Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Genesis Chapter 38 mean?

The events of Genesis 38 likely take place during Joseph’s time as a slave in Egypt (Genesis 37:26–28) and some time before he is reunited with his brothers (Genesis 45:1–3). After this passage, the text will return to a focus on Joseph (Genesis 39:1).

Judah moves away from his father Jacob and the rest of the family living at Hebron. He establishes a home to the northwest near a town called Adullam. He has a friend there named Hirah, and soon takes a wife. Though people of God have been repeatedly discouraged from marrying into Canaanite culture (Genesis 28:1), Judah has done exactly that. He soon has three sons with her: Er, Onan, and Shelah (Genesis 38:1–5).

The oldest son’s name is Er, which is coincidentally the reverse of the Hebrew word for “evil.” When he is of marriageable age, Judah finds him a wife, likely another Canaanite woman. Her name is Tamar. Er soon dies, put to death by God for an unnamed wickedness. A strong custom of “levirate marriage,” later codified into law (Deuteronomy 25:5–6), demands the childless widow be given in marriage to her late husband’s brother. The purpose of this custom is to provide the otherwise-destitute woman with a secure future. Judah tells his second son to marry Tamar so that Er’s family line might continue (Genesis 38:6–8).

According to this tradition, any children born from the new relationship are considered heirs of the departed brother. Any children Onan fathers and raises with Tamar will be considered those of his late brother. They will carry on Er’s line, and Er’s inheritance. Onan is not interested in supporting his brother’s children. However, he has no objection to sex, so he takes advantage of the situation. Whenever he has intercourse with Tamar, he interrupts the act at the last moment to avoid conception. God sees Onan’s practice—deliberately using Tamar for sex while avoiding responsibility for his brother’s legacy—as a heinous sin. He puts Onan to death, as well (Genesis 38:9–10).

The same levirate custom demands Judah, as Tamar’s father-in-law, give her in marriage to his third son, Shelah. But Judah apparently blames Tamar for the death of his two oldest sons. He may believe she is bad luck, or thinks she somehow contributed to their sins. For that reason, he is concerned Shelah will die if he marries Tamar. Fortunately, for Judah, when Onan dies Shelah is not yet old enough to marry. Judah tells Tamar to wait, but we later learn he never planned on following through on his agreement. Left undeterred, Judah would leave her waiting as a childless widow in her father’s household forever (Genesis 38:11).

When Tamar realizes no marriage is coming, she knows her situation is hopeless. She will not be provided for by her father-in-law Judah, and she has no prospects for a future marriage. So, she hatches a scheme to force Judah to care for her. Tamar learns where Judah will be traveling. She changes her clothes and dresses herself with a veil, appearing as a prostitute, and positions herself along the road at the entrance to a town called Enaim. Not knowing who she is, Judah propositions her for sex (Genesis 38:12–16).

Scripture does not say exactly what Tamar’s plan was, at first. At the very least, she intended to use this encounter as leverage to convince Judah to make good on his promise. It’s an incredibly dangerous gamble: if she’s found out, there’s a good chance her life will be forfeit. As it happens, she winds up with a far more potent advantage than she may have anticipated. In negotiating her fee, Judah notes that he doesn’t have money to pay for her services. Tamar asks Judah to leave his staff, signet, and cord as a guarantee. These items would have been unique and irreplaceable. Once he sends payment, she will return the items. Judah gives them to her and has his way. In what turns out to be an enormous advantage, for Tamar, she becomes pregnant as a result (Genesis 38:17–18).

After Judah leaves, Tamar returns to her father’s household. While prostitution was not illegal in that era, it was probably not considered respectable. To avoid shame, Judah sends his friend, Hirah, to the place where he met the “prostitute,” to pay her and retrieve his personal effects. Of course, since this was Tamar and not an actual prostitute, she is nowhere to be found. Judah decides to abandon his items rather than risk being laughed at if the story gets out (Genesis 38:19–23).

Three months later, Tamar is discovered to be pregnant. Judah, knowing she is technically engaged to his youngest son, Shelah, viciously condemns her to death. In a stunning revelation, Tamar sends proof of the person who impregnated her: Judah’s own staff and signet. Judah sheepishly recognizes his hypocrisy. Tamar’s deception and sin are immoral, but Judah’s sin is even worse. He allows her to live and, so far as it seems, gives her all the care associated with a wife. Scripture does not say that Judah literally married Tamar, but specifies he never has intercourse with her again. In effect, Judah takes on the responsibility of levirate marriage which he had been denying to Tamar (Genesis 38:24–26).

Tamar gives birth to Judah’s twin boys, Zerah and Perez (Genesis 38:27–30).

Chapter Context
Genesis 38 departs from the story of Joseph (Genesis 37:26–28) to describe what happens when Judah moves away from his family at Hebron and marries a Canaanite woman. Two of his three sons are put to death by God, each while married to the same woman. When Judah abandons her, she works a scheme to trick him into having sex with her. Confronted with proof that he is the father in her scandalous pregnancy, she is allowed to live and gives birth to Judah’s twin boys. The following chapter returns to a focus on Joseph and his rise within Egyptian society (Genesis 39:1).

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

This begins a short explanation of Judah’s scandalous family history, starting immediately after Joseph is sold to slave traders (Genesis 37:26–28). The events of Genesis 38 take place before Jacob and his sons later travel to Egypt and discover that Joseph is still alive (Genesis 45:1).

For unexplained reasons, Judah (Genesis 29:35) moves away from the family at Hebron and goes down to a town called Adullam. This is located at a lower elevation, in the foothills northwest of Hebron. He meets or reconnects with an Adullamite friend named Hirah. Judah’s history in this time is marked by sin, deception, and scandal.

Context Summary
Genesis 38:1–5 explains the birth of Judah’s three sons to a Canaanite woman, known only as the daughter of Shua. Two of these sons, Er and Onan, will die at the hands of God, due to their immoral actions. Tamar, a woman married in sequence to Er, then to Onan, will be abandoned by Judah. Left without support and unable to marry, she will scheme to take matters into her own hands.

Verse 2. There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her,

Abraham’s offspring had been told not to take wives from the land of Canaan (Genesis 28:1). This was due to issues of idol worship: later, God would make it explicitly against His law to assimilate with the people of the land which God had promised to Israel (Deuteronomy 7:1–4). Abraham went out of his way to get Isaac a wife from outside of the land (Genesis 24:1–4), and Isaac and Rebekah were not pleased with Esau’s Canaanite wives (Genesis 26:34; 27:46). Jacob, as well, had taken wives from his mother’s homeland and not from the Canaanite peoples (Genesis 29:10–12).

Apparently defying this directive, Judah takes a Canaanite woman, the daughter of a man named Shua, presumably as his wife. Marriage is not explicitly mentioned but seems to be implied. Judah (Genesis 29:25) has recently conspired with his brothers to sell their younger sibling, Joseph, to slave traders (Genesis 37:26–28). For reasons unknown, Judah then moved away from his brothers and the rest of the family at Hebron to live in a town called Adullam (Genesis 38:1).

Verse 3. and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er.

Jacob’s son Judah (Genesis 29:25) has moved away from his brothers and family at Hebron and taken a Canaanite woman as his wife (Genesis 38:2). She becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son named Er, which may mean “guard” or “watchful.”

Judah has recently conspired with his brothers to sell their sibling, Joseph, into slavery (Genesis 37:26–28). As he grows his own family, Judah does not realize that Joseph is becoming a powerful figure in Egypt (Genesis 45:1).

Verse 4. She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.

Judah was one of the sons of Jacob (Genesis 29:25) who sold their younger brother, Joseph, as a slave (Genesis 37:26–28). Not long after this, Judah moved away from the family into an area called Adullam (Genesis 38:1). There, he took a wife from the Canaanite people (Genesis 38:2), going against God’s will for the sons of Israel (Genesis 28:1; Deuteronomy 7:1–4). Though this was not yet an explicit law, marrying into pagan Canaanite culture was something against which God had already spoken. Judah’s Canaanite wife has given birth to a son name Er, and now bears a second son.

Onan’s name has been attached to a particular practice—sometimes called Onanism—which has been the subject of controversy within the Christian church. Later in this chapter, the reason for his unfortunate reputation will become clear (Genesis 38:8–10).

Verse 5. Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him.

Jacob’s son Judah (Genesis 29:25) moved to the region of Abdullam, away from his brothers and family at Hebron. His Canaanite wife has now given birth to three sons (Genesis 38:1–4). The first two are named Er and Onan. Both will meet an early death, dying separately as punishment for their sins (Genesis 38:7; 9–10).

Judah’s third son is named Shelah, which means something like “drawn out.” When his third son is born, Judah is away but nearby, at a town called Chezib. These locations are only a few miles / kilometers apart.

While Judah does not yet realize it, his offspring will have an incredible legacy. Among his descendants are David, Solomon, and Jesus (Matthew 1:1–16). However, none of his three eldest sons will be part of that genealogy. Instead, his family line will be extended through a series of tragic and deceptive acts (Genesis 38:24–26).

Verse 6. And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

Judah has moved away from the rest of his family (Genesis 38:1–3), married a Canaanite woman, and had several sons. The oldest is Er, who has now reached a marriageable age. Judah finds his son a wife, also likely a Canaanite, named Tamar. This continues Judah’s defiance of the directive not to intermarry with the idol-worshipping Canaanite people (Genesis 28:1).

Sadly, Er’s life will be cut short. Scripture gives no details other than to say he is killed by God in punishment for his sins (Genesis 38:7). Following custom, Tamar will be given to Er’s brother Onan, to provide Er with descendants and Tamar with children to support her. That marriage, as well, will end in sin and tragedy (Genesis 38:7–10).

Context Summary
Genesis 38:6–11 explains how Tamar came to be widowed twice. Judah’s eldest, Er, marries Tamar but is killed by God for unspecified sins. By tradition, a widow would be given to the next surviving brother, with any resulting children considered successors of the deceased man. Er’s brother, Onan, takes Tamar as a wife, including intercourse, but deliberately avoids providing her with children. For taking sexual advantage of Tamar, Onan is also killed by God. Judah apparently blames Tamar for his sons’ deaths and tells her to wait before being married to the next brother, Shelah. When it becomes clear that Judah won’t care for her, Tamar makes plans of her own.

Verse 7. But Er, Judah ‘s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death.

Judah (Genesis 38:1–4) has found a wife for his firstborn son Er, a woman named Tamar. While Scripture offers no details, Er’s life is marked by sin such that God takes his life. Interestingly, the Hebrew name “Er” is spelled using the same two letters as the term for “evil,” but in reverse. We’re not told what specific sin Er committed. Most likely, it was his whole manner of life to which God objected. God’s response is still startling: He puts Er to death. This might have been a direct, supernatural action. It may have been natural consequences of Er’s sin (Proverbs 10:7, 27; 11:5). Regardless of the method, there is no question his death is an act of divine judgement.

Though God often judges people groups for sin throughout the Old Testament, He is not often credited with directly killing an individual, outright, in response to their evil. Some commentors suggest God’s intent in being so direct with Er might be to prevent Israel from producing too many heirs out of this intermarriage with the idol-worshipping Canaanite people.

Tradition, later codified into law (Deuteronomy 25:5–6), was for a surviving brother to take the widow on as his own wife. Any children produced would be heirs of the departed brother. Judah will follow this tradition, but the results will be similarly dire (Genesis 38:8–10).

Verse 8. Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother ‘s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.”

After his wicked son Er has been killed by the Lord (Genesis 38:6–7), Judah turns to his second son Onan. He tells Onan to take Er’s widow Tamar as his wife. Onan’s specific duty is to care for Tamar as a wife, with special emphasis on providing her with children, so his departed brother would have some offspring by proxy.

While the practice seems strange today, it was a strong custom in the region at the time. The tradition was intended to keep a man’s family line from being “cut off,” if possible. It also served the interests of the widow, who would be left destitute and helpless without children to support her later in life. This “levirate marriage” would also become the standard practice of Israel (Deuteronomy 25:5–6), though the Law would later allow for a man to opt out of taking his brother’s widow as a wife in this way.

Verse 9. But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother ‘s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother.

Judah’s firstborn son Er has died, killed by God for an unnamed wickedness. Since Er died without leaving children, Judah has told his second oldest son, Onan, to take Er’s widow Tamar as his wife. His responsibility is to have children with her, raising those offspring on behalf of his brother. This was a strong custom in the region at the time, and it would be part of God’s law for the nation of Israel (Deuteronomy 25:5–6). This would ensure that the departed man’s line could continue. It would also provide for the woman’s care, giving her children to support her as she aged.

Onan doesn’t like the idea. According to this custom, the children will legally be considered heirs of his dead brother. The time and resources Onan must provide caring for them won’t be part of his legacy. Some portion of his future earnings and estate will go to children who are legally and culturally considered someone else’s sons.

In response, Onan deliberately avoids conceiving children with Tamar. If that meant avoiding intercourse with her, his choice would merely have been callous. The later, formal version of “levirate marriage” would include a way for the surviving brother to avoid taking on the new wife (Deuteronomy 25:7–10). Instead, Onan takes advantage of both the situation and of Tamar. He uses her for sex but interrupts the act at the very end to prevent conception. This is not a single event, but a pattern: it was Onan’s choice “whenever” he had sex with Tamar. For that, God will strike Onan dead (Genesis 38:10).

This sin and its dire consequences inspired the term “Onanism.” This word is most often applied to what modern people label as “masturbation.” A common assumption is that God punished Onan for self-gratification, or for having sex simply for pleasure. Strictly speaking, however, Onan’s sin was how he used Tamar for sex while deliberately avoiding taking the responsibilities which came with being married to her. This verse is explicit: Onan’s sin was in how he avoided providing an heir for his brother.

Verse 10. And what he did was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death also.

Onan had been forced by custom and his father’s command to marry his brother’s childless widow, Tamar (Genesis 38:1–8). This practice, known as a “levirate marriage,” would later become part of the Mosaic law (Deuteronomy 25:5–6). Under this practice, any children born would be considered the heirs of the departed brother. This provided a legacy for the family and support for the widow. Even that later version allowed a man to refuse that role, though such a choice would have been considered dishonorable (Deuteronomy 25:7–10).

In this case, Onan did not want to put his time and resources into children that would not be his own. Rather than refusing to marry Tamar, or declining to have intercourse with her, Onan tries to get the “best” of both options. He routinely has sex with Tamar but interrupts the act at the end to avoid conception (Genesis 38:9). In a very blatant sense, Onan is “using” Tamar. She’s not being treated as a wife, or even as a childless widow, but as a sex object.

God saw Onan’s repeated practice of this as a heinous sin and put him to death, just as He had done to Onan’s brother, Er (Genesis 38:7). There’s a poetic irony in the fact that Onan’s sin is called “wicked,” using a Hebrew word which is the reverse of the Hebrew name “Er.”

With Onan’s death, two of Judah’s sons (Genesis 38:1–5) have been killed by God for their sinfulness. Both have died while married to Tamar. According to tradition, Judah’s next son, Shelah, should now take Tamar. Out of fear (Genesis 38:11), Judah will delay that choice. His excuse is that Shelah is too young, but time will prove this to be a deceptive excuse (Genesis 38:14).

Verse 11. Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father ‘s house, till Shelah my son grows up” — for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father ‘s house.

Two of Judah’s three sons with his Canaanite wife (Genesis 38:2–5) have been put to death by God for their wickedness (Genesis 38:7–10). When Er, the oldest, died, his brother Onan was forced to marry Er’s wife Tamar. Now Onan has also been put to death by the Lord, leaving Tamar a widow once more. Neither situation was Tamar’s fault, yet she is now childless and unmarried, with little hope of finding a husband.

The same tradition that applied when Tamar married Onan would indicate that Shelah, Judah’s next—and last—son would take on the role of husband to provide Tamar with children. Scripture does not say how old Shelah is. Apparently, he’s young enough that Judah’s excuse seems plausible.

Claiming Shelah is too young is, however, just that: a temporary excuse. In truth, Judah seems to blame Tamar for the deaths of his two oldest sons. He might see her as bad luck, or think she was responsible for his sons’ poor decisions. For now, he tells her to go back home to her own father—taking responsibility for her out of Judah’s family—and wait for Shelah to mature. The following verses reveal that Judah never intended to complete the marriage between Tamar and Shelah (Genesis 38:14).

Verse 12. In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua ‘s daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

Two of Judah’s three sons with his Canaanite wife (Genesis 38:2–5) have been put to death by God for their wickedness (Genesis 38:7, 9–10). Judah’s wife has died, as well. She remains unnamed, identified only as the daughter of a man named Shua.

After a time of mourning had passed, Judah and his friend Hirah travel to Judah’s sheepshearers in a town called Timnah. Sheep-shearing was accompanied by celebrations, much as western cultures celebrate fall harvests.

Judah’s travel will provide an opportunity for Tamar (Genesis 38:13), his twice-widowed daughter-in-law. Though Judah claimed to have been waiting to allow Tamar to marry his youngest son, Shelah (Genesis 38:11), that has proven to be a lie (Genesis 38:14). Her scheme is risky, used in desperation.

Context Summary
Genesis 38:12–19 describes a plan devised by the childless widow, Tamar, to provide for her future after being abandoned by her father-in-law, Judah. He has violated tradition by delaying—refusing, it turns out—to give her to his next-oldest son, Shelah. Tamar disguises herself as a prostitute and engages in sex with Judah, keeping his signet ring and staff until he can pay her. This results in pregnancy, setting up a scandalous revelation.

Verse 13. And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,”

Tamar had been married and widowed by two of Judah’s sons, both killed by the Lord for their wickedness (Genesis 38:6–10). She had moved back in with her father’s household, but she was waiting for Judah to decide his third son was old enough to marry her, as custom demanded (Genesis 38:11). The custom was meant to protect the rights of childless widows, as remarriage was difficult. The fact that Judah has no intention of making good on his promise (Genesis 38:14) means he has effectively abandoned her.

Enough time has passed since Judah’s initial promise that the deception is clear. When Tamar learns Judah is on his way to Timnah, she hatches a plan to force her father-in-law to include her in his family and take care of her (Genesis 38:14–15).

Verse 14. she took off her widow ‘s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage.

Tamar has come to realize that she’s been abandoned by her father-in-law, Judah. When her first husband died, Judah insisted his second son marry Tamar to continue the family line (Genesis 38:6–8). This custom would later be part of the Mosaic law (Deuteronomy 25:5–7), meant to provide for women who would otherwise be destitute. When that son died as well (Genesis 38:9–10), Judah told Tamar she would be given to his third son once he was old enough (Genesis 38:11). In truth, Judah seems to blame Tamar in some way for his sons’ deaths. This verse proves his assurances were dishonest.

Apparently, Shelah has reached marrying age. No suggestion has come from Judah indicating a marriage. Tamar is twice married, twice widowed, and childless. The man responsible for providing for her future has lied and left her helpless. So, she concocts a scheme to force Judah to take her in.

Tamar is aware that Judah is headed toward Timnah. She changes out of her widow’s mourning clothes and puts a veil over her face. She positions herself along the road near a town called Enaim where she is sure that Judah will pass by. Through some combination of her clothing, mannerisms, and location, she plans to pose as a prostitute (Genesis 38:15), and target Judah.

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

Judah told his widowed daughter-in-law Tamar she would be married to his son, Shelah, when the boy grew up (Genesis 38:11). Tamar has realized that’s not going to happen—Judah’s reassurance was a lie (Genesis 38:14). In that culture, a childless widow (Genesis 38:7–10) had no realistic prospects for marriage and no family to care for her into old age. Facing a dire future, Tamar is working a scheme to force Judah to take care of her.

She has dressed herself as a prostitute, wearing a veil, and is waiting for Judah to pass by on the road (Genesis 38:13). Her plan works. She catches his eye, and Judah assumes she is, in fact, a prostitute. In part because of the veil, he never realizes she is his daughter-in-law. In the following verses, he will hire her services. Tamar will use this encounter to her advantage.

Verse 16. He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”

In Scripture, everyone—even God’s chosen people—are honestly presented as flawed human beings. Jacob’s son Judah (Genesis 29:25) likely went against his family’s instructions in marrying a local Canaanite woman (Genesis 28:1). Two of the three sons he had with her have been killed by God for their wickedness (Genesis 38:7–10) and now she, too, has died (Genesis 38:12). Judah, who told his sons’ widow Tamar that he would allow her to marry his third son (Genesis 38:11), has not followed through on that commitment (Genesis 38:14). His comforting promise to her was a lie, leaving her widowed, childless, and without hope.

Now, Judah is propositioning a roadside prostitute (Genesis 38:15). He’s completely unaware she is, in fact, this same daughter-in-law in disguise. Tamar is working a dangerous scheme to trap Judah into taking care of her. It’s not a pretty scenario. Like many such encounters, it begins with a negotiation of price.

Verse 17. He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it — “

Judah’s widowed daughter-in-law was promised marriage to his youngest son (Genesis 38:11). This was according to a tradition meant to provide care for childless widows. That promise has proven itself a lie (Genesis 38:14). In desperation, Tamar has disguised herself as a prostitute and veiled her face. She has successfully captured Judah’s attention as he travels. He has no idea who she really is, and she successfully entices him to make an offer in exchange for sex (Genesis 38:16).

Tamar is negotiating over a price, but her goal is not simply to make money. She is hoping to trap Judah into providing for her, since he has gone back on his agreement to allow his son to marry her. Judah offers a young goat as payment but doesn’t have one with him. He will have to send it to her. Perhaps this is just what she was hoping to hear. She counters that he will have to leave something of value with her as a pledge for her to keep until the goat arrives.

Verse 18. He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him.

Tamar, twice widowed by Judah’s two oldest sons (Genesis 38:6–10), has disguised herself as a prostitute with a veiled face. She is attempting to trap Judah into taking care of her since he has abandoned his agreement to allow her to marry his third son. Judah, completely unaware that this is Tamar, is attempting to hire her services (Genesis 38:14–17).

She has agreed to the price of a young goat, but only if Judah gives her something of value as collateral until he can send payment. Her choice are items that Judah will certainly want to get back: something uniquely his and clearly irreplaceable. A signet, or “seal,” would have been used to stamp his identity on documents. Judah likely carried such an object on a necklace or other cord. Men during this period would also own and carry a staff, likely carved in some unique way.

Tamar’s initial plan may have been simply to blackmail Judah: to shame him into caring for her. When he is forced to leave his identification, it’s an opportunity to prove what’s happened. That she becomes pregnant by this encounter is—from her point of view—the best possible outcome. She now has the children she was promised, as well as leverage to ensure her future.

It’s important to note that Scripture doesn’t condone Tamar’s actions any more than those of Judah. These events are recorded, not endorsed, by their inclusion in this passage.

Verse 19. Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.

Judah, on his way to celebrate sheep-shearing season, has stopped to buy the services of a roadside prostitute. What he did not realize is that this was his own widowed daughter-in-law, Tamar (Genesis 38:13–18). Tamar was not really a prostitute, but a desperate woman in disguise. She had been widowed by Judah’s two oldest sons and then abandoned by him when the strong custom of the day—and his previous agreement—demanded she marry his third son (Genesis 38:11). When that did not happen (Genesis 38:14), Tamar had taken matters into her own hands.

After having sex with Judah in her guise as a prostitute, Tamar took his signet, cord, and staff as security against a future payment. She changes back into her widow’s mourning clothes and goes home. Her plan, at this point, was likely to use Judah’s signet and staff as evidence to shame him into following through on his promise. Realizing she is pregnant, however, would lead her to understand that her best option is to keep the items and wait (Genesis 38:24–25).

Verse 20. When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman ‘s hand, he did not find her.

In this time and place, prostitution was not illegal. In fact, pagan religions often involved sexual services as part of “worship.” That did not make using such services a mark of good taste. Judah’s choice to send someone else to pay his debt to a prostitute (Genesis 38:18) hints at this stigma. Judah’s friend has one job: Deliver the young goat and get Judah’s signet and staff back.

Unfortunately, Hirah the Adullamite couldn’t find the prostitute who had been sitting at the entrance to the city of Enaim. She wasn’t there, because the woman Judah slept with was neither a prostitute nor a resident of the town. It was his own widowed daughter-in-law, Tamar (Genesis 38:7–11), who was scheming in response to Judah’s broken promise (Genesis 38:14). She had removed her disguise (Genesis 38:15) and returned to her father’s home (Genesis 38:19).

Context Summary
Genesis 38:20–26 reveals the end of Tamar’s scheme to obtain her rightful due as a widow. Her father-in-law, Judah, had refused to follow tradition by granting her marriage to his next son. So, she disguised herself as a prostitute and slept with Judah, keeping his signet and staff as payment. When Judah learns Tamar is pregnant, though widowed, he hypocritically demands she be killed for immorality. Tamar produces the staff and signet as proof that Judah is the father. He sheepishly admits his error.

Verse 21. And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.”

Hirah the Adullamite is looking for the prostitute Judah slept with (Genesis 38:20). He’s assigned to pay her fee and retrieve Judah’s personal belongings, left as a pledge (Genesis 38:18). When Hirah can’t find her, he asks around, referring to her as a “cult prostitute.” Some pagan religions included prostitution in the worship of their gods. In a culture where idol worship was fully normalized, this kind of prostitution may have been somewhat more respectable than non-religious prostitution.

The locals, however, don’t know about any roadside cult prostitute. They’d never heard of her. Tamar, of course, was not a resident of that area or an actual prostitute. She was back living in her father’s household and pregnant with Judah’s child (Genesis 38:19). Her goal was to force Judah to care for her, after realizing his earlier promise (Genesis 38:11) was a lie (Genesis 38:14).

Verse 22. So he returned to Judah and said, “I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’”

Judah sent a friend to pay his debt to a prostitute (Genesis 38:20), but Hirah cannot find her. As a result, he cannot return the personal items Judah left as security (Genesis 38:18). Locals know of no such person, because the woman Judah slept with is actually Tamar, Judah’s widowed daughter-in-law (Genesis 38:7–10).

Tamar’s scheme was to force Judah to make good on his promise to care for her (Genesis 38:11). That has been revealed as a lie (Genesis 38:14). Perhaps her first goal was simply to sleep with Judah and privately shame him. When he has no money and needs to leave his personal effect, she may have seen that as an opportunity for greater leverage. Certainly, learning she was pregnant would have given her an enormous advantage.

As expected, Judah is afraid his reputation will suffer, so he chooses to do nothing (Genesis 38:23). Later, his own hypocrisy will complete Tamar’s trap (Genesis 38:24–25).

Verse 23. And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.”

Hirah was sent to pay a prostitute his friend, Judah, had hired in a town called Enaim (Genesis 38:20). His main goal is to retrieve Judah’s personal effects: a signet and staff (Genesis 38:18). Hirah returned with news that the woman can’t be found and nobody in the area knows anything about her. Judah still doesn’t know this supposed prostitute was his widowed daughter-in-law, Tamar, in disguise (Genesis 38:15–17). She had disguised herself and enticed Judah out of desperation due to his broken promise (Genesis 38:11, 14).

Judah decides to the let the matter drop. If word gets out that he’s trying to pay a prostitute that can’t be found, his reputation is likely to be damaged. This is not simply a moral concern, it’s a matter of ridicule. If others hear of this, Judah will be laughed at. Rather than risk further embarrassment by searching for the woman, he decides to let her keep his signet, his cord, and his staff. Tamar will later produce these items (Genesis 38:24–25) in response to Judah’s own hypocrisy.

Verse 24. About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.”

Judah’s daughter-in-law tricked him. She knew where and when he’d be traveling along a certain road (Genesis 38:14), and she positioned herself there, veiled as a prostitute, and seduced him (Genesis 38:18). She accepted his staff, signet, and cord as a pledge for later payment, then disappeared back home. Because of her veil, Judah never knew she was the widow of his two deceased sons whom he had promised to marry to his third son (Genesis 38:11). It was the realization that Judah’s promise was a lie (Genesis 38:14) which drove Tamar to concoct her scheme.

Tamar conceived that day. From her perspective, this was the best possible outcome. Twice widowed and childless, her only prospect had been marriage to Judah’s son Shelah. Now, however, she is expecting children and has powerful evidence to ensure support from the father (Genesis 38:25).

So far as Judah and the others know, Tamar is betrothed to Shelah, but living in her father’s home (Genesis 38:11). News that she is pregnant raises natural questions. The conclusion—which is not incorrect—is that she’s committed an act of sexual immorality. This news comes to Judah, who is incensed. Tamar is still promised to be married to Judah’s son Shelah, so she would be considered guilty of a serious sin no matter how she became pregnant.

Judah’s response is swift and final: Burn her to death. Customs of the time, as well as God’s later law for the Israelites, would call for the death penalty in cases of adultery (Leviticus 20:10). This is remarkably hypocritical on Judah’s part, as he himself is guilty of sexual immorality—he does not yet know he is the man with whom Tamar committed sin!

The sentence of death by burning, as well, is extreme. Whether Judah had enough authority to make that happen, or not, he seems to think the situation reflects poorly on him as her father-in-law. Tamar’s response will expose that hypocrisy in no uncertain terms (Genesis 38:25).

Verse 25. As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.”

Tamar appears to be caught in the sin of sexual immorality. She is an unmarried woman, twice widowed but childless, promised to Judah’s youngest son, yet she is pregnant (Genesis 38:24). In such cases, local customs allowed for the death penalty. This same punishment would be part of the later Mosaic law (Leviticus 20:10). Judah is all too eager to administer this penalty to Tamar.

At this point, Tamar completes the trap she laid for Judah from the beginning. He had failed to keep his commitment to marry her to his third son (Genesis 38:11, 14). She disguised herself as a prostitute, enticed Judah, and kept his personal effects as a promise of future payment (Genesis 38:15–18). When Judah sent a friend to retrieve his signet and staff, she was gone (Genesis 38:20). Tamar’s very first plan might have been to reveal herself to Judah immediately, and shame him into caring for her. When he was forced to leave his staff and signet, it might have inspired her to wait to make her move. Learning she was pregnant, without a doubt, would have given her incentive to keep her secret until the perfect moment.

Now that moment has come. Judah has learned of her pregnancy and is demanding her death. She sends a message to him saying the father of her baby is the owner of a certain signet, cord, and staff. After all, that man is just as guilty of immorality as she is. Her challenge is for Judah to identify those items, and the man to whom they belong.

Of course, the items belong to Judah himself. Tamar has proof he is the father of her unborn. Judah’s response is contrite, and Tamar will have gained the security she sought (Genesis 38:26).

Verse 26. Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.

Judah realizes that he has been caught in a trap, laid for him by Tamar (Genesis 38:14–19). More than that, though, he realizes he is not merely guilty, but even more guilty than she is. He admits his guilt in not following through on his commitment to marry his third son to Tamar (Genesis 38:11). Tamar’s desperate move was inspired by being a childless widow; Judah’s broken promise left her with little hope.

It’s important to note that Judah does not say Tamar is guiltless. Tamar’s actions aren’t justified, in any sense, but Judah fully realizes his role in creating the situation. And, of course, he’s at least guilty of the basic sin for which he was just demanding Tamar suffer a death sentence. In essence, Judah says that whatever Tamar has done, his own sin is worse. He, too, is guilty of sexual immorality, as well as lying and abandoning a widow.

Scripture gives no details on the relationship between Judah and Tamar from this point forward. All we know is that Judah did not again sleep with her: there was no continued sexual relationship. Whether she was taken in as a full-fledged wife, or merely cared for in the household, we are not told. For all intents and purposes, Judah has taken on the “levirate” responsibility (Deuteronomy 25:5–6) which should have fallen to his son (Genesis 38:11).

Tamar’s plan was extremely dangerous. She was fortunate, in a sense, to have become pregnant and had the opportunity to prove Judah’s involvement. Once again, Israel’s early history is marked by grand deception and startling revelations (Genesis 27:34–35; 29:21–27; 37:23–28).

Verse 27. When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb.

Twins seem to run in Abraham’s family. Rebekah and Isaac had twin boys: Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:23–26). Those men would become the founders of the nations of Israel (Genesis 35:10) and Edom (Genesis 36:1), respectively. Now Jacob’s son Judah (Genesis 29:25) has twins with Tamar (Genesis 38:14–18).

Just as with Jacob and Esau, the twins are born into rivalry. As with Jacob and Esau, the older (Genesis 28) will be supplanted by the younger (Genesis 38:29).

Context Summary
Genesis 38:27–30 records the birth of Judah’s twin sons, scandalously conceived through his own daughter-in-law, Tamar. Just as with Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:22–23), there is rivalry between twins.

Verse 28. And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.”

In an era where birth order was all important, a quick-thinking midwife ties a red thread around the tiny wrist that first emerges during Tamar’s delivery (Genesis 38:27). Had she not done so, they never would have known which of the twins was technically the first to arrive.

As with their ancestors Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:23–26), these twins will be born in odd circumstances and an innate rivalry. The younger (Genesis 38:29) will be the one to carry on the family legacy, while the older does not.

Verse 29. But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Perez.

Tamar’s twins are being born (Genesis 38:18, 24–26). As Genesis has made abundantly clear in the telling of Esau’s and Jacob’s story, birth order mattered a great deal in the ancient world. The oldest son will, by custom, hold both the birthright and the family blessing. Part of God’s unique interaction with Israel was a constant disruption of this tradition (Genesis 25:23). In this case, one of the twins thrust out a hand before the other could emerge. Those familiar with childbirth would see this as a sign of an unusual, likely difficult labor.

A clever midwife tied a red thread around the wrist, indicating a firstborn son. Unexpectedly, however, the hand was drawn back, and the other baby was delivered first. In response, the midwife addresses the baby’s remarkable breach. This leads to the boy—technically considered the younger twin—being named Perez, which means “break through.”

Verse 30. Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.

Tamar’s twins are being born. In what must have been an abnormal and awkward delivery, one boy extended out a hand. The quick-witted midwife tied a red thread around his wrist to show he was technically the firstborn. Unexpectedly, however, that baby drew his hand back in and his brother was fully delivered before his delivery could be completed.

The boy without the thread was named Perez, meaning “break through.” Technically, he is the “younger” of the two. Now the baby with the thread is born. He is named Zerah, meaning “shining” or “brightness.”

Thus, Judah’s family expands by two. Tamar (Genesis 38:14–20) finally has the children Judah’s two oldest sons did not provide. God will continue the pattern of emphasizing His choice over birth order (Genesis 25:23) in these children, as well. In the future, it will be the younger Perez, not the older Zerah, who carries on the main legacy of Judah.

End of Chapter 38.

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