Judah's Sons and Tamar
Study note
Judah leaves his brothers and settles near a man named Hirah in Adullam. He marries a Canaanite woman and has three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. Judah finds a wife named Tamar for his firstborn Er, but Er is wicked and the Lord puts him to death. According to custom, Onan should father a child with Tamar to carry on his brother's name, but Onan refuses to fulfill this duty. God considers this wicked and puts Onan to death too. Judah tells Tamar to wait for Shelah to grow up, but he has no intention of giving her his last son, fearing Shelah will also die.
1 Around that time, Judah left his brothers and went to stay with a man from Adullam named Hirah. 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 While there, Judah met and married the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua. And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.
3 She had a baby boy, and they named him Er. And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.
4 She got pregnant again and had another boy, and named him Onan. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
5 She had one more son and named him Shelah. She was at Kezib when this last boy was born. And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.
6 Judah arranged a marriage for his oldest son Er. The bride's name was Tamar. And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.
7 But Er was a terrible person in the Lord's eyes, so the Lord took his life. And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.
8 Judah told Onan, "Go be a husband to your brother's widow and have children with her. That way your brother's family line will continue." And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.
9 But Onan knew any child born would technically count as his brother's heir, not his own. So every time he was with Tamar, he ensured she wouldn't get pregnant — all to avoid giving his brother an heir. 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 The Lord saw what Onan was doing and considered it wicked. So the Lord took his life too. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.
11 Judah told his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Go back to your father's house and live there as a widow until my youngest son Shelah is old enough to marry." But secretly Judah was thinking, "I don't want Shelah to die too, like his brothers did." So Tamar went home to her father. 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 Tricks Judah
Study note
Years pass and Judah does not give Shelah to Tamar. When Judah's wife dies and the mourning period ends, Tamar learns that Judah is going to Timnah for sheep shearing. She removes her widow's clothes, covers herself with a veil, and sits at a crossroads. Judah does not recognize her and thinks she is a prostitute. He sleeps with her and she becomes pregnant. She takes his seal, cord, and staff as a pledge of payment.
12 Years passed, and Judah's wife (Shua's daughter) died. After Judah had finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah from Adullam went up to Timnah for the sheep-shearing season. 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 Someone told Tamar, "Your father-in-law is heading to Timnah to shear his sheep." And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.
14 Tamar saw that Shelah was now grown up, but Judah had never given her to him as a wife. So she took off her widow's clothes and covered her face with a veil. That way nobody would know who she was. Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which was on the road to Timnah. And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a veil, 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 Judah walked by, saw her, and assumed she was a prostitute because her face was hidden. When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.
16 He had no idea she was his daughter-in-law. He went up to her by the road and said, "How about it — let me spend some time with you." She asked, "What will you give me?" 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 He offered, "I'll send you a young goat from my flock." She said, "Fine, but give me something to hold as a guarantee until you send it." 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 He asked, "What do you want as a guarantee?" She said, "Your personal seal with its cord, and that walking staff of yours." He handed them over, slept with her, and she became pregnant. 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 She went home, took off the veil, and put her widow's clothes back on. And she arose, and went away, and laid by her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20 Judah sent his friend Hirah to bring the goat and get his things back. But Hirah could not find the woman anywhere. 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 He asked the locals, "Where's the woman who was sitting by the road near Enaim?" They said, "There hasn't been any woman like that around here." 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 Hirah went back and told Judah, "I looked everywhere but couldn't find her. The local people said no such woman was ever there." 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 Judah said, "Let her keep the goods. I don't want us to become a joke. I did try to pay her — you couldn't find her." 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 Acknowledges His Wrong
Study note
About three months later, Judah is told that Tamar is pregnant from prostitution. He angrily orders her to be burned. But Tamar sends him his seal, cord, and staff, saying the owner of these items is the father. Judah recognizes them and says, 'She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn't give her to my son Shelah.' Tamar gives birth to twins — Perez and Zerah. Perez becomes an ancestor in the line that leads to King David and ultimately to Jesus.
24 About three months later, someone told Judah, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has been sleeping around, and now she's pregnant!" Judah was furious: "Drag her out and burn her alive!" 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 As they were bringing her out, she sent a message to Judah: "I'm pregnant by the man who owns these items. Take a close look — whose seal, cord, and staff are these?" 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 Judah took one look and recognized them. He admitted, "She is more in the right than I am, because I never gave her to my son Shelah like I should have." He never slept with her again. 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.
27 When it was time for Tamar to give birth, it turned out she was carrying twins. And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.
28 During the delivery, one baby stuck his hand out. The midwife quickly tied a red thread around his wrist and said, "This one came first." 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 But the baby pulled his hand back, and his brother pushed out ahead of him. The midwife exclaimed, "Look how you pushed your way out!" So they named him Perez, meaning 'breaking through.' 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 Then his brother — the one with the red thread on his wrist — came out. They named him Zerah. And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.