Genesis 38:15

15 When Judah saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, because she had her face covered.

Genesis 38:15 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 38:15

When Judah saw her, he thought her [to be] an harlot
By her posture and the place she was in: because she had covered her face;
with her veil, that he did not know her; for this is not given as a reason why he took her to be an harlot; the reason of this was, because she sat in the public road; but having covered her face he could not discern who she was, and therefore, from the other circumstance, concluded that she was an harlot, and sat there to prostitute herself to any that passed by.

Genesis 38:15 In-Context

13 Someone told Tamar that her father-in-law was going to Timnah to shear his sheep.

14 So she changed from the widow's clothes she had been wearing, covered her face with a veil, and sat down at the entrance to Enaim, a town on the road to Timnah. As she well knew, Judah's youngest son Shelah was now grown up, and yet she had not been given to him in marriage.

15 When Judah saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, because she had her face covered.

16 He went over to her at the side of the road and said, "All right, how much do you charge?" (He did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.) She said, "What will you give me?"

17 He answered, "I will send you a young goat from my flock." She said, "All right, if you will give me something to keep as a pledge until you send the goat."