Worthy.Bible » WEB » Genesis » Chapter 38 » Verse 1-30

Genesis 38:1-30 World English Bible (WEB)

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

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

3 She conceived, and bore a son; and he named him Er.

4 She conceived again, and bore a son; and she named him Onan.

5 She yet again bore a son, and named him Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bore him.

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

7 Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Yahweh. Yahweh killed him.

8 Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her, and raise up seed to your brother."

9 Onan knew that the seed wouldn't be his; and it happened, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother.

10 The thing which he did was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and he killed him also.

11 Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house, until Shelah, my son, is grown up;" for he said, "Lest he also die, like his brothers." Tamar went and lived in her father's house.

12 After many days, Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah, the Adullamite.

13 It was told Tamar, saying, "Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep."

14 She took off of her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she wasn't given to him as a wife.

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

16 He turned to her by the way, and said, "Please come, let me come in to you:" for he didn't know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?"

17 He said, "I will send you a kid of the goats from the flock." She said, "Will you give me a pledge, until you send it?"

18 He said, "What pledge will I give you?" She said, "Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand." He gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him.

19 She arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

20 Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend, the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand, but he didn't find her.

21 Then he asked the men of her place, saying, "Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the road?" They said, "There has been no prostitute here."

22 He returned to Judah, and said, "I haven't found her; and also the men of the place said, 'There has been no prostitute here.'"

23 Judah said, "Let her keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this kid, and you haven't found her."

24 It happened about three months later, that it was told Judah, saying, "Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the prostitute; and moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution." Judah said, "Bring her forth, and let her be burnt."

25 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "By the man, whose these are, I am with child." She also said, "Please discern whose are these-- the signet, and the cords, and the staff."

26 Judah acknowledged them, and said, "She is more righteous than I, because I didn't give her to Shelah, my son." He knew her again no more.

27 It happened in the time of her travail, that behold, twins were in her womb.

28 It happened, when she travailed, that one put out a hand: and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "This came out first."

29 It happened, as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out, and she said, "Why have you made a breach for yourself?" Therefore his name was called Perez.{Perez means "breaking out."}

30 Afterward his brother came out, that had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.{Zerah means "scarlet" or "brightness."}

Commentary on Genesis 38 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 38

Ge 38:1-30. Judah and Family.

1. at that time—a formula frequently used by the sacred writers, not to describe any precise period, but an interval near about it.

2. And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite—Like Esau [Ge 26:34], this son of Jacob, casting off the restraints of religion, married into a Canaanite family; and it is not surprising that the family which sprang from such an unsuitable connection should be infamous for bold and unblushing wickedness.

8. Judah said unto Onan … marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother—The first instance of a custom, which was afterwards incorporated among the laws of Moses, that when a husband died leaving a widow, his brother next of age was to marry her, and the issue, if any, was to be served heir to the deceased (compare De 25:5).

12. Judah … went up unto his sheep-shearers—This season, which occurs in Palestine towards the end of March, was spent in more than usual hilarity, and the wealthiest masters invited their friends, as well as treated their servants, to sumptuous entertainments. Accordingly, it is said, Judah was accompanied by his friend Hirah.

Timnath—in the mountains of Judah.

18. signet, &c.—Bracelets, including armlets, were worn by men as well as women among the Hebrews. But the Hebrew word here rendered "bracelets," is everywhere else translated "lace" or "ribbon"; so that as the signet alone was probably more than an equivalent for the kid, it is not easy to conjecture why the other things were given in addition, except by supposing the perforated seal was attached by a ribbon to the staff.

24. Bring her forth, and let her be burnt—In patriarchal times fathers seem to have possessed the power of life and death over the members of their families. The crime of adultery was anciently punished in many places by burning (Le 21:9; Jud 15:6; Jer 29:22). This chapter contains details, which probably would never have obtained a place in the inspired record, had it not been to exhibit the full links of the chain that connects the genealogy of the Saviour with Abraham; and in the disreputable character of the ancestry who figure in this passage, we have a remarkable proof that "He made himself of no reputation" [Php 2:7].