Genesis 38:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

NIV: Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

NASB: Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

CSB: Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

NLT: In the course of time, Judah arranged for his firstborn son, Er, to marry a young woman named Tamar.

KJV: And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

NKJV: Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

Judah has moved away from the rest of his family (Genesis 38:1–3), married a Canaanite woman, and had several sons. The oldest is Er, who has now reached a marriageable age. Judah finds his son a wife, also likely a Canaanite, named Tamar. This continues Judah's defiance of the directive not to intermarry with the idol-worshipping Canaanite people (Genesis 28:1).

Sadly, Er's life will be cut short. Scripture gives no details other than to say he is killed by God in punishment for his sins (Genesis 38:7). Following custom, Tamar will be given to Er's brother Onan, to provide Er with descendants and Tamar with children to support her. That marriage, as well, will end in sin and tragedy (Genesis 38:7–10).

Genesis 38:6–11 explains how Tamar came to be widowed twice. Judah's eldest, Er, marries Tamar but is killed by God for unspecified sins. By tradition, a widow would be given to the next surviving brother, with any resulting children considered successors of the deceased man. Er's brother, Onan, takes Tamar as a wife, including intercourse, but deliberately avoids providing her with children. For taking sexual advantage of Tamar, Onan is also killed by God. Judah apparently blames Tamar for his sons' deaths and tells her to wait before being married to the next brother, Shelah. When it becomes clear that Judah won't care for her, Tamar makes plans of her own.

Jacob's son Judah marries a Canaanite woman and has three sons. His first son marries a woman called Tamar but is put to death by God for an unnamed sin. Judah follows tradition and marries Er's widow to the next oldest brother. Onan takes advantage of the situation for sex, but deliberately refuses to give her children. God puts him to death as well. When Judah abandons Tamar, she disguises herself as a prostitute and has sex with him. Found to be pregnant, she proves Judah is the father, and he admits his guilt. She then gives birth to twin boys.

Genesis 38 departs from the story of Joseph (Genesis 37:26–28) to describe what happens when Judah moves away from his family at Hebron and marries a Canaanite woman. Two of his three sons are put to death by God, each while married to the same woman. When Judah abandons her, she works a scheme to trick him into having sex with her. Confronted with proof that he is the father in her scandalous pregnancy, she is allowed to live and gives birth to Judah's twin boys. The following chapter returns to a focus on Joseph and his rise within Egyptian society (Genesis 39:1).

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 5/2/2024 9:18:44 AM