Judah: The Foolish and the Wise
Background and Printed Text: Genesis 38:1-30
Genesis 38:1 And he was at that time. And He-Confessed-Yehovah [Judah] went down from with his brothers. And he inclined unto an Unto-Their-Poverty [Adullamite] man. And his name is Her-Cave-Dweller [Hirah]. 2And He-Confessed-Yehovah [Judah] saw a daughter of a Merchant [Canaanite] man there. And his name is Shout-For-Help [Shua]. And he took her. And he came unto her. 3And she conceived. And she childed a son. And he called his name Ardent [Er].
4And she conceived again. And she childed a son. And she called his name Potent [Onan]. 5And she gathered again. And she childed a son. And she called his name Security [Shelah]. And he was in Liar [Cheziv] in her childing him.
6And He-Confessed-Yehovah [Judah] took a woman for Ardent [Er] his firstborn. And her name is Palm [Tamar]. 7And Ardent [Er], He-Confessed-Yehovah’s [Judah’s] firstborn, was bad in the eyes of Yehovah. And Yehovah killed him.
8And He-Confessed-Yehovah [Judah] said unto Potent [Onan], “Come unto the woman of thy brother. And ‘levirate’ her. And raise seed to thy brother.” 9And Potent [Onan] knew that the seed will not be his. And he will be, if he came unto the woman of his brother, and he will destroy groundward so as to not give seed to his brother. 10And what he did was bad in the eyes of Yehovah. And He also killed him.
11Then He-Confessed-Yehovah [Judah] said to Palm [Tamar] his daughter-in-law, “Sit a widow the house of thy father until Security [Shelah] my son will biggen.” For he said, “Lest also he will die as his brothers.” And Palm [Tamar] walked. And she sat the house of her father.
12And the days multiplied. And the daughter of Shout-For-Help [Shua] woman of He-Confessed-Yehovah [Judah] died. And He-Confessed-Yehovah [Judah] was consoled. And he ascended upon sheepshearers of his flock—he and Her-Cave-Dweller [Hirah] his neighbour the Unto-Their-Poverty [Adullamite] Thou-Shalt-Reckon-ward [Timnat-ward]. 13And he told to Palm [Tamar] to say, “Behold, thy father-in-law ascended Thou-Shalt-Reckon-ward [Timnat-ward] to shear his flock.” 14And she removed garments of her widowhood from upon her. And she blanket-covered via a sari. And she overlaid herself. And she sat in an opening of the eyes that is upon the way Thou-Shalt-Reckon-ward [Timnat-ward]. For she saw that Security [Shelah] biggened, and he was not given {fem.} to him for a woman. 15And He-Confessed-Yehovah [Judah] saw her. And he thought her for a harlot because she blanket-covered her faces. 16And he inclined unto her unto the way. And he said, “Come-on, na! I will come unto thee!” For he didn’t know that this is his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What wilt thou give to me that thou wilt come unto me?” 17And he said, “I, I will send a kid of goats from the flock.” And she said, “If thou wilt give a pledge until thy sending…” 18And he said, “What is the pledge that I will give to thee?” And she said, “Thy signet and thy bracelet and thy staff that is in thine hand.” And he gave to her. And he came unto her. And she conceived to him. 19And she arose. And she walked. And she removed her veil from upon her. And she put-on the garments of her widowhood.
20And He-Confessed-Yehovah [Judah] sent the kid of the goats via the hand of his neighbour the Unto-Their-Poverty [Adullamite] to take the pledge from the hand of the woman. And he didn’t find her. 21And he asked men of her place, saying, “Where is the holy-woman? He is in eyes upon the way!” And they said, “There was not a holy-woman in this.” 22And he returned to He-Confessed-Yehovah [Judah]. And he said, “I did not find her. And also men of the place said, ‘There was not a holy-woman in this.’” 23And He-Confessed-Yehovah [Judah] said, “She shall take to her lest we shall be to contemn. Behold, I sent this kid. And thou, thou didn’t find her.”
24And he was as from three months. And he told to He-Confessed-Yehovah [Judah] saying, “Palm [Tamar] thy daughter-in-law whored! And also behold, she conceived to whoredoms!” And He-Confessed-Yehovah [Judah] said, “Exit-ye her! And she was burnt!”
25He is-made-to-exit. And she sent unto her father-in-law saying, “I am pregnant to the man to whom these are!” And she said, “Recognize-thou, na. To whom are these—the signet and the bracelets and the staff?” 26And He-Confessed-Yehovah [Judah] recognized. And he said, “More righteous than I. For therefore I didn’t give her to Security [Shelah] my son.” And he didn’t gather to know her again.
27And he was at the time of her childing. And behold, twins are in her womb. 28And he was in her childing. And he gave a hand. And the midwife took. And she bound a scarlet thread upon his hand to say, “This exited firstward.” 29And he was as he returns his hand. And behold, his brother exited. And she said, “What? Thou hast breached! A breach is concerning thee!” And he called his name Breach [Pharez]. 30And his brother upon whose hand is the scarlet thread exited after. And he called his name Sunrise [Zarah].
I. Judah’s Wife and Sons (verses 1-5)
At the same time Joseph was being trained as a slave, Judah, Joseph’s brother was continuing with normal life.
Judah went down to location away from his brothers. He inclined (tilted toward) an Adullamite man, becoming friends with him. His name is Hirah.
Judah also saw a woman—a daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. (The man’s name is Shua.) He took her, he came unto her, and she became pregnant. She childed a son, and Judah called his name Er.
She again became pregnant, and she childed a son. She called his name Onan.
She gathered again and childed a son. She called his name Shelah. Judah was in Cheziv while she childed Shelah.
Questions
1. Why did Judah leave his brothers?
2. What does “he inclined unto an Adullamite man” mean?
3. What is an Adullamite man?
4. Why would a man be named, “her cave dweller”?
5. What was the name of the daughter of Shua whom Judah took for a woman (wife)?
6. What does “he took her, and he came unto her” mean?
7. Was this wrong for him to do? Were they married?
8. What does she conceived mean?
9. Is becoming pregnant on the first sexual intercourse event usual?
10. Who named this child?
11. Who named the second child (Onan)?
12. What does “she gathered again” mean?
13. Who named the third child?
14. Why does the text tell readers that Judah was in Cheziv when his woman childed the third son?
II. Strike One! (verses 6-7)
Er, Judah’s firstborn, was now an adult. Judah took a woman for him. Her name was Palm [Tamar], referring to the tree.
Er was bad in the eyes of Yehovah. Yehovah killed him.
Questions
1. Why did Judah take a woman for his son? Couldn’t his son get his own woman (wife)?
2. From where did Tamar come?
3. Why would a parent name a child Palm?
4. Did Er have a good character?
5. Does Yehovah often kill folks with very bad character?
6. Why did Yehovah kill Er?
7. What did Er do that made Er so bad in the eyes of Yehovah?
8. Why didn’t Yehovah explain what Er did that was so bad?
9. Does Yehovah kill everyone who dies?
III. Strike Two! (verses 8-10)
Judah recognized that Tamar was left in a childless position, and that Er his firstborn son had not had a child. Therefore he told Onan, the second son, to levirate her—that is, to do the service of a brother in law by taking his dead brother’s woman as his own woman, and giving the first son to be reared with the surname of the dead brother.
Onan had no love for his dead brother. He knew that the seed (offspring) will not be his own. So he decided to make sure that the semen fell on the ground and would not fertilize Tamar for pregnancy. This was bad in the eyes of Yehovah, and Yehovah also killed him.
Questions
1. Explain what “levirate her” means:
2. Are brothers responsible to do this same thing today?
3. What does “raise seed” mean?
4. What does “And Onan knew that the seed will not be his. And he will be, if he came unto the woman of his brother, and he will destroy groundward so as to not give seed to his brother” mean?
5. Why was destroying the seed groundward so bad in the eyes of Yehovah?
6. Why did Yehovah kill Onan?
IV. The Agreement (verse 11)
Judah did not want to lose another son. So he told Tamar, his daughter-in-law, to remain a widow at the house of her father until Judah’s third son, Shelah, will grow up. Tamar walked to her father’s house, and she remained (sat) at the house of her father.
Questions
1. Why did Judah tell Tamar to sit as a widow (for years) until Shelah will ‘biggen’ (grow up)?
2. Why did Tamar agree to this?
3. Wasn’t living in the same widowhood garments for years bad, and wouldn’t the garments get dirty?
4. Why did Judah send her to her father’s house instead of keeping her with him and his wife?
5. Why did Judah state, “Lest also he will die as his brothers”?
6. Did Judah know that Yehovah had killed two of his sons?
7. Did Tamar have a sad life as she lived in her widow’s mourning garments?
8. Why did she just sit in the house of her father?
V. Tamar’s Wisdom (verses 12-19)
Days multiplied. Judah’s woman, the daughter of Shua, died. Judah mourned, and was consoled.
He went up to visit the sheepshearers of his flock with Hirah at Timnat.
Someone unidentified told Tamar, “Behold, thy father-in-law ascended Timnat-ward to shear his flock.”
She had an idea. She took off her widowhood garments that she had continuously worn for all this time, and she completely covered herself with a sari (an outfit that is wrapped several times). She sat in an opening “of the eyes” (a place that can be seen) that is on the way to Timnat where Judah was. She knew that Shelah had grown, and Judah had not given her to Shelah to be his woman.
Judah came by and saw her. He figured she was a prostitute because she completely covered her faces. He bent his direction (went out of his way) toward her.
He said to her, “Come-on, na! I will come unto thee!” He didn’t know that this is his daughter-in-law.
She said, “What wilt thou give to me that thou wilt come unto me?” His response was, “I, I will send a kid of goats from the flock.”
She told him she would if he would give a pledge until he sent the goat kid. Judah wanted to know what the pledge item would be. Her response was, “Thy signet and thy bracelet and thy staff that is in thine hand.” He gave them to her.
He then came unto her and had sexual intercourse with her. She conceived to him.
She then arose, walked, and took off the veil that covered her. She dressed in the garments of her widowhood, and continued as normal.
Questions
1. How much time passed if the text states, “the days multiplied”?
2. Who died in verse 12?
3. Of what did she die?
4. What does consoled mean?
5. How was Judah consoled?
6. What does “He ascended upon sheepshearers of his flock” mean?
7. What is Timnat?
8. Why did Judah go with Hirah?
9. Who told Tamar what was told in verse 13?
10. Why is “Behold, thy father-in-law ascended Timnat-ward to shear his flock” important for her to know?
11. Why did she remove her widowhood garments and put a sari on her, and what is a sari?
12. What does “she sat in an opening of the eyes that is upon the way” mean?
13. Identify the pronoun he in, “he was not given {fem.} to him for a woman”:
14. What is a harlot?
15. How did the prostitutes dress back then?
16. What women cover their faces today?
17. What does “he inclined unto her unto the way” mean?
18. What did Judah mean by, “Come-on, na! I will come unto thee”?
19. For what was she asking when she said, “What wilt thou give to me that thou wilt come unto me”?
20. Why was she doing this?
21. Was the price he was willing to pay a good price for a whore?
22. What is a pledge?
23. Why did she ask for a pledge?
24. Doesn’t Judah always keep his promises?
25. Why did Judah let her decide what the pledge would be?
26. Why did she ask for three things (his signet, his bracelet and his staff)?
27. What is a signet?
28. What is a bracelet?
29. What is the purpose of a staff held in the hand?
30. Why did Judah give these things to her as a pledge? Weren’t they far more valuable than a kid of the goats?
31. Did she immediately know that she conceived and was pregnant?
32. Why did she change back to her widowhood garments?
VI. Missing Lady (verses 20-23)
Judah sent the goat kid by mans of the hand of his neighbour, the Adullamite man, in order to take the pledge items from the hand of the woman. Judah’s friend looked, but he didn’t find her.
He asked men of her location, “Where is the holy-woman? He is in eyes upon the way!” They said, “There was not a holy-woman in this.”
He returned to Judah, and told him, “I did not find her. And also men of the place said, ‘There was not a holy-woman in this.’” Judah responded, “She shall take to her lest we shall be to contemn. Behold, I sent this kid. And thou, thou didn’t find her.”
Questions
1. Why did Judah send his friend to take the goat kid to the whore and to retrieve the pledge items?
2. Why did Judah’s friend ask the men of the place where she had been, “Where is the holy-woman?”
3. What did he mean by, “He is in eyes upon the way”?
4. What did the men mean by, “There was not a holy-woman in this”?
5. What did Judah mean by, “She shall take to her lest we shall be to contemn”?
6. Why did Judah add, “Behold, I sent this kid, and thou, thou didn’t find her”?
VII. Naughty Lady! (verse 24)
About three months later, someone told Judah, “Palm [Tamar] thy daughter-in-law whored! And also behold, she conceived to whoredoms!” Judah said, “Exit-ye her! And she was burnt!”
Questions
1. What occurred about three months later?
2. Who stated, “Tamar thy daughter-in-law whored! And also behold, she conceived to whoredoms”?
3. What did Judah mean by, “Exit-ye her”?
4. Why did he state, “And she was burnt”?
5. Was Judah’s justice good?
VIII. Recognition (verses 25-26)
She was made to exit. She sent unto Judah, her father-in-law, saying, “I am pregnant to the man to whom these are!” She also said, “Recognize-thou, na. To whom are these—the signet and the bracelets and the staff?” Judah recognized. He then responded, “More righteous than I. For therefore I didn’t give her to Shelah my son.” Judah never again gathered to have sexual intercourse with her.
Questions
1. Who is he in, “He is made to exit”?
2. Why did she send to her father-in-law, and why did she have to send to him at all?
3. She told Judah, “Recognize-thou.” Why would these words have bothered Judah?
4. Why did Judah say, “More righteous than I,” and was this true?
5. Why did Judah state, “For therefore I didn’t give her to Shelah my son”?
6. What was Tamar’s plan? Give the details.
7. Why was what Tamar did so very noble and heroic?
8. Was what Tamar did by playing the role of a prostitute and becoming pregnant sin?
9. What does “he didn’t gather to know her again” mean and imply?
10. Did she take off her mourning garments of her widowhood?
IX. Tamar’s Fruit (verses 27-30)
The time came for her to experience childbirth. Twins were in her womb!
During the time of birthing, one child reached out and ‘gave’ a hand. The midwife took and tied a scarlet thread upon his hand to identify which exited the womb first. Then, the little one returned his hand, and the brother exited first! The midwife said, “What hast thou breached! A breach is upon thee!” And he called his name Breach (Pharez).
His brother with the scarlet thread on his hand then exited, and he called his name Zarah.
Questions
1. How likely was she to have twins?
2. Why did Yehovah give her twins?
3. What was so important about marking which child came out first?
4. What does the made-up word firstward mean?
5. What did the midwife mean by, “What? Thou hast breached!”?
6. What did she mean by, “A breach is concerning thee”?
7. Who named the child Zarah (Sunrise, as in Sunny)?
8. Did Judah participate in rearing the two children that Tamar had?
9. Did Tamar have good character?