Genesis 38:12

12 After many days, Shu`a's daughter, the wife of Yehudah, died. Yehudah was comforted, and went up to his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah, the `Adullami.

Genesis 38:12 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 38:12

And in process of time the daughter of Shuah, Judah's wife,
died
Shuah was his wife's father, who was a Canaanite, ( Genesis 38:2 ) ; what her name was is not certain, nor the exact time of her death; it was some time after Tamar was sent home to her father's house; and some take the death of Judah's wife to be a correction and reproof to him for his ill usage of his daughter-in-law, in neglecting to give her to his son, or not designing to do it at all: and Judah was comforted:
he mourned awhile for the death of his wife, according to the custom of the country, and of those times, and then he laid aside the tokens of it, and his sorrow wore off, and he appeared in company and conversed with his friends: and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath;
a city in the tribe of Judah, ( Joshua 15:57 ) , said ^F19 to be six miles from Adullam, where Judah lived; here he had his flocks of sheep, at least this was judged a proper place for the shearing and washing of them, and this time of the year a proper time for it, at which it was usual to have a feast; and Judah went up to his shearers, not only to see how they went on with their work, but with this view to make an entertainment for them, see ( 1 Samuel 25:3 1 Samuel 25:4 1 Samuel 25:36 ) : he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite;
he took him along with him for a companion, and to partake of the entertainment.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 Bunting's Travels, p. 78.

Genesis 38:12 In-Context

10 The thing which he did was evil in the sight of the LORD, and he killed him also.

11 Then Yehudah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house, until Shelach, my son, is grown up;" for he said, "Lest he also die, like his brothers." Tamar went and lived in her father's house.

12 After many days, Shu`a's daughter, the wife of Yehudah, died. Yehudah was comforted, and went up to his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah, the `Adullami.

13 It was told Tamar, saying, "Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep."

14 She took off of her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of `Enayim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelach was grown up, and she wasn't given to him as a wife.