Chapter 38

Judah has three sons of a Canaanite woman named Shua.  Tamar is the wife of Er, Judah's first son.  He is wicked and so God kills him.  Judah urges Onan to provide heirs for Er.  But Onan deceives, to make sure no kids are conceived.  So God kills him also.  Then Judah tells Shua to wait on the youngest, because Judah is afraid God will kill him too. 

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Last edited on Mar 12, 2024

2024 - So Judah goes off alone on this trip to see an Adullamite named Hirah.  While there, he spots this woman and begins a long term relationship with her.  I think it is implied that Judah is with these people away from his brothers for a very long time.  Long enough to have three sons with the woman, and for that son to get old enough to marry.  I never noticed this before, that Judah lived apart from his brothers and his father for so long. 

2024 - This verse, that probably no one wants to discuss:

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. [Gen 38:9 ESV].  If we think about this, we see that this brother "goes in to her" several times, but each time he is careful that she won't get pregnant.  What conceit!  To go in there, sleep with her, but make sure that the purpose for this visit is not fulfilled.  Deceit seems to be a characteristic of Jacob's descendants!  I read somewhere that it was only the firstborn son of a widow by her brother-in-law who inherited his dead "father's" estate, and subsequent children belonged to and inherited from their biological father.  But I'm not sure where I read that.  If it is true, then we have to assume that Onan did not want the expense and trouble of raising a son not his own.  And I guess it is also possible that he didn't want to raise any daughters who came along before a son came along.  It is very callous.  Ohh...Maybe Onan knew that HE would inherit from Er's estate if no son were ever born to Er through Onan!  That makes more sense, and it makes it all even more sordid.   Because the woman had to KNOW what Onan was doing!

2021 - Here is the verse:

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.

Genesis 38:11 ESV

Thia is error on top of error.  Er and Onan were killed by God because they were evil men, born to a concubine.   Judah is blind to the reason his sons died, and now compounds this circumvention of custom by keeping his third son Shelah away from Tamar.

Judah's wife dies.  Tamar pretends to be a prostitute, and conceives by Judah.  So maybe those apples fell pretty close to the tree.  She keeps his stuff as pledge.  Judah sends payment but the cult prostitute is gone.  

2024 - So we see that Judah did indeed marry the daughter of Shua.  (Per BLB, Shua is a masculine name.  We are never told the name of Judah's wife.  That Shua was the father of Judah's wife is confirmed in vs. 12.)

2024 - Before we blame Tamar too much for this deception, we have to remember what Onan did to her.  He used her, many times, but never gave her the child to whom she was entitled.  She had no support to count on in her old age, the support a son who inherited his father's goods would have given her.  She was very abused.

Then about three months later Judah is told that Tamar has been immoral.  He orders her to be brought out and burned.  (He is likely thinking he'll be rid of this woman whom he blames for two dead sons.  Perhaps the rumor convinces him that she was the problem indeed and that Er and Onan were indeed fine boys.)  She sends back his stuff saying it belongs to the man who got her pregnant.  Judah says she is therefore more righteous than he is, because he didn't give her his youngest son. 

She gives birth to twins, (they are both the children and grandchildren of their father)  the first puts his arm out and a scarlet cord is tied on it.  But then the other actually comes out first and is named Perez because he has made a breach for himself.  Then the first is born, named Zerah.  There is another place, a genealogy I believe, where it says that a child was named Perez because "in his day the world was divided".  Might have been Peleg though...

2024 - I recognized the story, but I can't remember anywhere that Perez or Zerah show up later?  So what is the point of this detail? 

Oh my!!!  These verses:

18 Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, 20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, 21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, 22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David. [Rth 4:18-22 ESV].

This earlier verse in Ruth 4 tells us this is the same Perez that Judah fathered by Tamar:

12 and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the LORD will give you by this young woman." [Rth 4:12 ESV].

King David is descended from this son, the one who stuck his arm out first and then withdrew it.  THAT is why the story is here!

2025 - Another Biblical story where a woman dishonored and used by men ends up honored forever.  David is descended from Tamar, and Jesus from David.  It does get more honored than that.