Genesis Chapter 38 Lays the Account of Judah and Tamar

Another complex occurrence as it was with Lot and his daughters.

Just when you think you are so sinful that G-d has cast you away, think again.

Learn from this chapter. There’s always hope for those who repent and confess.

“Judah and Tamar”

Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar.
38:6
But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the eyes of Hashem, and Hashem caused him to die.
:7
What he did was evil in the eyes of Hashem, and He caused him to die also.
:10
When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot since she had covered her face.
:15
And he said, “What pledge shall I give you? She replied, “Your signet, your wrap, and your staff that is in your hand.” And he gave them to her, and consorted with her, and she conceived by him.
:18
As she was taken out, she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong I am with a child.” And she said, “Identify, if you please, whose are this signet, this wrap, and this staff.”
:25
Judah recognized; and he said, ‘ ‘She is right; it is from me, …
:26
And it came to pass at the time she gave birth that behold! There were twins in her womb.
:27

1 Now it came about at that time that Judah was demoted by his brothers, and he turned away until [he came] to an Adullamite man, named Hirah.
2 And there Judah saw the daughter of a merchant named Shua, and he took her and came to her.
3 And she conceived and bore a son, and he named him Er.
4 And she conceived again and bore a son, and she named him Onan.
5 Once again she bore a son, and she named him Shelah, and he (Judah) was in Chezib when she gave birth to him.
6 And Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, named Tamar.
7 Now Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the eyes of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death.
8 So Judah said to Onan, “Come to your brother’s wife and perform the rite of the levirate, and raise up progeny for your brother.”
9 Now Onan knew that the progeny would not be his, and it came about, when he came to his brother’s wife, he wasted [his semen] on the ground, in order not to give seed to his brother.
10 Now what he did was evil in the eyes of the Lord, and He put him to death also.
11 Then Judah said to his daughter in law Tamar, “Remain as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up,” for he said, “Lest he too die, like his brothers.” So Tamar went, and she remained in her father’s house.
12 Many days passed, and Shua’s daughter, Judah’s wife, died; and Judah was consoled, and he went up [to watch] over his sheepshearers he and Hirah, his Adullamite friend to Timnah.
13 And it was told to Tamar, saying, “Behold, your father in law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
14 So she took off her widow’s garb, covered [her head] with a veil and covered her face, and she sat down at the crossroads that were on the way to Timnah, for she saw that Shelah had grown up, but as for her she was not given to him for a wife.
15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she covered her face.
16 So he turned aside toward her to the road, and he said, “Get ready now, I will come to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter in law, and she said, “What will you give me that you should come to me?”
17 And he said, “I will send a kid from the herd,” and she said, “[Only] if you give me a pledge until you send [it].”
18 So he said, “What is the pledge that I should give you?” And she said, “Your signet, your cloak, and the staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her, and he came to her, and she conceived his likeness.
19 Then she arose and went away, and she took off her veil, and she donned her widow’s garb.
20 And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his Adullamite friend to take the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her.
21 So he asked the people of the place, saying, “Where is the harlot who was at the crossroads on the way?” and they said, “No harlot was here.”
22 So he returned to Judah, and he said, “I have not found her, and the people of the place also said, ‘No harlot was here.’ “
23 So Judah said, “Let her take [them] for herself, lest we become a laughingstock. Behold, I sent this kid, but you did not find her.”
24 Now it came about after nearly three months, that it was told to Judah, saying, “Your daughter in law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is pregnant from harlotry.” So Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.”
25 She was taken out, and she sent to her father in law, saying, “From the man to whom these belong I am pregnant,” and she said, “Please recognize whose signet ring, cloak, and staff are these?”
26 Then Judah recognized [them], and he said, “She is right, [it is] from me, because I did not give her to my son Shelah.” But he no longer continued to be intimate with her.
27 And it came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb.
28 And it came about when she gave birth, that he (the infant) stretched out his hand. So the midwife took and bound a crimson thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.”
29 And it came about, as he was drawing back his hand, behold, his brother emerged, and she said, “With what strength you have strengthened yourself!” And he (Judah) named him Perez.
30 Afterwards, his brother emerged, the one upon whose hand was the crimson thread, and he named him Zerah.