1Judah begetteth Er, Onan, and Shelah. 6Er marrieth Tamar, and dieth. Onan's trespass and death. Tamar waiteth for Shelah. 12She deceiveth Judah; 27to whom she beareth twins, Pharez and Zarah.
1AND it came to pass 1at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain 2Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
1 That is, in the time, whiles Jacob, being returned out of Mesopotamia, was dwelling in the land of Canaan. For here are mentioned several things which happened some before, some after the selling of Joseph; but Moses joins them together as having relation to one patriarch, and being of that nature, that they might conveniently be related together.
2 Adullam was a small town about Hebron, allotted afterwards to the tribe of Judah, Joshua 12:15; 15:35.
2Anda Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and 3he took her, and 4went in unto her.
a 1 Chron. 2:3.
3 Namely, to wife; against God’s command and good example of his forefathers, and doubtless also without, if not against, his father’s advice and consent. See of the like marriages, Gen. 6:2, 4; 26:34; 27:46.
4 See Gen. 6 on verse 4.
3And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.
4And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
5And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah:b and 5he was at 6Chezib, when she bare him.
b Num. 26:20.
5 Namely, Judah.
6 The name of a place or city in the land of Canaan, afterwards in the tribe of Judah, not far from Adullam; also called Achzib; Joshua 19:29; Judges 1:31; Micah 1:14.
6And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.
7And Er, Judah's firstborn, was 7wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD 8slew him.
7 That is, he displeased the Lord; see Gen. 21 on verse 11, for he was inclined and broke out into very gross and heinous sins which have caused God’s just judgment against him. Compare Gen. 6:11; 10:9.
8 Namely, in such a manner that by his death one could observe the just judgment of God; so verse 10.
8And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and 9marry her, and 10raise up seed to thy brother.
9 The Hebrew word implies to marry one’s deceased brother’s widow, according to the use of that time, confirmed afterwards by an express law, Deut. 25:5, 6; Ruth 1:11; Mat. 22:24, etc.
10 For the condition of such marriage was that the firstborn was to be counted the deceased brother’s son.
9And Onan 11knew that the 12seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he 13spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.
11 See the annotation on the preceding verse.
12 That is, son. See Gen. 4 on verse 25.
13 Or, defiled, thrusting it on the ground; the Hebrew word signifies both the one and the other. This was even as much, as if he had (generally speaking) pulled forth the fruit out of the mother’s womb, and destroyed it.
10And the thing which he did 14displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.
14 That is, in God’s judgment. See Job 11 on verse 4.
11Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, 15Remain a widow at thy father’s house, 16till Shelah my son be grown: 17for 18he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
15 Or, sit, or, remain sitting, and so in the sequel.
16 Resigning as if he intended to give her this son also in marriage, but by what follows it appears he meant no such thing.
17 Other, but.
18 Namely, by himself, that is, he thought thus. See Gen. 20:11.
12 ¶ 19And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah 20was comforted, and went up unto 21his sheepshearers to 22Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
19 Hebr. when the days were multiplied, that is, after much time had passed, when nevertheless Shelah was not given to Tamar in marriage.
20 That is, he laid aside his mourning. Compare Gen. 37:35.
21 For in sheep shearing time they used to make feasts, and to rejoice with friends, 1 Sam. 25:36.
22 A city not far distant from Adullam, which fell afterwards to the tribe of Judah; Joshua 15:57.
13And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.
14And she put her widow’s garments 23off from her, and 24covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an 25open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.
23 For widows were dressed more simple and more humble than other women.
24 Tamar, the better to resemble an immodest woman, dresses herself with a veil, disguises and covers her face, and sits by the highway side, so that, remaining unknown, she might allure and beguile her father in law. Compare Prov. 7:12; 9:14; Ezek. 16:24, 25.
25 Or, Enajim, which some do hold for the name of a certain place; some render it, at the crossways, called, as they perceive it, door of the eyes; for at a crossroads the eyes, as it were, are opened to look this way and that way.
15When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.
16And he turned unto her by the 26way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, 27What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?
26 Namely, to the way where she sat.
27 She demands the hire of a harlot, not for gains’ sake, but to have something in hand to convince him afterwards with, as appears verse 25. And Judah was so transported with the fervency of carnal lust, that he knew not the voice of his daughter in law.
17And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, 28Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?
28 Understand , I shall be ready to yield to thee, if so be thou, etc. Otherwise, wilt thou give pledge till thou send?
18And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy 29bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.
29 Other, kerchief, handkerchief. The Hebrew word signifies properly, turned, or, twisted, twined yarn, and is taken for strings, laces, and clothes and kerchiefs made of such twisted thread.
19And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.
21Then he asked the men of 30that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was 31openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.
30 That is, of the place where Tamar had sat before.
31 Hebr. Enajim. See verse 14.
22And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.
23And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be 32shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
32 That is, lest we, being too eager with inquiry for our goods, are discovered of our committing of whoredom, which might bring us in disrepute. And it is observable that among the very heathens and idolaters, such as were the Adullamites, whoredom was held a vile blemish.
24¶And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, 33Bring her forth, and 34let her be burnt.
33 Namely, at the city gate to be condemned by the authorities there, for an adulteress, as being promised to my son Shelah.
34 Even in those times before the law at that time adultery was held for a transgression worthy of death. See Gen. 20 on verse 3, likewise verses 7, 9.
25When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.
26And Judah acknowledged them, and said, 35She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And 36he 37knew her again no more.
35 His conscience twinges him, not only for not having kept his promise with Tamar, (which is the reason mentioned here in this verse) but likewise that wittingly he committed whoredom, and unwittingly, incest.
36 Hebr. he continued not to know her.
37 Of this phrase see Gen. 4 on verse 1.
27¶And it came to pass in the time of her travail,c that, behold, twinsd were in her womb.
c childbirth*
d 1 Chron. 2:4.
28And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a 38scarlet thread, saying, 39This came out first.
38 The Hebrew word properly signifies such textile, which is twice dipped in scarlet color. See Exod. 25:4; Lev. 14:4 with the annotation.
39 Because she was persuaded he would, and prove the firstborn.
29And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, 40How hast thou broken forth? this breach be 41upon thee: therefore his name was called 42Pharez.e
40 That is, how didst thou thrust forward and pass through before thy brother to come forth into the world?
41 That is, it is to be ascribed or imputed to thee; or, thou hast made it, for to put thy brother back, and to disappoint him of the prerogative of primogeniture, which he seemed to have gotten already. Other, how didst thou rend the rent over thee?
42 Hebr. Perets, That is, a breach, or rent.
e Mat. 1:3.
30And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called 43Zarah.
43 That is, ascent, or rising up. Because he had shown himself first, when he was born.