Genesis 38:6-24

6 Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD’s sight; so the LORD put him to death.

8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.”

9 But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother.

10 What he did was wicked in the LORD’s sight; so the LORD put him to death also.

11 Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s household until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s household.

12 After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him.

13 When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,”

14 she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.

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

16 Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “And what will you give me to sleep with you?” she asked.

17 “I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” he said. “Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?” she asked.

18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?” “Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.

19 After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes again.

20 Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her.

21 He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said.

22 So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here.’ ”

23 Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn’t find her.”

24 About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.” Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”

Genesis 38:6-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 38

This chapter is wholly taken up with matters relating to Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, from whom the Jews have their name, and from whom Christ sprung: it treats of his marriage with a Canaanitess, his children by her, their character and end, Ge 38:1-11; of his incest with his daughter-in-law, though unknown by him, Ge 38:12-23; of his resentment against her, when he heard she was with child, and his confusion when he found it was by himself, Ge 38:24-26; and of the birth of twins by her, named Pharez and Zarah, Ge 38:27-30.

Cross References

• 1. ver 11,13
• 2. S Genesis 6:5
• 3. ver 10; Genesis 46:12; Leviticus 10:1-2; 1 Chronicles 2:3
• 4. Deuteronomy 25:5-6; Ruth 4:5; Matthew 22:24-28
• 5. S ver 7; Genesis 46:12; Deuteronomy 25:7-10
• 6. S Genesis 11:31
• 7. S ver 6
• 8. Ruth 1:8
• 9. ver 14,26
• 10. Ruth 1:13
• 11. S ver 2
• 12. ver 14; Joshua 15:10,57; Joshua 19:43; Judges 14:1,2; 2 Chronicles 28:18
• 13. S Genesis 31:19
• 14. S ver 1
• 15. S ver 6
• 16. S Genesis 31:19
• 17. ver 19
• 18. S Genesis 24:65
• 19. Jeremiah 3:2
• 20. S ver 12
• 21. S ver 11
• 22. Judges 11:1; Judges 16:1
• 23. Genesis 42:23
• 24. Leviticus 18:15; Leviticus 20:12; Ruth 1:6
• 25. Genesis 39:7,12; 2Sa 13:11
• 26. S Genesis 30:15
• 27. Judges 15:1; Ezekiel 16:33
• 28. ver 20
• 29. ver 25; 1 Kings 21:8; Esther 3:12; Esther 8:8; Song of Songs 8:6; Isaiah 49:16; Jeremiah 22:24; Haggai 2:23; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13
• 30. S Genesis 32:10; S Exodus 4:2
• 31. S Genesis 19:32
• 32. ver 14
• 33. S ver 1
• 34. ver 17
• 35. S Genesis 19:5; Leviticus 19:29; Deuteronomy 22:21; Deuteronomy 23:17; 2 Kings 23:7; Hosea 4:14
• 36. ver 18
• 37. Exodus 32:25; Job 12:4; Jeremiah 20:7; Lamentations 3:14
• 38. Leviticus 20:10,14; Leviticus 21:9; Deuteronomy 22:21,22; Joshua 7:25; Judges 15:6; 1 Samuel 31:12; Job 31:11,28; Ezekiel 16:38