Ch. 38

The contents of this chapter are derived from J. The narrative forms an abrupt interruption of the Joseph story. The subject-matter is peculiarly unattractive; but the insertion of the section at this point is probably due to the desire to give prominence to the position of Judah among the sons of Jacob.

The story of Judah and Tamar conceivably resembles that of Simeon and Levi in chap. 34, and that of Reuben in Genesis 35:21 f., in that it may be regarded as symbolizing tribal relations rather than as recording personal history. The daughter of Shua, the wife of Judah, is of Canaanite origin (Genesis 38:2-3). She represents the assimilation of Canaanite clans into the clans of the tribe of Judah. If this view be correct, then the primary object of the narrative is to preserve the tradition which connected leading families from the border races, e.g. Perez and Zerah (Genesis 38:29-30), with the great tribe of Judah. We may also possibly see a subordinate object in the record of the tradition of a pre-Mosaic origin for the institution of the levirate marriage.

1–11.  Judah’s wife and three sons.

12–26.  Tamar and Judah.

27–30.  The birth of Perez and Zerah.

1. at that time] Cf. Genesis 21:22. The notes of time in this chapter are very indefinite. Cf. 12, “in process of time.” The marriage of Judah with the daughter of Shua, the birth of his three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah, and the marriage of the first two with Tamar, evidently represent a long interval.

Adullamite] Judah moved from the high ground near Hebron to the lower, i.e. southern, country. The town of Adullam (Joshua 12:15; Joshua 15:35) is now identified with the ruins ‘Aid-el-mâ, 17 miles S.W. of Jerusalem and about 12 N.W. from Hebron. See 1 Samuel 22:1.

Judah and Simeon in Jdg 1:1-20 are represented as acting by themselves, and their names do not appear in Deborah’s Song commemorating the patriotism of the Israelite tribes.

2. Shua] Note that “Shua,” like Hirah in Genesis 38:1, is the name of a man. See Genesis 38:12. Bath-Shua, i.e. “the daughter of Shua,” is all the description given of Judah’s wife.

3. and he called] Better, “And she called his name Er.” The mother calls the name, as in Genesis 38:4. The reading “she called” is found in some Heb. MSS., Sam. and Targ. Jer. “Er” and “Onan,” see Genesis 46:12.

5. Chezib] The same name as Achzib in Joshua 15:44.

6. Tamar] = “a date palm.” A female name, occurring twice in the family of David (2 Samuel 13:1; 2 Samuel 14:27).

Judah, as head of the family, selects a wife for his firstborn, as in Genesis 24:3, Genesis 34:4.

8. perform] The first instance of the “levirate” (Lat. lêvir, “brother-in-law”) law which made it obligatory for a surviving brother to marry the widow of his brother, if the latter should die childless. See Deuteronomy 25:5; Matthew 22:24. The eldest son of a levirate marriage succeeded to the deceased’s name and inheritance.

11. in thy father’s house] A widow without children went back to her father’s family; cf. Leviticus 22:13; Ruth 1:8. A widow with children remained in the family of her husband, and under its protection. Judah evidently believes that the deaths of Er and Onan are somehow due to Tamar. Rather, then, than subject his youngest son Shelah to the risk of a similar fate, he sends Tamar back to her own people, on the pretext that Shelah is too young at present to perform the levirate duty. Compare the story in Tobit 3, where Sarah’s seven husbands are cut off in succession.

12–26. Tamar and Judah

12. Timnah] Possibly the same as in Joshua 15:10; Joshua 15:57; Jdg 14:1.

13. shear his sheep] Sheep-shearing was an occasion of festivity, and often of licentiousness. See note on Genesis 31:19. Cf. 1 Samuel 25:2 ff.; 2 Samuel 13:23 f.

14. And she put off, &c.] The neglect on Judah’s part to satisfy the requirements of the levirate rule provoked Tamar to have recourse to trickery. To our moral sense such conduct is bad and disgusting. But to Orientals, whose life depended so largely upon the sanctity of racial customs, her action may have seemed not only entertaining in its cleverness, but even honourable and justifiable in its devotion to a deceased husband’s rights.

her veil] Tamar apparelled herself in the guise of a religious prostitute (ḳedêshah, Genesis 38:21), one who dedicated herself to the goddess Astarte, the Babylonian Istar. The veil was one of the symbols of Istar.

in the gate of Enaim] i.e. in the open space at the entrance into the town. The name of the town means “wells,” possibly Enam, mentioned in Joshua 15:34, in the same context with Adullam.

by the way] i.e. on “the way side” (Genesis 38:21): see Jeremiah 3:2; Ezekiel 16:15-25.

15. covered her face] Cf. Proverbs 7:10. The attire indicated the character she had assumed.

18. signet … cord … staff] The signet ring is frequently worn by Arabs on a cord fastened round the neck. Cf. Song of Solomon 8:6, “set me as a seal upon thine heart.” The signet ring and the staff, which was often carved and highly ornamented, would be the most personal possessions of a Sheikh, and, as pledges, a most certain means of identification. This astute manoeuvre is the turning-point of the whole story.

21. harlot] Heb. ḳedêshah, that is, a woman dedicated to impure heathen worship: see Deuteronomy 23:17; Hosea 4:14. The Heb. word denotes “a woman dedicated to the service of some god, or goddess.” Her dedication consisted in the sacrifice of her chastity. This repulsive and strangely degrading custom prevailed generally among Semitic races, and was associated with the impure and immoral rites of the Phoenician, Syrian, and Babylonian worship.

23. Let her take it to her] i.e. let her retain the pledges, lest by making enquiries Judah should be exposed to shame.

24. let her be burnt] Judah, as the head of the family, acts as judge having power of life and death, cf. Genesis 31:32. It is remarkable that the matter is not referred to Jacob; but, presumably, this story constitutes a separate tribal tradition, in which Judah stands as the chief authority.

Judah sentences her to death as an adulteress. He treats her as the betrothed of Shelah, and the childless widow of Er. The penalty for adultery in the Levitical law was death by stoning (cf. Leviticus 20:10 with Deuteronomy 22:22; Ezekiel 16:40; John 8:5). Death by burning, the penalty of a priest’s daughter, Leviticus 21:9, was the more ancient usage. The penalty of burning is recorded in the Code of Hammurabi; and occurs in ancient Egyptian sentences for adultery.

26. more righteous] Judah acknowledges that Tamar had a claim upon the observance of marriage customs, and that he had done wrong in neglecting her, and in ignoring the sacred obligations of tribal “levirate” marriage, upon which depended the very existence of an Oriental community. The Heb. verb means “to be right, to have right on one’s side”; and Judah’s words might be rendered “she is in her rights as against me” (cf. Davidson’s Theology of the O.T., p. 267).

27–30. Birth of Perez and Zerah

29. Wherefore hast, &c.] How hast thou made a breach! a breach be upon thee!

Perez] That is, a breach. For Perez, see Ruth 4:12; Ruth 4:18.

30. Zerah] A word which probably meant “the rising of the sun”; but was apparently in popular etymology connected with a word meaning “scarlet.” See, for Zerah, an Edomite, Genesis 36:13; Genesis 36:17; Genesis 36:33.

In this narrative we may discern a reminiscence of a time in which the clans of Ex and Onan disappeared from the tribe of Judah; while those of Perez and Zerah, connected with native Canaanites, became incorporated with it, but were rivals with one another, Zerah, though the more ancient, being obliged to yield to the greater vigour of Perez.