Genesis 38:1-30
1 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 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.
3 And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.
4 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
5 And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.
6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.
7 And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.
8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.
9 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 And the thing which he did displeaseda the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.
11 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.
12 And in processb 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 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.
14 And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an openc 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 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.
16 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 And he said, I will send thee a kidd from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?
18 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 And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20 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 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openlye by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.
22 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 And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed:f behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
24 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 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 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 And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.
28 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 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 And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.
Genesis 38:1. At that time. All the events of this chapter could not happen in the twenty-two years from the selling of Joseph, to Israel's going down into Egypt; but according to Eben Ezra, as quoted by critics, Judah must have married a Canaanite before the sale of his brother. At the age of fourteen he left his father, and married this strange woman, by whom he had Er, Onan, and Shelah in three years. Judah's morals were therefore corrupted at an early age, and this accounts for the tragic occurrences of his house.
Genesis 38:7. Er, though very young was so extremely wicked, that the Lord slew him. God having concealed the nature of his crimes in the dark cloud of his vengeance, we ought not to make farther inquiry.
Genesis 38:9. Onan was not better than his brother Er. His crime was double; first, in denying issue to Tamar, and thereby depriving her of all her covenant rights; and secondly, in secret wickedness, for which the Lord slew him. Both these sons, it should be remembered, were educated by a heathen mother. Onanism is not only to be avoided by early rising, but all that leads to it abhorred, as idleness and novel reading. This sin superinduces every disease incident to the body. The Greeks have a proverb which applies here. Το νικαν αυτον εαυτον πασων νικων πρωτη και αριστη, το δε ετασθαι αυτον υφ εαυτον, αισχιστον τε και κακιστον. To conquer one's self is the first and best of all victories; but for a man to be conquered by himself, is the vilest and worst of sins.
Genesis 38:13. It was told Tamar. This young widow had borne much reproach for the singular loss of two young husbands. She had been defrauded by Onan, and disappointed of Shelah; and considering her marriage claims of issue and of property from the family, she took this bold and singular step. Her peculiar situation, and the laws of her people should be well considered, before we too far censure a mysterious deed.
Genesis 38:17. A kid. How lost to reason, and blinded by passion. How deplorably wretched must both the man and the woman be, who can barter their virtue for so paltry a price.
Genesis 38:18. Thy signet. This was usually a precious stone; the writing was often a short and ingenious monogram, so that it could not be counterfeited without aid of a goldsmith and a lapidary. Thus Tamar by getting possession of the signet outwitted Judah.
Genesis 38:21. Where is the harlot that was openly by the wayside? קדשׁ kedaish, that was separated from her family, and devoted to hire. So is the sense of Hosea 4:14. “They are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots.” Neither families, nor society can know a woman who devotes herself to prostitution; and the magistrate is bound to punish the crime. Brothels provoke the anger of heaven against a nation; all such women should be put in some asylum. Tamar's case was unique, not a case of imitation.
Genesis 38:24. Let her be burnt. She was betrothed to Shelah, and in that case she ought to have suffered death. Deuteronomy 22:23; Leviticus 21:9. It is highly probable that she was a priest's daughter.
REFLECTIONS.
Here is a chapter painted with the deepest tints of vice. Here is a black catalogue of persons, extremely young, who had made a daring progress in the worst of vices, all of which began in youthful folly. Judah obstinately left his father's house to live with Hirah; and marrying a Canaanite immediately, he lost the modesty of youth, and imbibed the corruptions of the country. How instructive is Judah's error to all young men, whose hearts are ready to be carried away with a torrent of vice. Their weakness has need to be protected by a parent's eye, or sheltered by the care of a righteous family.
In Er and in Onan, two depraved young men of a wicked age, we have instruction and warning of the most awful kind. Oh what purity of heart, what sanctity of life, what rigour of piety should be here inculcated! And with what horror should we start at the slightest propensity to evil; for sin worketh death. Let us listen to that warning voice, “The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are; and if any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.”
But here the father offended as well as the sons; one would have thought, heaven had now given up these royal branches to their own ways, that the whole might be destroyed body and soul. Judah wrought folly in Israel when shearing his sheep, when in company with a Canaanite, and on a day of feasting and wine. He lost his staff and signet, his princely honours were in possession of a harlot; and must this man still be addressed, my lord, and sit in the first place at table, who but last night left all his laurels in the chamber of a mistress! Let all men learn the strictest laws of temperance and sobriety, nourishing and feeding the body for the service of God, and the duties of life.
But did Judah desist from repeating the inquiry after the harlot, and was he content to lose his staff, his bracelets and his ring for fear of shame? Ah, and sinners are too often actuated merely by the same sentiment. It is detection and public shame which alarm their fears, and induce them not unfrequently to fabricate a multitude of lies to cover the guilt of one foul and scandalous offence. But the language of true repentance is “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.”
Here is also instruction for magistrates, and for those who exercise discipline in the church. Bring her forth, said Judah, and let her be burnt; for the heads of tribes were invested of God with power to punish crimes with death. It often happens however, that great men, guilty themselves, are much more disposed to punish vices which tarnish their honour, or affect their interest, than because those sins are odious in the eyes of heaven.
We also see the mysterious conduct of grace and justice largely unfolded. After God had made an awful example of Er and Onan, and after granting repentance, we would hope, to Judah and Tamar, he was graciously pleased to consecrate one of their offspring to be primogenitor of the Messiah. Surely the largeness of this grace is intended to comfort the chief of sinners, when like Judah and Tamar they never repeat their sin. He who abhorred not Judah's line, will not disdain to make their souls a habitation of his glory. Happy, happy indeed the Magdalen who is more devoted to God and his glory, than she has been to the world; but happier still, thrice happier the youth, who keeps himself unspotted as a branch of righteousness from the pollutions of the age.