LESSON 81: Judah and His Daughter in Law

Background Info to the Time of the Joseph Betrayal

38: 1- 7

King James Version (Chapter 38)

38 And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.

3 And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er. 4 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.

5 And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him. 6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

7 And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

The phrase, “at that time” refers to the time relative to the selling of Joseph into Egypt. It is not the same as “in that day” or in “the same day”, but generally speaking, they were near stories. If we read ahead, the story is key to Judah stepping up to keep his lineage intact thru his dalliance with Tamar. We shall see that later in the chapter. After Rachel’s death, and around the time Joseph was sold into slavery, is when this takes place. This is Judah, son of Jacob, taking a wife from the Adullamites, which in reality are Canaanites, problem children for the Children of Israel. Judah’s wife’s father’s name was Shuah. She and Judah started having kids right away.

The first born child of this marriage was Er. Next was Onan. The third boy was Shelah. verse five shows us that Er, a wicked man, takes a wife that was arranged by dad. Her name was Tamar. Er was so wicked, the Lord kills him before he can have a child. That is on par for Canaanites. It was not a wise friendship for Judah, because those connected to this relationship seem to die. We are not told what his wickedness was but it was enough for God to outright kill him. And that is all we have to say about that. If life was a box of chocolates, Er was a danger to melting all the best pieces. So, bye bye.

Furthering Er’s legacy, and Shuah’s Death 38:8-12

King James Version (Chapter 38)

8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. 9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.

10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also. 11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

12 And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah’s wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite

Hirah is now a twice mentioned friend of Judah. Bad company corrupts your outlook. Hirah is close to Judah. Perhaps he is a much older man. He is a good friend but not a godly influence. At this point, Judah instructs Onan to sleep with his sister-in-law because Er did not have kids. Onan would insure that Er’s inheritance is passed on to a son. But he circumvented the arrangement, had his time in the tent and spilled his seed. There must have been a lot of bad feelings about Er, and not wanting to propagate his brother line with descendents. He ended up just taking advantage of Tamar and leaving.

The key to all of this is: The thing which he did displeased the Lord. Onan was killed for this also. Two sons down. Only Shelah is left and he is a young boy who can’t fulfill that responsibility. Judah asks her to remain at her fathers house as a widow. Tamar is now out of sight and out of mind in her Daddy’s house. This is an assignment without a timeline.

Finally, Judah’s wife dies. Judah is comforted so he heads up to Timnath with his good friend Hirah. He went up to a gathering place of where people sheared sheep. It was a large group of people and the activities were directed at sheep shearing and fellow-shipping, so to speak.

English Standard Version (Chapter 38)

12 In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,”

14 she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.

16 He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” 17 He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—”

18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.

Judah is still hanging out with his Canaanite friend, Tamar’s Dad, Hirah. Tamar gets wind of her former father-in-law going to the sheep shearing party and she formulates a plan to capture her father-in-law. Tamar throws off her widow’s garments and dressed up like a prostitute so that she would be inviting to Judah. She wanted her inheritance in the family line of the heard hearted Judah. Sounds kind of crazy, but that is what faith is about. It is that giant leap for all mankind. Tamar is described a looking like a prostitute, in fact she looked like a idol worshipping temple prostitute.

Are these morally dangerous plans? Of course they are. Do not try these in your own family, or some one will get arrested. Tamar had seen that her last hope to have a child from this family had not been given to her bu Judah, so this is taking matters in her own hands. With the same cunning trickery that Judah deceived his dad into believing that Joseph had been killed, he is now tricked into having sex with his daughter in law and he knows nothing of her identity. She secures proof of paternity from Judah himself. The sheep shearing convention is concluding for Judah with immorality, but at the same time, the lineage of Christ is secured for all time. Tamar becomes one of four women who are listed in the lineage of Jesus Christ. This appears to be an “by faith” moment that made her more righteous than Judah. In time she starts to show her pregnancy. Judah comes back into her life to have her burned.

English Standard Version (Chapter 38)

20 When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. 21 And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.”

22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’ ” 23 And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.”

24 About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.”

The whole morality of the story and Judah’s willingness to be involved with a cult prostitute now comes to light and he wants revenge. But he is the one that is caught. He tries to exchange a goat for his personal property, but she cannot be found because she went back home. Soon she is showing with child and Judah seeks judgment to fall on her because of immorality.

English Standard Version (Chapter 38)

25 As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.” 26 Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.

27 When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. 28 And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.”

29 But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Perez. 30 Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.

The story ends with twins being born to Judah and Tamar. The kids are Perez and Zerah. The scarlet thread child was Zerah, thus insuring his link in the lineage of Jesus. Pretty amazing that God uses the downtrodden lady name Tamar whose outcast family in the Jewish line gets in the back door by faith. And, no, the brother Perez, did not play first base for Cincinnati.