Genesis-Chapter-38

Genesis-Chapter-37

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Throughout this site I may use any of the following three versions of the Tanakh: 1. “Jewish Publication Society” (JPS-1917), 2. “Mechon-Mamre.org” (MEC), and 3. “Sefaria.org” (SEF), three brilliant versions, However, the JPS-1917 is my preferred version!

Colour coded details of our beloved TaNaKh:

1. Torah = History & Law, 2. Nevi’im = The Prophets. 3. *Ketuvim = all other Writings.

*The Ketuvim - Includes, Poetical books - Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Megillot, or Scrolls - Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, prophecy of Daniel, and history of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles I & II.

Please Note: Some alterations or (additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been corrected like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.

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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!

“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).

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“Genesis Chapter 38”

With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

Introduction:
Genesis Chapter 38 provides a stark, realistic look at the moral landscape of the House of Jacob. Placed right in the middle of the Joseph narrative, it focuses on Judah, the brother who suggested selling Joseph. This chapter is about accountability, the consequences of neglecting one’s familial duties, and the surprising way in which a sense of justice can be restored through the courage of an outsider. It serves to show the growth of Judah from a man of compromise to a man who can publicly admit his own faults.

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Let us read Genesis Chapter 38, verses 1 to 30: (JPS-1917 version of the Torah). Below this chapter you will find my commentary for this study.

1 “And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in unto her. 3 And she conceived, and bore a son; and he called his name Er. 4 And she conceived again, and bore a son; and she called his name Onan. 5 And she yet again bore a son, and called his name Shelah; and he was at Chezib, when she bore him. 6 And Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, and her name was Tamar. 7 And Er, Judah's first-born, was wicked in the sight of יְהוָה - the LORD; and יְהוָה - the LORD slew him. 8 And Judah said unto Onan: ‘Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother unto her, and raise up seed to thy brother’. 9 And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and it came to pass when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of יְהוָה - the LORD; and He slew him also. 11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law: ‘Remain a widow in thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown up’; for he said: ‘Lest he also die, like his brethren’. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house. 12 And in process of time Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying: ‘Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to Timnah to shear his sheep’. 14 And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entrance of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she had covered her face. 16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said: ‘Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee’; for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said: ‘What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?’ 17 And he said: ‘I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock’. And she said: ‘Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?’ 18 And he said: ‘What pledge shall I give thee?’ And she said: ‘Thy signet and thy cord, and thy staff that is in thy hand’. And he gave them to her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. 19 And she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. 20 And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand; but he found her not. 21 Then he asked the men of her place, saying: ‘Where is the harlot, that was at Enaim by the wayside?’ And they said: ‘There hath been no harlot here’. 22 And he returned to Judah, and said: ‘I have not found her; and also the men of the place said: There hath been no harlot here’. 23 And Judah said: ‘Let her take it, lest we be put to shame; behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her. 24 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying: ‘Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with child by harlotry’. And Judah said: ‘Bring her forth, and let her be burnt’. 25 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying: ‘By the man, whose these are, am I with child’; and she said: ‘Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and the cords, and the staff’. 26 And Judah acknowledged them, and said: ‘She is more righteous than I; forasmuch as I gave her not to Shelah my son’. And he knew her again no more. 27 And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. 28 And it came to pass, when she travailed, that one put out a hand; and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying: ‘This came out first’. 29 And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold his brother came out; and she said: ‘Wherefore hast thou made a breach for thyself?’ Therefore his name was called Perez. 30 And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand; and his name was called Zerah”.

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My Commentary on Verses 1 to 30:

Verses 1-5: (Judah’s Departure and Family). The chapter opens with Judah “going down” from his brethren to dwell with a Canaanite. This physical descent mirrors a spiritual one, as he marries a daughter of a Canaanite named Shua. His sons Er, Onan, and Shelah are born into this environment, setting the stage for the family crises that follow.

Verses 6-11: (The Failed Duties). Judah takes a wife for his firstborn, Er, named Tamar. After Er and then Onan are taken by the Almighty for their wickedness, Judah fears for his youngest son, Shelah. He sends Tamar back to her father’s house with a promise he does not intend to keep. This highlights Judah’s failure as a patriarch to protect the future of his household and the dignity of his daughter-in-law.

Verses 12-19: (Tamar’s Strategic Initiative). Years pass, and Tamar realizes she has been forgotten. When Judah travels to Timnah after his wife dies, Tamar takes matters into her own hands. By disguising herself and obtaining Judah’s “signet, cord, and staff”, she secures the ultimate proof of his identity. This was not an act of harlotry in her heart, but a desperate and bold move to secure the “seed” and the rights she was owed under the law of the family.

Verses 20-23: (The Missing Pledge). Judah tries to fulfil his “payment” for the encounter but cannot find the woman. His concern about becoming a "laughing-stock" shows that his primary worry is his social reputation rather than the moral weight of his actions.

Verses 24-26: (The Moment of Recognition). When Tamar is accused of being pregnant, Judah initially calls for her to be “burnt”. However, when she produces his own tokens, Judah is forced into a moment of radical honesty. His public declaration, “She is more righteous than I” is the turning point of his character. He acknowledges his failure and validates Tamar’s claim to the family line.

Verses 27-30: (The Birth of Perez and Zerah). The chapter concludes with the birth of twins. Much like the birth of Jacob and Esau, there is a struggle for seniority. Perez "breaks out" first, and his name signifies this breach. It is from this line born of a struggle for justice and a patriarch’s admission of guilt that the royal lineage of Israel would eventually emerge.

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My Closing Message:
Genesis 38 teaches us that the path of the Covenant is often messy and filled with human error. It shows that the Almighty can use the most unlikely circumstances to ensure the survival of a lineage. Judah’s transformation here is vital; he learns the weight of responsibility, a trait that will be essential when he later stands before Joseph in Egypt to defend his youngest brother, Benjamin.

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שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!

Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

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