desirous to have a child by one of that family that she might have the honour, or at least stand fair for the honour, of being the mother of the Messiah. And, if this was indeed her desire, it had its success; she is one of the four women particularly named in the genealogy of Christ, Mat 1:3. Her sinful practice was pardoned, and her good intention was accepted, which magnifies the grace of God, but can by no means be admitted to justify or encourage the like. Bishop Patrick thinks it probable that she hoped Shelah, who was by right her husband, might have come along with his father, and that he might have been allured to her embraces. There was a great deal of plot and contrivance in Tamar's sin. 1. She took an opportunity for it, when Judah had a time of mirth and feasting with his sheep-shearers. Note, Time of jollity often prove times of temptation, particularly to the sin of uncleanness; when men are fed to the full, the reins are apt to be let loose. 2. She exposed herself as a harlot in an open place, Gen 38:14. Those that are, and would be, chaste, must be keepers at home, Tit 2:5. It should seem, it was the custom of harlots, in those times, to cover their faces, that, though they were not ashamed, yet they might seem to be so. The sin of uncleanness did not then go so barefaced as it does now.
II. Judah was taken in the snare, and though it was ignorantly that he was guilty of incest with his daughter-in-law (not knowing who she was), yet he was willfully guilty of fornication: whoever she was, he knew she was not his wife, and therefore not to be touched. Nor was his sin capable, in the least, of such a charitable excuse as some make for Tamar, that though the action was bad the intention possibly might be good. Observe, 1. Judah's sin began in the eye (Gen 38:15): He saw her. Note, Those have eyes, and hearts too, full of adultery (as it is Pe2 2:14), that catch at every bait that presents itself to them and are as tinder to every spark. We have need to make a covenant with our eyes, and to turn them from beholding vanity, lest the eye infect the heart. 2. It added to the scandal that the hire of a harlot (than which nothing is more infamous) was demanded, offered, and accepted - a kid from the flock, a goodly price at which her chastity and honour were valued! Nay, had the consideration been thousands of rams, and ten thousand rivers of oil, it had not been a valuable consideration. The favour of God, the purity of the soul, the peace of conscience, and the hope of heaven, are too precious to be exposed to sale at any such rates; the Topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal them: what are those profited that lose their souls to gain the world? 3. It turned to the reproach of Judah that he left his jewels in pawn for a kid. Note, Fleshly lusts are not only brutish, but sottish, and ruining to men's secular interests. It is plain that whoredom, as well as wine, and new wine, takes away the heart first, else it would never take away the signet and the bracelets.
III. He lost his jewels by the bargain; he sent the kid, according to this promise, to redeem his pawn, but the supposed harlot could not be found. He sent it by his friend (who was indeed his back-friend, because he was aiding and abetting in his evil deeds) the Adullamite, who came back without the pledge. It is a good account (if it be but true) of any place which they here gave, there is no harlot in this place; for such sinners are the scandals and plagues of any place. Judah sits down content to lose his signet and his bracelets, and forbids his friend to make any further enquiry after them, giving this reason, lest we be shamed, Gen 38:23. Either, 1. Lest his sin should come to be known publicly, and be talked of. Fornication and uncleanness have ever been looked upon as scandalous things and the reproach and shame of those that are convicted of them. Nothing will make those blush that are not ashamed of these. 2. Lest he should be laughed at as a fool for trusting a strumpet with his signet and his bracelets. He expresses no concern about the sin, to get that pardoned, only about the shame, to prevent that. Note, There are many who are more solicitous to preserve their reputation with men than to secure the favour of God and a good conscience; lest we be shamed goes further with them than lest we be damned.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 12–23. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Genesis 38:22 captures the immediate aftermath of Judah's illicit encounter with Tamar, disguised as a cultic prostitute. It details the unsuccessful mission of Judah's friend, Hirah the Adullamite, to retrieve the pledge Judah had given her. The local men's emphatic denial of any "harlot" in their vicinity underscores Tamar's strategic brilliance and the dramatic irony of the situation, setting the stage for the inevitable revelation of Judah's sin and Tamar's righteous pursuit of justice within the divinely appointed lineage.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Genesis 38 stands as a significant narrative digression, strategically placed between the accounts of Joseph's sale into slavery and his rise in Potiphar's house. This chapter serves as a stark contrast to Joseph's integrity, focusing on Judah's moral failures and the complex, often scandalous, origins of the tribal lineage from which the Messiah would eventually come. Immediately preceding this verse, Judah, believing Tamar to be a cultic prostitute, engaged with her and gave her his signet, staff, and bracelets as a pledge for a promised kid from his flock (Genesis 38:16-18). Genesis 38:22 then describes Judah's attempt to discreetly fulfill his side of the bargain and retrieve his pledge, which proves futile, thus preserving the very evidence that will later expose his sin. This failure is crucial for the unfolding drama and the eventual vindication of Tamar.
Historical & Cultural Context: The events of Genesis 38 are deeply rooted in ancient Near Eastern customs, particularly the practice of levirate marriage (yibbum), where a brother was obligated to marry his deceased brother's widow to raise offspring in the deceased's name (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). Judah's failure to provide his third son, Shelah, to Tamar after the deaths of Er and Onan, left her in a precarious and unjust position, effectively denying her the right to bear children and secure her future within the family. The term "harlot" in this verse, qedesha (H6948), refers specifically to a cultic prostitute, distinct from a common prostitute (zonah). Such figures were associated with fertility cults in Canaanite religion, which were abhorrent to Yahwistic faith. Tamar's disguise as a qedesha was a deliberate and strategic move, leveraging Judah's assumptions and the cultural context to force his hand and expose his neglect of his familial duty. The exchange of a pledge (signet, staff, bracelets) was a legally binding act, signifying a contractual agreement and holding significant personal value, making its retrieval essential for Judah to avoid public shame.
Key Themes: This verse, and the chapter it belongs to, contribute significantly to several overarching biblical themes. Firstly, it highlights Divine Sovereignty working through flawed human actions; despite the moral failings of Judah, God's plan for the Messianic lineage remains on track, demonstrating His ability to use imperfect people and scandalous situations to achieve His purposes, as seen in the later genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1:3. Secondly, it powerfully illustrates the theme of Justice and Righteousness. Tamar's desperate and unconventional actions are a pursuit of justice against Judah's unrighteous neglect of his familial obligations, forcing him to confront his own sin. Thirdly, the narrative underscores the theme of Truth and Revelation. Judah's attempt to conceal his sin is thwarted, demonstrating the biblical principle that what is done in secret will eventually be brought to light, often through unexpected means, as Numbers 32:23 warns. Finally, the chapter, including this verse, explores the Consequences of Sin, showing how Judah's casual moral lapse leads to a complex and publicly humiliating exposure, emphasizing the far-reaching impact of unrighteous choices.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The primary literary device at play in Genesis 38:22 is Dramatic Irony. The audience is aware that the "harlot" is, in fact, Tamar, Judah's daughter-in-law, and that her actions are not for illicit gain but for righteous justice due to Judah's failure to uphold the levirate marriage custom. The men of the place, and Judah himself, are oblivious to this truth, making their emphatic denial ("there was no harlot in this place") profoundly ironic. This irony heightens the tension and anticipation for the inevitable revelation. Additionally, the verse employs Foreshadowing, as Hirah's inability to retrieve the pledge subtly hints at the future exposure of Judah's sin, as the pledge remains as tangible evidence. The very act of searching and finding nothing also creates a sense of Suspense, building towards the climax of the chapter where Tamar reveals her identity and the truth about the pledge.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The narrative of Judah and Tamar, particularly as encapsulated in Genesis 38:22, powerfully demonstrates God's sovereign hand at work even amidst human sin and moral ambiguity. Despite Judah's profound moral failure and Tamar's unconventional, even scandalous, means of seeking justice, God's overarching plan for the lineage of the Messiah remains secure. This passage underscores that God's redemptive purposes are not contingent upon human perfection but rather transcend and often utilize the complex realities of human brokenness. It's a testament to divine grace and faithfulness, showing that God can weave even the most unlikely and morally compromised threads into the tapestry of His grand design, ensuring the continuation of the covenant line.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The account of Judah and Tamar, particularly the moment in Genesis 38:22 where Judah's attempt to cover his tracks fails, offers profound spiritual lessons for contemporary believers. It serves as a stark reminder that attempts to conceal sin are ultimately futile before a holy God. Just as Judah's pledge remained as undeniable evidence, our actions, whether righteous or unrighteous, have lasting consequences and are known to God. This narrative challenges us to live with integrity, to fulfill our responsibilities, and to seek justice, even when it demands personal sacrifice or exposes our own flaws. It encourages us to trust in God's sovereign plan, recognizing that He can work through any circumstance, no matter how messy or scandalous, to achieve His divine purposes. Ultimately, it calls us to humility and repentance, knowing that God's grace is sufficient to redeem even our deepest failures and integrate them into His redemptive story.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did the men of the place claim there was no harlot?
Answer: The men of the place genuinely claimed there was no harlot because Tamar, who had disguised herself as a cultic prostitute (qedesha), had already departed swiftly and strategically. Her disguise was so effective that the locals would not have identified her as a permanent or known figure in their town, especially not as a common prostitute or a regularly operating cultic prostitute. The term qedesha implies a specific, perhaps even ritualistic, role, and the men's denial suggests that such a figure was not a recognized presence in Enaim. This added to the dramatic irony of the situation and confirmed the success of Tamar's strategic plan to remain untraceable after her encounter with Judah, ensuring that the critical evidence (the pledge) remained in her possession. Their statement was truthful from their limited perspective, but deeply ironic from the divine and narrative perspective, setting the stage for Judah's later exposure.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Genesis 38:22, despite detailing a morally complex and scandalous event, is profoundly significant for understanding the Christ-centered fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. The failure of Judah's friend to retrieve the pledge ensures that the evidence of Judah's sin remains, which Tamar will later use to secure her rightful place within the lineage. This seemingly chaotic and flawed series of events ultimately serves to preserve and advance the Messianic line. Tamar's desperate pursuit of justice, leading to her bearing twins by Judah (Perez and Zerah), directly contributes to the genealogy of Jesus Christ, as meticulously recorded in Matthew 1:3, where Perez is named as an ancestor. This narrative powerfully illustrates that God's sovereignty transcends human sin, societal norms, and personal failings. He weaves even the most imperfect and unexpected circumstances into His perfect plan to bring forth the Savior of the world, demonstrating His boundless grace and His ability to redeem and use flawed people for His ultimate glory and the salvation of humanity, echoing the truth that where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. The inclusion of Tamar, a Gentile woman who acted in such an unconventional manner, in the Messianic line also foreshadows the inclusive nature of God's redemptive work through Christ, extending salvation to all nations (Galatians 3:28).