Genesis 38

Judah and Tamar

1 It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers, and a visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah b saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was c Shua, and he married her and went in to her. 3 So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name d Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name e Onan. 5 And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his name f Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.

6 Then Judah g took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was h Tamar. 7 But i Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, j and the LORD killed him. 8 And Judah said to Onan, "Go in to k your brother's wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother." 9 But Onan knew that the heir would not be l his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did 1 displeased the LORD; therefore He killed m him also. 11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, n "Remain a widow in your father's house till my son Shelah is grown." For he said, "Lest he also die like his brothers." And Tamar went and dwelt o in her father's house.

12 Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah's wife, died; and Judah p was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, "Look, your father-in-law is going up q to Timnah to shear his sheep." 14 So she took off her widow's garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and r sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw s that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face. 16 Then he turned to her by the way, and said, "Please let me come in to you"; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. So she said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?" 17 And he said, t "I will send a young goat from the flock." So she said, u "Will you give me a pledge till you send it?" 18 Then he said, "What pledge shall I give you?" So she said, v "Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand." Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 So she arose and went away, and w laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.

20 And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand, but he did not find her. 21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, "Where is the harlot who was 2 openly by the roadside?" And they said, "There was no harlot in this place." 22 So he returned to Judah and said, "I cannot find her. Also, the men of the place said there was no harlot in this place." 23 Then Judah said, "Let her take them for herself, lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat and you have not found her."

24 And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has x played the harlot; furthermore she is 3 with child by harlotry." So Judah said, "Bring her out y and let her be burned!" 25 When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "By the man to whom these belong, I am with child." And she said, z "Please determine whose these are - the signet and cord, and staff." 26 So Judah a acknowledged them and said, b "She has been more righteous than I, because c I did not give her to Shelah my son." And he d never knew her again.

27 Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins were in her womb. 28 And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, "This one came out first." 29 Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, "How did you break through? This breach be upon you!" Therefore his name was called e Perez. 4 5 30 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called f Zerah.

  1. Cross References
    2 Kings 4:8
    Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food.
  2. Cross References
    Genesis 34:2
    And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and violated her.
  3. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 2:3
    The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by the daughter of Shua, the Canaanitess. Er, the firstborn of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so He killed him.
  4. Cross References
    Genesis 46:12
    The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
    Numbers 26:19
    The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
  5. Cross References
    Genesis 46:12
    The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
    Numbers 26:19
    The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
  6. Cross References
    Numbers 26:20
    And the sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Parzites; of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.
  7. Cross References
    Genesis 21:21
    He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
  8. Cross References
    Ruth 4:12
    "May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the LORD will give you from this young woman."
  9. Cross References
    Genesis 46:12
    The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
    Numbers 26:19
    The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
  10. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 2:3
    The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by the daughter of Shua, the Canaanitess. Er, the firstborn of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so He killed him.
  11. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 25:5
    If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband's brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.
    Deuteronomy 25:6
    And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.
    Matthew 22:24
    Saying: "Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.
  12. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 25:6
    And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.
  13. Cross References
    Genesis 46:12
    The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
    Numbers 26:19
    The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
  14. Cross References
    Ruth 1:12
    Turn back, my daughters, go - for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons.
    Ruth 1:13
    "would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me!"
  15. Cross References
    Leviticus 22:13
    But if the priest's daughter is a widow or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father's house as in her youth, she may eat her father's food; but no outsider shall eat it.
  16. Cross References
    2 Samuel 13:39
    And King David longed to go to Absalom. For he had been comforted concerning Amnon, because he was dead.
  17. Cross References
    Joshua 15:10
    Then the border turned westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, passed along to the side of Mount Jearim on the north (which is Chesalon), went down to Beth Shemesh, and passed on to Timnah.
    Joshua 15:57
    Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages.
    Judges 14:1
    Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.
  18. Cross References
    Proverbs 7:12
    At times she was outside, at times in the open square, Lurking at every corner.
  19. Cross References
    Genesis 38:11
    Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house till my son Shelah is grown." For he said, "Lest he also die like his brothers." And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
    Genesis 38:26
    So Judah acknowledged them and said, "She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son." And he never knew her again.
  20. Cross References
    Judges 15:1
    After a while, in the time of wheat harvest, it happened that Samson visited his wife with a young goat. And he said, "Let me go in to my wife, into her room." But her father would not permit him to go in.
    Ezekiel 16:33
    Men make payment to all harlots, but you made your payments to all your lovers, and hired them to come to you from all around for your harlotry.
  21. Cross References
    Genesis 38:20
    And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand, but he did not find her.
  22. Cross References
    Genesis 38:25
    When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "By the man to whom these belong, I am with child." And she said, "Please determine whose these are - the signet and cord, and staff.
    Genesis 41:42
    Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.
  23. Cross References
    Genesis 38:14
    So she took off her widow's garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife.
  24. Cross References
    Judges 19:2
    But his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him to her father's house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there four whole months.
  25. Cross References
    Leviticus 20:14
    If a man marries a woman and her mother, it is wickedness. They shall be burned with fire, both he and they, that there may be no wickedness among you.
    Leviticus 21:9
    The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the harlot, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire.
    Deuteronomy 22:21
    Then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done a disgraceful thing in Israel, to play the harlot in her father's house. So you shall put away the evil from among you.
  26. Cross References
    Genesis 37:32
    Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, "We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son's tunic or not?
    Genesis 38:18
    Then he said, "What pledge shall I give you?" So she said, "Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand." Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him.
  27. Cross References
    Genesis 37:33
    And he recognized it and said, " It is my son's tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.
  28. Cross References
    1 Samuel 24:17
    Then he said to David: "You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil.
  29. Cross References
    Genesis 38:14
    So she took off her widow's garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife.
  30. Cross References
    Job 34:31
    For has anyone said to God, 'I have borne chastening; I will offend no more.
    Job 34:32
    Teach me what I do not see; If I have done iniquity, I will do no more'?
  31. Cross References
    Genesis 46:12
    The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
    Numbers 26:20
    And the sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Parzites; of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.
    Ruth 4:12
    "May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the LORD will give you from this young woman."
    1 Chronicles 2:4
    And Tamar, his daughter-in-law, bore him Perez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.
    Matthew 1:3
    Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.
  32. Cross References
    Genesis 46:12
    The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
    1 Chronicles 2:4
    And Tamar, his daughter-in-law, bore him Perez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.
    Matthew 1:3
    Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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