He cast her out. Once again, Gods plan unfolded through the unorthodox actions of a woman. Here also the city prostitutes waited for customers. Biblical figure and daughter-in-law of Judah, In the Hebrew text, Tamar is said to have sat down "at the entrance of, J. Who Was Tamar in the Bible? - Christianity In the story, Judah, the fourth-born son of Jacob (Israel), had left his father and brothers and married a Canaanite woman named Shua. [15] Judah moves, marries, and engenders three sons, two of them growing to marriageable age, all in the space of six terse verses. There are a total of three women named Tamar in the Bible. Joseph conceivably has something temporal to gain and everything to lose by not giving in to Potiphars wife, yet he does not. Who Was Who in the Bible?Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999. (Genesis 38:2430), According to Ethiopic tradition, Perez became the king of Persia. . Tamar is an important figure in the Bible because she played a key role in the genealogy of Jesus. Verse 13 says that it was reported to her that her father-in-law had gone up to Timnah for a sheep-shearing. Both traditional and modern commentators skip over this seemingly simple verse. commonly] used, they did not consistently spell names the same way, nor attempt to establish uniformity either of sound or spelling (David Norton, A Textual History of the King James Bible [Cambridge: Cambridge University, 2005], 7, 9). Absalom soon became a favorite with the people because he listened to their complaints. [7] Most references invoke only Thamar (the King James Version New Testament spelling of Tamar[8]) because of her inclusion in Matthews genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:3). If one assumes that the levirate custom demands not only conception of a child but marriage of the widow, then the story [of Judah and Tamar] has an unsatisfactory ending (George Wesley Coats, Widows Rights: A Crux in the Structure of Genesis 38, Catholic Biblical Quarterly 34 [1972]: 46566). However, if Er was childless, Onan would inherit as the oldest surviving son. What Bible Debates Inspired Martin Luther's 95 Theses? When brought out, she shows to Judah his staff, seal, and cord, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child (Genesis 38:25). Tamar: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive Er was Tamars first husband; Er spelt backwards in Hebrew is the word for evil When Judah slept with a woman he assumed was a prostitute, he sinned as well, compounded by the fact that she was his daughter-in-law. Add an RSC shortcut to this device's Homescreen, In the menu, scroll past any icons and tap. The deceiver now became the deceived. whereprostitutes In portraying this episode in Genesis 38, we also come to understand how Judah loses the birthright, which passes to Joseph.[39]. [37] Note also the presence of the goat in the Judah/Tamar story, another connection to the deception of Jacob. While she was standing in gate of Timnah and wearing a veil; Judah, who was intoxicated from wine that twisted his understanding away,[20] came to her. Three months later, when Judah learned that Tamar was pregnant, he insisted Tamar be punished. However, Scripture says Er was "wicked in the sight of the Lord," so God put him to death. For more on this see The Ancestors of Jesus, Bible Study Resource for Women in the Bible: Tamar, the Levirite Law, and Judah, Read what modern Bible scholars say about Tamar & Judah, Ancestors of Jesus The chapter opens with the somewhat strange statement that Judah leaves his brothers, meets up with Hirah the Adulamite, and there, in Adulam, finds himself a wife of Canaanite stock. 185 Heber J. Let us, however, be different in our conduct and in our relationships with women.[41]. The seal, cord and staff were symbols of a mans identity, items of great personal worth, and it is astonishing that Judah gave them up. After having sex with her, he promises to send her a kid in payment. John A. Widtsoe (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1941), 128. Joel Ryanis an LA-based childrens and young adult author who teaches writing and communications atLife Pacific University. Both appear in the Old Testament.. TAMAR in the BIBLE: A woman fights for her rights 801-422-6975. [6], Literary critics have focused on the relationship between the Judah story in chapter 38 and the Joseph story in chapters 37 and 39. Story 1: Tamar and Judah ( Genesis 38) Genesis 38 intersects the Joseph narrative with an absolutely bizarre story regarding one of Joseph's brothers, Judah, and his relationship with his daughter-in-law Tamar. Judah joins his old friend Hirah the Adulamite, at Timnah, for a sheep shearing. If the husband of the woman wishes to spare his wife, then the king in turn may spare his subject. Joseph, by contrast, defends himself repeatedly over many days from the propositions of his superior. Regardless of the specific meaning, petach enayim can also be read quite literally as opening of the eyes. Here again is important irony. Perhaps, from another perspective, some Latter-day Saint teachers could be encouraged to explore non-Latter-day Saint publications for help in understanding the Bible. Eventually, Shelah came of age, but Judah did not honor his promise. [13] What language nuances and cultural nods would an Israelite understand that a modern reader of the English Bible would not? . (Genesis 38:1223), Three months later, Tamar was accused of prostitution on account of her pregnancy. Upon arriving at a place near Timnath, where two roads met,[5] Judah saw the woman but did not recognize her as Tamar because of the veil she wore over her face. The significance of this is often lost on modern readers. The womans action publicly humiliated the man, and his familys disgrace was remembered long after he was dead. Grant Building Tamar's plan was to become pregnant by this ruse so that she might bear a child in Judah's line, since Judah had not given her to his son Shelah. [22] This may have been part of Onans motivation.[23]. Thus we find the spellings Enoch, Henoch, and Hanoch all for the same Hebrew name. [2] By way of a levirate union,[3] Judah asked his second son, Onan, to provide offspring for Tamar so that the family line might continue. Finally, I will offer ideas on using parts of the Judah-Tamar story in teaching. Tamar, Absalom's Daughter. 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. However, she ultimately tricks Judah into impregnating her and therefore secures her place in the family. And Judah said Bring her out and let her be burned. [12], According to the Talmud, Judah's confession of guilt itself atoned for some of his prior faults, and resulted in his being divinely rewarded by a share in the future world. It says in the verse that she was a beautiful young woman with three brothers. Some time later, rumor reaches Judah that Tamar is pregnant by harlotry. Tamar, having thus secured her place in the family as well as Judah's posterity, gave birth to twins, Perez and Zerah. [30] That Judah agrees to turn these items over, in spite of the potential problems, attests further to a serious (but apparently temporary) lapse of control over his physical appetite. 3. Scripture then says that. Tamar and Judah later bore twin boys named Perez and Zerah. 2. When Onan died without giving Tamar a child, she looked to the third son of Judah to be her husband. Learn Religions, Feb. 8, 2021, learnreligions.com/tamar-facts-4147715. See Sarna, Genesis, 266. First, this account seems to unfold while Joseph's life in Egypt was also unfolding. Again, since Latter-day Saint sources are nonexistent, one must consult non-Latter-day Saint sources for insight. Tamar means date palm, source of food, shade, life Upon being recalled to Jerusalem following his exile, Absalom returned with his own family, which included three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar (2 Samuel 14:27), no doubt named in honor of his sister. Tamar had gone home, without telling anyone who she was. In levirate marriage, the duty of the brother-in-law was to father a male heir with his brothers widow to carry his brothers name and ensure his inheritance (Deuteronomy 25:5). Provo, UT 84602 Judah is juxtaposed and contrasted with Joseph, who is moral even when it would be to his advantage not to be. [11] Church Educational System, Old Testament: Genesis2 Samuel (Religion 301) Student Manual (Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981), 94. He led a tribe of Israelites named after him. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain:Easton, Matthew George (1897). Here, Judah was expected to provide another one of his sons to marry and care for Tamar. God forgives sin, but its after-effects can be terrible. Since these themes have been explored in depth elsewhere, I will summarize only two. Judah instructs Tamar to remain as a widow in her fathers house until his third son, Shelah, is old enough to marry her and fulfill the levirate obligation. 2 (1981). I find that it calls out for interpretation. Three months later, when Tamars pregnancy becomes known, Judah promptly orders that she be brought out and burned. They, and not the male characters, move the story along. Herodotus gives a description of the staff made specifically for each person, with a personal emblem carved on the top of it. Perez carried the Messiah's bloodline and his mother, Tamar, was one of only five women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38) - United Church of God However, even after Shelah has grown up, Judah still does not give Tamar to him in marriage. Now although Judah argued that he wanted to wait until Shelah was older, its clear that he had no intention of marrying off another son to Tamar, an inexcusable neglect of his fatherly duties and injustice to Tamar. No information is provided about her lineage. Three months pass, which is exactly the time it takes for a pregnancy to begin to show. Just as the narrator reported earlier that Rebeccas fetuses struggled within her (Gen. 25:22), which is a way of saying that pronounced fetal movement is a sign of a twin pregnancy, here, too, the narrators three months indicates knowledge of the details of pregnancy. In Brief The story of the life of Tamar appears in the ancestor narratives of Genesis. Judah knew he had done wrong. [15] For a discussion of the timing, see Nahum Sarna, Genesis, JPS Torah Commentary (Jewish Publication Society, 1989):264-65. Under Jewish law, Onan was required to marry Tamar and have children with her, but the firstborn son would be under Er's line instead of Onan's. Judah, who already blamed her for the deaths of his sons, thought the worst when he heard that she was pregnant. He died, and his death at such an early age was seen as just punishment. Judah and Tamar: Writing the Story - Jewish Theological Seminary In the Book of Genesis, Tamar (/temr/; Hebrew: .mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans}, Modern:Tamar pronounced[tama], Tiberian:Tmr pronounced[tmr], date palm) was the daughter-in-law of Judah (twice), as well as the mother of two of his children: the twins Perez and Zerah. [11], Along with the account of Lot and his daughters (Genesis 19:3038), and Ruth and Boaz (Ruth 3:78), Tamar and Judah is one of three instances of "sperm stealing" in the Bible, in which a woman seduces a male relative under false pretenses in order to become pregnant. By itself, the story has no obvious moral to teach[1] and, due to cultural differences, is difficult to understand without what some scholars call literary competence.[2] Moreover, some teachers and students may be uncomfortable with the sexual elements central to the plot. Perhaps David was not as outraged as he should have been at Amnon's lust. The story of Tamar in the Bible - 7 Lessons we can learn Sexually charged moment when Tamar meets Judah: famous paintings of this story, providing for all members of the tribal family, whether their fathers were alive or not, he failed to carry out the Levirate obligation to Tamar and. Judah sends a kid with Hirah to pay the prostitute, but the people tell Hirah that there was no prostitute at that location. The text attempts to minimize his sexual guilt through the inclusion of several details. In doing so, David lost two sons and a daughter, watching as his family disintegrated before his eyes. By contrast, Joseph sees and treats his persistently would-be seductress as a person in her own right and his masters wife, placing her completely off-limits. When King David learned of Tamar's rape, he was outraged. Students will find more strength in Joseph once they see him in contrast to Judah in the previous chapter. Tamar, informed of his trip, conceals her identity with a veil and places strategically places herself in Judahs path at in an open place (Genesis 38:14). This could have substantial economic repercussions, with any son born deemed the heir of the deceased Er, and able to claim the firstborn's double share of inheritance. This famous incident has been recorded by a number of painters; see Bible Art: Tamar for their work. In the book of Revelation, Jesus is called "the Lion of the tribe of Judah." Tamar in the Bible - Summary and Scripture Quotes - Bible Study Tools Isaiah 51:2 says to look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you, but the emphasis is on Gods power in blessing them. The act was clearly not premeditated, as Judah encountered her by chance (from his perspective) on the normal route to sheep shearing and did not bring anything for payment. Tamar in the Bible - Her Story & Significance - Crosswalk The role played by the townspeople in this episode, like that of a Greek chorus, is significant. Via Wikimedia Commons. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Who Is Tamar in the Bible and Why Is She Important? When Er came of age, Judah arranged a marriage between Er and a Canaanite girl named Tamar. However, Tamar, the surviving spouse, is the one that's most known and talked about. In pre-Mosaic times, the ultimate responsibility in assuring offspring fell to the father-in-law. '[11] Emerton notes that Dillman and Noth considered the account of the deaths of Er and Onan to "reflect the dying out of two clans of Judah bearing their names, or at least of their failure to maintain a separate existence." Bible study: The story of Tamar - Tearfund Learn Judah, recognizing them as his own, suddenly understands what has taken place and declares that Tamar is in the right and he in the wrong. [35] The Hebrew term is uncertain. 4. In doing so, she had tricked Judah into performing the duties his sons should have. Here's the story. She sent the seal, cord and staff back to Judah, with the message that they belonged to the father of her child, and Judah, confronted by the evidence, had little choice but to acknowledge that she was in the right, that she had been acting according to the law. Tamar veils herself not because veils were traditionally worn by harlots, but to conceal her identity from Judah. Judah decided on the fee, Tamar on the pledge. According to some textual scholars, the reason for these features is that the passage derives from the Jahwist source, while the immediately surrounding narrative is from the Elohist, the two being spliced together at a later date.[28][29][30]. God punished Onan. Who is Tamar in the Bible? | Pray.com 53 Bible Verses about Tamar. [38], A second theme involves Judahs personal development. In my experience, gospel teachers often choose to pass over the story of Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38, and understandably so. Who was Tamar in the Bible? - GB Times - The Spirit Magazine Judah's second son, Onan, marries Er's widow Tamar . (Genesis 38:614), Following Shelah growing up, Judahs wife passed away and he became a widower. Biblical Trials of Two Women Named Tamar. In Genesis 37, Judah proposes a plan, which he and his brothers carry out. Genesis 38 intersects the Joseph narrative with an absolutely bizarre story regarding one of Josephs brothers, Judah, and his relationship with his daughter-in-law Tamar. The other two Tamars are both tragic figures, women who were ruined by the neglect and abuse of close family members. Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Absalom, her full brother, saw her and understood what had happened. The translators understand these words as saying that Judah was comforted following his wifes death, which is the standard interpretation of the Hebrew root N.H.M. But the mind of God had a plan of which they knew nothing. But in a way she redeemed Judah. Tamars insistence on her rights was rewarded by the birth of not one but two children! Joseph is frequently used as an example of how to flee temptation and maintain sexual purity; Judahs actions in the prior chapter can profitably serve as a foil to Josephs actions, as well as teach some lessons on their own. This is significant because we learn from the genealogy in the book of Ruth that Amminadab was also the . Indeed, the Old Testament rarely, if ever, refers to the patriarchs as models to be emulated as Helaman did with his sons Lehi and Nephi in Helaman 5:6. Judah, upon recognizing his own objects, realizes what has happened, and acknowledges his guilt in withholding his son from Tamar. Judah is handing over the Near Eastern equivalent of a wallet with drivers license and credit cardsidentification that will later enable Tamar to establish her innocence. He thereby violates God's warning to the patriarchs to avoid Canaanite women (Gen. 24:3, 28:1). Widowed and without children, Tamar was low in the pecking order of the tribe. Er is killed by the Lord because he is wicked, leaving Tamar a childless widow. [4] Perez is identified in the Book of Ruth as the ancestor of King David. Gods promise to continue the Jewish people through many generations. Prophets have been clear about this aspect of selfishness and dehumanization: one possessed of selfishness sees others as mere functions or objects to be usedor to be ignoredand not as humans to be helped, to be loved, or to be listened to.[40] We must be different than other men. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Jewish Theological Seminary All Rights Reserved | . [21] When her state became known, Tamar was dragged before the court, in which Isaac, Jacob, and Judah as the judges. 1 (2010): 6576. They saw only their own predicament. Chapter 38, a self-contained unit, interrupts the ongoing Joseph saga to tell the story of Judah and Tamar. Would that have satisfied Absalom's anger? Salem Media Group. And then the story takes another odd turn. Thus, Judah progresses from selfishness (offering tokens of himself as a pledge to pay a prostitute) to selflessness and redemption in the Joseph story (offering himself as a pledge for the good of his family, redeeming Benjamin and sparing Israel pain). [17] More likely is that the law of Moses often codified preexisting cultural norms,[18] sometimes modifying them in the process. He invited King David and all his sons to attend. When Amnon was drinking wine and off guard, Absalom gave the order to his servants, who killed Amnon. Jesus said that the most important commandments are: 'Love the Lord your . Wasting no time with preliminaries, Judah immediately tells her, Let me lie with you. His sexual appetite will not tolerate postponement, although he has been content to let Tamar languish as a childless widow.[27], Nevertheless, Judah should not be castigated as the Israelite equivalent of a businessman planning to cheat on his wife while ostensibly on a business trip. How Can Christians Know if They're Trapped in Culture Wars? (Genesis 38:1223). 2 Samuel 13:1-39 ESV / 28 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. Brigham Young University Judah demonstrates what can happen when one consistently chooses less-than-ideal influences. 1. She is also the mother of twins. Jacob deceives Isaac in Genesis 27:1123. Though speaking in a different context, Elder Oakss statement applies to this and other Old Testament stories: We should judge the actions of our predecessors on the basis of the laws and commandments and circumstances of their day, not ours.[33] By Israelite standards, Tamar had justifiably manipulated Judah into carrying out the responsibility he had shirked for many years, depriving her in the process of children, of inheritance, and of the opportunity to remarry. All rights reserved. Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. In this way the narrator endorses Tamars shrewd strategy. However, this discomfort stems largely from reading the chapter as though it took place today. Childbirth in ancient times. Meg Bucher Writer and Author 2020 21 Jan There are two significant women named "Tamar" in the Bible. We know this is an important story because Tamar is the first woman listed in Jesus' genealogy in Matthew 1:3, which says, "and Judah the father of Perez by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron.". Our regular commentaries and videos are a great way to stay intellectually and spiritually engaged with Jewish thought and wisdom. To add an RSC website shortcut to your home screen, open the website in the Safari browser. At this point, Judah is portrayed as viewing Tamar to be cursed and therefore as being reluctant to give her his remaining and youngest son Shelah. The city gates were something like the reconstruction above: massive mudbrick walls with a strong gateway that could be shut tight against an enemy, or closed at night for security. Surprisingly, he did nothing to punish Amnon. We see in Matthew 1:3 that one of Tamar's twin sons, Perez, was an ancestor of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. 6 Valuable Lessons from the Life of Samuel, 10 Verses from James to Deepen Your Faith. Discover the many Bible verses about Tamar in this collection of scripture quotes!