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. Ver. 1. _And it came to pass at that time._] Before the rape of Dinah, the sale of Joseph, and soon after their return from Mesopotamia. _ Judah went down from h... [ Continue Reading ]
And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name [was] Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her. Ver. 2. _And Judah saw there, &c._] He saw, took, went in, all in haste: _Patre inconsulto, forte etiam invite; _ his father neither willing nor witting. Hence, for a punishment, wa... [ Continue Reading ]
_And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er._ Ver. 3. _And she conceived, &c._] St Jerome tells us of a certain drunken nurse, that was got with child by her nursling, a boy of ten years old. _a_ This he relates as monstrous, and takes God to witness that he knew it to be so. _ a... [ Continue Reading ]
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan. Ver. 4. _She called._] Shush named her two latter children; the one it is like by the licence, the other by the absence of her husband.... [ Continue Reading ]
And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him. Ver. 5. _He was at Chezib._] Called also Achzib. Mic 1:14 It hath its name from lying.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name [was] Tamar. Ver. 6. _And Judah took a wife for Er._] When he was but fourteen years of age, as appears by the Chronicle, seven years after the selling of Joseph. And here it is well observed, _a_ that though Judah took a wife without his fathe... [ Continue Reading ]
And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. Ver. 7. _Wicked in the sight of the Lord._] A Sodomite, say the Hebrews; but this is hard to say. _a_ As an evildoer, he was soon cut off. Psa 37:9 God would not have such to be his son Christ's progenitor. Too w... [ Continue Reading ]
And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. Ver. 8. _And Judah said unto Onan._] At fourteen years of age likewise. For, from the birth of Judah to their going down to Egypt, were but forty-three years. And yet before that, Pharez had He... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 9. When he went in unto his brother's wife.] God, for the respect he bears to his own institution of ma... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also._ Ver. 10. _Wherefore he slew him._] God oft punisheth the abuse of the marriage bed, either with untimely death - it was well said of one, _a_ that Venus provides not for those that are already born, but for those that sha... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 11. _Lest peradventure he die also, &c._] Judah lays the fault all... [ Continue Reading ]
And in process 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. Ver. 12. _The daughter of Shuah, &c._] This was just in God upon Judah, for his fraudulent dealing with Tamar; whom he neit... [ Continue Reading ]
And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep. Ver. 13. _To shear his sheep._] And so to put by his sorrow, as Jonathan did his anger, by going into the field to shoot. At sheep shearings they had feasts. 1 Samuel 25:8 _; _ 1Sa 25:11... [ Continue Reading ]
And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which [is] by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife. Ver. 14. _Covered her with a vail._] As they that do evil shun the... [ Continue Reading ]
When Judah saw her, he thought her [to be] an harlot; because she had covered her face. Ver. 15. _He thought her to be an harlot._] Because she sat in an open place: first, _In bivio,_ saith Junius, where there is liberty of looking every way; the guise and garb of harlots. Proverbs 7:12 _; Proverb... [ Continue Reading ]
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? Ver. 16. _Let me come in unto thee._] This is recorded, (1.) To cut the comb of th... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, I will send [thee] a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give [me] a pledge, till thou send [it]? Ver. 17. _Wilt thou give me._] The love of money breeds noisome lusts. 1Ti 6:9 Harlots are _sordida poscinummia,_ as Plautus hath it.... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 18. _And he gave it her, and came in unto her._] He gave her whatsoever she desired; as the mann... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 20. _By the hand of hls friend._] His broker. Fie upon such Adullamites! Such coal carriers as this, saith one, be good to scour a hot oven with. Such another w... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where [is] the harlot, that [was] openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this [place]._ Ver. 21. _Where is the harlot?_] The holy whore, as the Hebrew word importeth; such as committed that filthiness, under a pretence of holiness... [ Continue Reading ]
_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]._ Ver. 22. _There was no harlot in this place._] Few places can say so. Every house in Egypt had a dead corpse in it; and too many houses here have such, as, "livin... [ Continue Reading ]
And Judah said, Let her take [it] to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her. Ver. 23. _Lest we be shamed._] His care was more to shun shame, than sin. How much better that heathen! _Satis nobis persuasum esse debet, &c.; _ this we should be fully persuaded of,... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 24. _Bring her forth, and let her be burnt._] He was willing... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ Ver. 25. _By the man, whose these are, &c._] So his secret sin comes to light. All will... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ Ver. 26. _She hath been more righteous than I._] A free confession, joined with confusion of his sin; for he knew her no more. This was, to "c... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins [were] in her womb. Ver. 27. _Behold, twins were in her womb._] Betokening two peoples pertaining to Christ. The Jews first put forth their hand, as it were, willing to be justified by their works, and to regenerate themselves. For... [ Continue Reading ]