seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Genesis 38:1 At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah. 2 There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and made love to her; 3 she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er. 4 She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan. 5 She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.
6 Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death.
8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. 10 What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.
11 Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s household until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s household.
12 After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him.
13 When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14 she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.
15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.”
“And what will you give me to sleep with you?” she asked.
17 “I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” he said.
“Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?” she asked.
18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?”
“Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. 19 After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes again.
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. 30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah.
Need some commentary?Sam Spade let the cat out of the bag the other day! Yep... that wonderful, Judah, an upstanding son of Jacob [Israel] slept with his daughter in law. Yep... She got pregnant and Judah became the father of twins! Twins!!!!! Again.... But let's not skip the story because it's a doozy.
Judah found a Canaanite wife for his son. He was married to a Canaanite, so a Canaanite would be just fine and dandy. His grandmamma would not like it but hey... she was gone. Now the Canaanite women were good enough.
Judah's son was a bum, according to verse 7, and God put him to death. So that left Tamar a widow.
In those days, when one son died, the other would take his place. So, she became [so to speak] her brother-in-law's wife. He was supposed to get her pregnant for his brother. His son would be known as his brother's son...not his. Well Onan, the next brother in line, wanted no part of that. So, he would "Pull Out" or "Spill Seed".
Spilling Seed or Pulling Out... that's birth control!!!! It's just birth control, not abortion... so Onan figured he could have his cake and then he wouldn't have to eat it... but it's not abortion... just birth control.
Well God didn't like that.
So, Onan died too!
Judah had only one son left... and that son was just a little boy. So, Judah told Tamar to wait. But when Shelah grew up.... she was left out.
Tamar had to take matters in her own hands.
Tamar tricked Judah into sleeping with her.
Tamar tricked Judah into leaving a trinket or two to prove Judah had done so.
She set it up so that Judah would send a young goat to pay for the "deed" and get his trinkets back. When the goat arrived, they couldn't find her. They were looking for a hooker.... but Tamar was clothed as a widow again.
When Judah found out Tamar was pregnant... and not by one of his sons... he was going to put her to death. That's what they did with whores back then. They had no problem sleeping with hookers... but their women better not fool around. A man could have lots of women... but women could only have one man... unless he died... and then they got the brother... or they slept alone.
When Tamar was brought to him... she gave him back his trinkets.... Ah ha ha.... gotcha Judah.
She had twins... of course it was twins.... twins run in the family.
And just like Rebekah's twins... Tamar's twins fought for "firstborn" status.
Meet the twins... Perez and Zerah.
Judah slept with his daughter-in-law.
Judah slept with Tamar.
It was unintentional.
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