seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Genesis 38:20 Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her. 21 He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?”
“There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said.
22 So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here.’”
23 Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn’t find her.”
24 About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.”
Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”
25 As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.”
26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not sleep with her again.
27 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.” 29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez.[a] 30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah.(b)
“There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said.
22 So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here.’”
23 Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn’t find her.”
24 About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.”
Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”
25 As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.”
26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not sleep with her again.
27 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.” 29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez.[a] 30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah.(b)
I got this quote from classic.studylight.org.
Neither Judah or Tamar are examples of godliness, but both of them are in the family line of Jesus through Perez.
God chose them despite their works, not only to be in the line of the Messiah, but also to have a role in God's plan of redemption.
It also reminds us these sons of Israel were by no means an "all-star team." They were a corrupt and very messed-up family.
God chose them despite their works, not only to be in the line of the Messiah, but also to have a role in God's plan of redemption.
It also reminds us these sons of Israel were by no means an "all-star team." They were a corrupt and very messed-up family.
This is from bible-commentaries.com.
Judah has strong convictions about prostitution. When he hears that his daughter-in-law is guilty he orders her to be executed. The fact that he uses double standards, one for her and one for himself, does not bother him. Evidently it is debasing for a women to let herself be used as a prostitute, but a man who uses her is above reproach. Yet Deuteronomy condemns both the man and the girl. "If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, You shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death; the girl because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man's wife. You must purge the evil from among you." The attitude Judah exhibits has not changed over the ages.
Tamar seems to have carefully planned the moment when she would be lead away for her execution. This is her hour of triumph. Things happened exactly as she wanted. Vs. 25 tells us: "As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. 'I am pregnant by the man who owns these,' she said. And she added, 'See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.'"
Tamar's actions seem to be foremost an act of revenge. She wanted to get back at Judah. She must have embarrassed him to the core. Judah does not show and sense of shame. He says only: "She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn't give her to my son Shelah." (vs. 26). But we do not read either that he gives Shelah to Tamar as husband. The use of the word "righteous" in this context indicates a warped sense of what is right and wrong. What Tamar had done surely wasn't more righteous than what Judah did.
One thing that is hard to understand in this story is the fact that, although Tamar lived in her father's house, as we deduct from vs. 11, Judah could order her execution. Evidently the fact that she was pledged to be married to Shelah one day put her under Judah's jurisdiction. We would expect, though, that Tamar's father would have opposed the burning of his daughter. Maybe he had been informed of the plot, but this would have little bearing on the fact that Judah seems to think he could have her executed.
Verses 27-30 give the report of a rather unusual delivery. Tamar turns out to have twins, but the one who is about to be born first is pushed back out of the birth canal by his younger brother. This earns the little brat the name "Perez" or "Breakthrough." I do not think we should attach any spiritual significance to this. The point of the whole report is to show what God can do with sin. The chapter is full of hatred, strife, jealousy, immorality and revenge. God hates all of this. Nothing of what happens contains any divine revelation. But God glorifies Himself in the outcome. The yeast of sin is burnt away in the fire of God's grace and the result is the coming of Him, Who would be "the bread of life."
Tamar seems to have carefully planned the moment when she would be lead away for her execution. This is her hour of triumph. Things happened exactly as she wanted. Vs. 25 tells us: "As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. 'I am pregnant by the man who owns these,' she said. And she added, 'See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.'"
Tamar's actions seem to be foremost an act of revenge. She wanted to get back at Judah. She must have embarrassed him to the core. Judah does not show and sense of shame. He says only: "She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn't give her to my son Shelah." (vs. 26). But we do not read either that he gives Shelah to Tamar as husband. The use of the word "righteous" in this context indicates a warped sense of what is right and wrong. What Tamar had done surely wasn't more righteous than what Judah did.
One thing that is hard to understand in this story is the fact that, although Tamar lived in her father's house, as we deduct from vs. 11, Judah could order her execution. Evidently the fact that she was pledged to be married to Shelah one day put her under Judah's jurisdiction. We would expect, though, that Tamar's father would have opposed the burning of his daughter. Maybe he had been informed of the plot, but this would have little bearing on the fact that Judah seems to think he could have her executed.
Verses 27-30 give the report of a rather unusual delivery. Tamar turns out to have twins, but the one who is about to be born first is pushed back out of the birth canal by his younger brother. This earns the little brat the name "Perez" or "Breakthrough." I do not think we should attach any spiritual significance to this. The point of the whole report is to show what God can do with sin. The chapter is full of hatred, strife, jealousy, immorality and revenge. God hates all of this. Nothing of what happens contains any divine revelation. But God glorifies Himself in the outcome. The yeast of sin is burnt away in the fire of God's grace and the result is the coming of Him, Who would be "the bread of life."
I'm glad published authors and authoritarians see how messed up this family is. I'm glad I'm not the only one.
Now it's back to the story of Joseph.
