Keraia
Genesis 38

Genesis 38:13

Judah and Tamar · Genesis 38:1–26
Read Genesis 38

Translations

Modern
When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,”
Traditional
And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.
Literal
And it was told to Tamar, saying, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
Latin
Nuntiatumque est Thamar quod socer illius ascenderet in Thamnas ad tondendas oves.

Original

Hebrew
English
When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,”

Notes

Genesis 38:12–13

  • Without a marriage, the family's future was at risk.

  • Judah's wife … died: This made Judah available to fulfill the responsibility of providing an heir.

Genesis 38:1–30

The story of Judah and Tamar is a carefully placed break in the larger story. It shows what was happening in Judah’s family. Judah would later become an important leader. The story also shows the early stages of the family mixing with the people of the land. This helps explain why God sent the family to Egypt (chapters 39–47).

The Egyptians kept themselves separate from other peoples (43:32). Because of that, the Israelites were more likely to keep their own identity in Egypt than in Canaan.

Theme notes and profiles

Egypt Judah Human Sexuality Symbolic Numbers

Parallels

1 Chronicles 2:3–4

People

Tamar: Judah's daughter-in-law who bore Perez and Zerah

Places

Timnah: Canaanite city associated with Judah and Dan

Glossary

Adullam, Adullamite Bible, Manuscripts and Text of the (New Testament) Genesis, Book of Jacob Judah (Person) Patriarchs, Period of the Tamar (Person) Timnah (Place) Timnath

Topics

Adultery: Judah Judah: Son of Jacob: His Incest with his Daughter-In-Law Sheep: Shearing of Tamar: Wife of the Sons of Judah Timnath: A City Given by some Authorities As Identical with Timnah, Number Two