Women of the Bible Tamar and Judah

In this study we will take a look at the women within the Bible. We will look at each one of them and see how their story influences our lives today.

As we continue our study in this fantastic insight of the Women of the Bible, this morning we shall take a look at Tamar and Judah

The story of the life of Tamar appears in the ancestor narratives of Genesis. As Judah’s daughter-in-law, Judah believes she has killed two of his sons, (even though the Scriptures tell us that Yahweh killed them Gen. 38:7, 10) and controls her so that she is unable to remarry. However, she ultimately tricks Judah into impregnating her and therefore secures her place in the family. She gives Judah two sons, and her story illustrates her loyalty and her willingness to be self-confident and unconventional.

 We shall find her story in Genesis 38

 Tamar, daughter-in-law of Judah, married two brothers who died. By law she should have been able to marry the third brother so she could have a baby and be a full member of the tribe. When this did not happen, she took matters into her own hands. She dressed as a prostitute, had sex with her father-in-law Judah, and conceived twin sons.

Names in the Bible often says something about the person:

Tamar means ‘palm tree’, source of food, shade, life
 Judah means ‘give praise to Yahweh’
Er means ‘watchful’ is the name of Tamar's first husband;
 Er spelt backwards in Hebrew ‘ra’ is the word for 'evil'
Perez means ‘breach or he who pushes through’, the one who breaks through a wall; 

Zerah means ‘raising of the light'
Onan means ‘strong or the virile one’ - ironic, since he refused to give Tamar a child 

What the story is about 

The story describes the way a widow, Tamar, obtained a child for herself and an heir for her dead husband’s inheritance. It shows a virtuous woman who risked everything, her life and her reputation, to get what was rightfully hers.  

 It is part of the continuing Jewish preoccupations with social justice. The story also shows one of the main themes of the Book of Genesis: Yahweh’s promise to continue the Jewish people, through many generations, against all odds. 

 Tamar is one of the four female ancestors of Yahshua Messiah, in Matthew's gospel. All four had irregularities in their marriages/sexual relationships. 

The story of Tamar contains four different episodes:  

1                       Tamar married, but remained childless, Genesis 38:1-11. Tamar married into the family of Judah, first to Judah’s son Er and then, after his death, to Onan his brother. Because of Onan’s actions, she did not become pregnant. For a Jewish woman, this meant disgrace, because people thought that being childless was a punishment from Yahweh.

This practical law was about two things:

The woman's right to have children, and  keeping property within the family. 

 Under Levite law, Er’s younger brother Onan was obliged to give Tamar a child. But he refused outright to do so, probably because any child born to Tamar would carry Er’s name, not Onan’s, and when their father died the child would inherit the dead brother’s portion of the estate. He practiced the some form of birth control, and Tamar did not conceive. 

Onan thus failed to carry out the Levite obligation to Tamar, and disregarded his father's command. He died, and his death at such an early age was seen as just punishment from Yahweh. 

Deuteronomy 25:9-10 describes the punishment for a man who refused to obey the Levirate law: the woman went up to him in a public assembly, pulled his sandal from his foot, spat in his face, and said 'This is what is done to the man who does not build up his brother's house'. To us the punishment does not sound very much, but in the context of the time it meant public disgrace. The action in verse 9 had symbolic meaning: the foot symbolized the male genitals, the sandal the female sexual organs, and the spittle, the semen. 

 The woman’s action publicly humiliated the man, and his family's disgrace was remembered long after he himself was dead. Public shame was often used to enforce the law in ancient times. 

 When Onan died without giving Tamar a child, she looked to the third son of Judah to be her husband. But he was only a boy, too young to be a father. So Judah sent Tamar back to her family, promising to send for her when Shelah, [request or petition] the third son, was old enough. In fact, he was playing a trick on her, getting her to return to her father's household. 

Judah began to look on Tamar as a jinx, bad luck, responsible for the deaths of his two eldest sons.

 2                       She claimed her Levirite rights, Genesis 38:12-19. Eventually, Tamar had to trick Judah in order to obtain a child. By ancient Hebrew standards, her actions were legal and morally right.

Tamar waited patiently, but after a while it became clear that Judah did not mean to give her his third son Shelah as a husband. He refused to keep the Levirate law. 

 When she saw that she was to be left a childless widow, she decided to act. She did not blame ‘the system’, but took the initiative to obtain what was rightfully hers.  She would play a trick on Judah, just as he had tricked her. 

The deceiver now became the deceived.

 She dressed in the special clothing of a prostitute, which included a veil across her face that disguised her identity, waited for Judah at the city gates, and persuaded him to have sexual intercourse with her.

3                       She was accused of promiscuity, Genesis 38:20-26. Because she did not name the father of her child, it was assumed that she had been promiscuous, and Judah sentenced her to be burnt to death. But she saved herself by a clever ploy.

When Judah’s friend came to make payment to the unknown prostitute and reclaim Judah’s seal, cord and staff, the woman was nowhere to be found. Tamar had gone home, without telling anyone who she was. But through this one act of sexual intercourse with Judah she had become pregnant, a fact that was soon evident to the people around her. Judah, who already blamed her for the deaths of his sons, thought the worst when he heard that she was pregnant. She was accused of ‘playing the whore’. 

4                       She bore twin sons, Genesis 38:27-30. Her stubbornness was rewarded with the birth of sons, one of whom would be the ancestor of King David. 

Tamar’s persistence on her rights was rewarded by the birth of not one but two children! 

‘While she was in labor, one put out a hand; and the midwife took and bound on his hand a crimson threat, saying “This one came out first”. But just then he drew back his hand, and out came his brother; and she said “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore he was named Perez.’

These twins were jostling for position even before they were born. The theme of a brother pushing ahead of his elder sibling is a common motif in Genesis. 

 Tamar’s sons were called Perez and Zerah. Perez would be an ancestor of King David. So we see the hand of Yahweh was in control the whole time this event was taking place!

Summary

In an odd sort of way, Tamar was more loyal to the tribe of Judah than Judah was himself. She knew she had a duty to produce an heir to her husband, and she was determined to do so, come what might. Despite her unorthodox methods, she was a woman of integrity who risked her life to fulfill her duty to herself and her family. She knew she had the right to a child, and she knew that her first husband Er had the right to an heir. So she acted to make this happen.  Once again, Yahweh's plan continued to unfold through the unorthodox actions of a woman.

 Join me as we go Chapter by Chapter, Verse by Verse, Unraveling the Words of Yahweh!

Have any questions? Feel free to email me; keitner2024@outlook.com