New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Genesis 38
1
At that time, Judah left his brothers. He went down to stay with a man named Hirah. Hirah was from the town of Adullam.
Reference
People
2
There Judah met the daughter of a man from Canaan. His name was Shua. Judah married her and made love to her.
Reference
People
4
She became pregnant again and had another son. She named him Onan.
Reference
People
Parallel theme
Genesis 46:12
5
She had still another son. She named him Shelah. He was born at Kezib.
Reference
📍 Chezib
People
Parallel theme
Numbers 26:20
7
But Judah's oldest son Er was evil in the Lord's eyes. So the Lord put him to death.
Reference
Evil
1 Chronicles 2:3
Genesis 13:13
Parallel theme
Genesis 46:12
Numbers 26:19
References Lord
Genesis 19:13
8
Then Judah said to Onan, "Make love to your brother's wife. After all, you are her brother-in-law. So carry out your duty to her. Produce children for your brother."
Reference
9
But Onan knew that the children wouldn't belong to him. So every time he made love to his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground. He did it so he wouldn't produce children for his brother.
Reference
11
Then Judah spoke to his daughter-in-law Tamar. He said, "Live as a widow in your father's home. Wait there until my son Shelah grows up." Judah was thinking, "Shelah might die too, just like his brothers." So Tamar went to live in her father's home.
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 22:13
12
After a long time Judah's wife died. She was the daughter of Shua. When Judah got over his sadness, he went up to Timnah. His friend Hirah from Adullam went with him. Men were clipping the wool from Judah's sheep at Timnah.
Reference
📍 Timnah 1
13
Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to clip the wool from his sheep."
📍 Timnah 1
14
So she took off her widow's clothes. She covered her face with a veil so people wouldn't know who she was. Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim. Enaim is on the road to Timnah. Tamar knew that Shelah had grown up. But she hadn't been given to him as his wife.
Reference
📍 Locations
Parallel theme
Genesis 38:26
15
Judah saw her. He thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face with a veil.
16
He didn't realize that she was his daughter-in-law. He went over to her by the side of the road. He said, "Come. Let me make love to you." "What will you give me to make love to you?" she asked.
17
"I'll send you a young goat from my flock," he said. "Will you give me something that belongs to you?" she asked. "I'll keep it until you send the goat."
Reference
18
He said, "What should I give you?" "Give me your seal and its string," she answered. "And give me your walking stick." So he gave them to her. Then he had sex with her. And she became pregnant by him.
19
After she left, she took off her veil. She put on her widow's clothes again.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 38:14
20
Judah sent his friend Hirah with the young goat he had promised. He wanted to get back what he had given to the woman. But his friend Hirah couldn't find her.
21
He asked the men who lived at Enaim, "Where's the temple prostitute? She used to sit beside the road here." "There hasn't been any temple prostitute here," they said.
📍 Enaim
22
So Hirah went back to Judah. He said, "I couldn't find her. Besides, the men who lived there didn't know anything about her. They said, 'There hasn't been any temple prostitute here.' "
23
Then Judah said, "Let her keep what she has. I don't want people making fun of us. After all, I did send her this young goat. We can't help it if you couldn't find her."
24
About three months later people brought word to Judah. They said, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of being a prostitute. Now she's pregnant." Judah said, "Bring her out! Have her burned to death!"
Reference
25
As Tamar was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. She said, "I am pregnant by the man who owns these." She continued, "Do you recognize this seal and string and walking stick? Do you know who they belong to?"
Reference
26
Judah recognized them. He said, "She's a better person than I am. I should have given her to my son Shelah, but I didn't." Judah never had sex with Tamar again.
Reference
27
The time came for Tamar to have her baby. There were twin boys inside her.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 25:24
28
As the babies were being born, one of them stuck out his hand. So the woman who was helping Tamar took a bright red thread. The woman tied it on the baby's wrist. She said, "This one came out first."
29
But he pulled his hand back, and his brother came out first instead. She said, "Just look at how you have broken out!" So he was called Perez.
Reference
People
Summary of Genesis 38
This passage is very intriguing. Genesis 38 is an interjection in Joseph's story that branches off into a very indecent tale of Judah and his family, involving Tamar and his other two sons. Although it seems out of place and a bit disgusting, this story bears fruit later on in the Bible.
This chapter begins with Judah staying away from his brothers. He finds a local Canaanite by the name of Shua, who Judah marries and has three sons with Tamar. The firstborn is named Er, followed by Onan, and lastly Shelah.
Judah arranges for Er to marry Tamar, but the bible says he was "wicked in the sight of the Lord", so the Lord slew him. Tamar is now a widow, so Judah tells Onan to marry her and have a child that will be claimed as Er's. However, Onan knew that this child would not be rightfully his, so he refused to have sex with her and instead spilled his seed on the ground. The Lord was displeased with Onan as well and slew him. Now Judah only had Shelah left, but was afraid to let him marry Tamar. He told Tamar to go back to her father's house and be his widow until Shelah reached maturity. However, the text reveals that Judah did not intend to let Shelah marry her, because she was his widow. Tamar agrees and goes to her father's house, Shelah growing up and becoming an adult. However, Judah never sent for her.
Judah's wife dies soon after, and he goes to Timnah with his friend Hirah to shear his sheep. Tamar hears of this and decides to take action. She sheds her widow's garments and covers herself with a veil, waiting for Judah to pass. He passed by Enaim on the road and saw her. Thinking her to be a prostitute, he goes up to her and asks for her services. She asks what she shall give him for her rights. He offers her a young goat from his flock, but she asks that he let her have something as a pledge until he can bring the animal to her. He gave her his seal, his cord, and his staff, which she wore to signify his pledge. He slept with her and she became pregnant, returning home afterwards and shedding her veil and putting on her widow's garments again.
Judah sends the young goat with his friend Hirah to let Tamar know that he had claimed his pledge, but she was nowhere to be found. He asks the men around Enaim where the shrine prostitute was, and they told him that there was no shrine prostitute there. Judah was not overly concerned and decided to let her keep whatever pledge she had taken from him.
Three months later, people began to talk. It was revealed that Tamar had been acting as a prostitute and that she was now pregnant. Judah told the people to bring her out so that she could be burnt. However, Tamar sent word to her father in law telling him that she was pregnant by the man who owned the seal, the cord, and the staff. Judah recognizes what happened and tells the people to leave her be. He is horrified at himself for what he said.
"She is more righteous than I," he replies, "for I did not give my son Shelah to her."
He is unable to sleep with her again after this, for her actions had a small impact on his heart.
She goes into labor and delivers firstborn twins, but the first one reaches out with his hand before retracting it and letting his brother be delivered first. They name him Perez, saying that she had broken out of her bonds. His brother is named Zerah, for the scarlet thread that was tied around his wrist.
It may seem that this passage has no relevance to Joseph or the surrounding texts, but in the end, Perez is an ancestor of King David and eventually Jesus, who is described in the New Testament as the son of God. Tamar, who tricked Judah into sleeping with her, is remembered as a woman who fought for what she believed was right. Judah, the man who tricked Joseph into being sold into slavery, learns that his actions have consequences and is humbled for the first time.
This chapter begins with Judah staying away from his brothers. He finds a local Canaanite by the name of Shua, who Judah marries and has three sons with Tamar. The firstborn is named Er, followed by Onan, and lastly Shelah.
Judah arranges for Er to marry Tamar, but the bible says he was "wicked in the sight of the Lord", so the Lord slew him. Tamar is now a widow, so Judah tells Onan to marry her and have a child that will be claimed as Er's. However, Onan knew that this child would not be rightfully his, so he refused to have sex with her and instead spilled his seed on the ground. The Lord was displeased with Onan as well and slew him. Now Judah only had Shelah left, but was afraid to let him marry Tamar. He told Tamar to go back to her father's house and be his widow until Shelah reached maturity. However, the text reveals that Judah did not intend to let Shelah marry her, because she was his widow. Tamar agrees and goes to her father's house, Shelah growing up and becoming an adult. However, Judah never sent for her.
Judah's wife dies soon after, and he goes to Timnah with his friend Hirah to shear his sheep. Tamar hears of this and decides to take action. She sheds her widow's garments and covers herself with a veil, waiting for Judah to pass. He passed by Enaim on the road and saw her. Thinking her to be a prostitute, he goes up to her and asks for her services. She asks what she shall give him for her rights. He offers her a young goat from his flock, but she asks that he let her have something as a pledge until he can bring the animal to her. He gave her his seal, his cord, and his staff, which she wore to signify his pledge. He slept with her and she became pregnant, returning home afterwards and shedding her veil and putting on her widow's garments again.
Judah sends the young goat with his friend Hirah to let Tamar know that he had claimed his pledge, but she was nowhere to be found. He asks the men around Enaim where the shrine prostitute was, and they told him that there was no shrine prostitute there. Judah was not overly concerned and decided to let her keep whatever pledge she had taken from him.
Three months later, people began to talk. It was revealed that Tamar had been acting as a prostitute and that she was now pregnant. Judah told the people to bring her out so that she could be burnt. However, Tamar sent word to her father in law telling him that she was pregnant by the man who owned the seal, the cord, and the staff. Judah recognizes what happened and tells the people to leave her be. He is horrified at himself for what he said.
"She is more righteous than I," he replies, "for I did not give my son Shelah to her."
He is unable to sleep with her again after this, for her actions had a small impact on his heart.
She goes into labor and delivers firstborn twins, but the first one reaches out with his hand before retracting it and letting his brother be delivered first. They name him Perez, saying that she had broken out of her bonds. His brother is named Zerah, for the scarlet thread that was tied around his wrist.
It may seem that this passage has no relevance to Joseph or the surrounding texts, but in the end, Perez is an ancestor of King David and eventually Jesus, who is described in the New Testament as the son of God. Tamar, who tricked Judah into sleeping with her, is remembered as a woman who fought for what she believed was right. Judah, the man who tricked Joseph into being sold into slavery, learns that his actions have consequences and is humbled for the first time.