Genesis 38:6

6 Y'hudah took a wife for 'Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

Genesis 38:6 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 38:6

And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn
Chose one for him, and presented her to him for his liking, whom he approving of married: whose name [was] Tamar;
which signifies a "palm tree": the Targum of Jonathan says, she was the daughter of Shem; but it is altogether improbable that a daughter of his should be living at this time, and young enough to bear children: it is much more probable that she was daughter of Levi, Judah's brother, as an Arabic writer F15 asserts; but it is more likely still that she was the daughter of a Canaanite, who was living in the same place, though his name is not mentioned, ( Genesis 38:11 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F15 Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. p. 16.

Genesis 38:6 In-Context

4 She conceived again and had a son, and she called him Onan.
5 Then she conceived yet again and had a son whom she called Shelah; he was in K'ziv when she gave birth to him.
6 Y'hudah took a wife for 'Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
7 But 'Er, Y'hudah's firstborn, was evil from ADONAI's perspective, so ADONAI killed him.
8 Y'hudah said to Onan, "Go and sleep with your brother's wife - perform the duty of a husband's brother to her, and preserve your brother's line of descent."
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.