Genesis 38

AND it came to pass at that time This story is not without difficulty, if we consider how little time is allowed for all the events of this chapters, there being not above twenty three years between Iudahs marriage, and the birth of Pharez, yea and the birth of his sons too, Esrom and Hamul, who are said to go into Egypt with Iacob, Gen. 46. 12. But there are two ways proposed for the resolution of it, as the phrase, at that time, may be understood two ways, either 1. More largely, for the time since Iacobs return from Padan to Canaan, and so the History may be conceived thus; Iudah was married some years before the selling of Ioseph, though it be here mentioned after it and so out of its place, as being the foundation of all the following events, which are here placed together because they followed the selling of Ioseph. Iudah, and Er, and Onan, and afterward Pharez, are supposed each to marry and have a Child at fourteen years old, which though unusual, wants not examples both in sacred and prophane Writers. And they that will quarrel with the Scripture and question its authority for some such uncustomary occurrences which it relates show more of impiety then wisdom in it, and shall do well to consider, that God might so order things by his Providence, and record such things in his word, upon the same account on which he has put several other difficult passages in Scripture, partly to try and exercise mens Faith, Humility and Modesty; and partly to punish the evil minds of ungodly men, and for their sins to lay an occasion of stumbling and cavilling at the Scriptures before them that greedily seek and gladly catch at all such occasions. Or 2. More strictly, for the time following the sale of Ioseph, which seems the more probable way, and so the story lies thus; Iudah was now about twenty years old, when he married, and the three first years he has three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah: The two first marry, each when they were about seventeen years old. Three years after both their deaths, and when Shelah had been marriageable a year or two and was not given to Tamar, Iudah lies with Tamar and begets upon her Pharez. But as for Esrom and Hamul, they are said to go into Egypt with Iacob, as also Benjamins ten sons are said to go with him thither, to wit, in their fathers loins, because they were begotten by their Father in Egypt, whilest Iacob lived there, of which more in its proper place.; that Judah went down from his brethren Probably in discontent, upon occasion of quarrels arisen among them about the selling of Ioseph, whereof Iudah was a great promoter, if not the first mover., and turned in to a certain Adullamite Of the City of Adullam. Of which see Ios. 12. 15. and 15. 35., whose name was Hirah.

And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite Whom he married, against the counsel and example of his Parents. But when Iudah had committed so great a crime as the selling of his Brother, and God had forsaken him, no wonder he adds one sin to another., whose name was Shuah The name not of the daughter, but of her father, ver. 12.: and he took her, and went in unto her.

And she conceived, and bare a son, and he called his name Er.

And she conceived again, and bare a son, and she called his name Onan.

And she yet again conceived, and bare a son, and called his name Shelah; and he was at Chezib A place near Adullam, called also A... zib, Ios 19. 29. Mich. 1. 14., when she bare him.

And Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, whose name was Tamar.

And Er, Judahs first-born was wicked in the sight of the LORD (i. e.) notoriously wicked. Compare Gen. 10. 9. and 13. 13., and the LORD slew him In some extraordinary and remarkable manner, as ver. 10..

And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brothers wife, and marry her This, as also divers other things, was now instituted and observed amongst Gods people, and afterwards was expressed in a written law, Deut. 25. 5, 6. See also Numb. 36. 6, 7. Ruth 1. 11. Mat. 22. 24,, and raise up seed to thy brother Beget a child which may have thy brothers name and inheritance, and may be reputed as his child. So it was with the first child, but the rest were reputed his own..

And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass when he went in unto his brothers wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed unto his brother Two things are here noted 1. The sin it self, which is here particularly described by the Holy Ghost, that men might be instructed concerning the nature and the great evil of this sin of self-pollution, which is such, that it brought upon the actor of it the extraordinary vengeance of God, and which is condemned not only by Scripture, but even by the light of Nature and the judgment of heathens who have expresly censured it as a great sin and as a kind of murder. Of which see my Latin Synopsis. Whereby we may sufficiently understand how wicked and abominable a practice this is amongst Christians and in the light of the Gospel which lays greater and stricter obligations upon us to purity, and severely forbids all pollution both of Flesh and Spirit? 2. The cause of this wickedness; which seems to have been either hatred of his brother; or envy at his brothers name and honour, springing from the pride of his own heart..

And the thing which he did, displeased the LORD An expression noting a more then ordinary offence against God, as 2 Sam. 11. 27., wherefore he slew him also This just, but dreadful, severity of God is noted both for the terrour of such like transgressors, and to provoke love and thankfulness to God in those whom he useth more indulgently..

Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in Law, Remain a widow at thy fathers house Whither he sent her from his house, that Shelah might not be insnared by her presence and conversation., till Shelah my son be grown So he dismisseth her with a pretence of kindness, and a tacit promise of marriage to her, which he never intended to keep, as the following words imply.: (for he said Or rather, but he said: for the Hebrew chi oft signifies but, as Gen. 45. 8. Psal. 37. 20. Eccl. 2. 10. and 6. 2. So here is an opposition between what he said to Tamar, and what he said to himself or in his own heart, as that word said is oft used: He intimated to her, that he would give Shelah to her, but he meant otherwise, and said in himself, I will not do it., Le... t peradventure he die also as his brethren did Imputing the death of his two sons either to her fault, or to her unluckiness, rather than to his own or his sons miscarriages.) and Tamar went and dwelt in her fathers house.

And in process of time When many days had passed, and Shelah, though grown, was not given to Tamar. the daughter of Shuah Judahs wife died: and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his Sheep-shearers To feast and rejoyce with them at that time, as the manner was then and afterwards. See 1 Sam. 25. 36. to Timnath A place not far from Adullam: of which see Ios. 15. 57., (he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.

And she put her widows garments off from her, and covered her with a vail As harlots used to do in those modester ages of the World, when they had not learnt to outface the Sun, nor to glory in their villanies., and wrapped her self, and sate in an open place Where she might be soonest discovered by Passengers. This is noted as the practice of Harlots, Prov. 7. 12. and 9. 14. Ier. 3. 2. Ezek. 16. 24, 25., which is by the way to Timnath: for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.

When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot: because she had covered her face And was doubtless careful not to discover her self by her voice..

And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, 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?

And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock: and she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge till thou send it?

And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets Or, handkerchief, or girdle, or any other ornament made of twisted thread which the Hebrew word signifies., and thy staff that is in thine hand: and he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him God so ordering things by his Providence, that his sin might be discovered. And this and other such horrid crimes committed sometimes by the Patriarchs and other eminent persons it has pleased God for divers wise and holy reasons to leave upon record, partly to discover how great and deep the corruption of mans nature is, and that even in the best; partly to oblige all men to an humble sense of their own infirmity, and to a diligent application of themselves to God for his gracious succors, and to a greater circumspection and watchfulness to prevent those evils in themselves; partly to encourage even the greatest sinners to repentance and the hope of Pardon; and partly for the just punishment and obduration of incorrigible sinners who make such sad examples matter of their delight and imitation..

And she arose and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the womans hand, but he found her not.

Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.

And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her: and also the men of the place said, That there was no harlot in this place.

And Judah said, Let her take it to her, Lest we be ashamed Note that fornication was esteemed sinful and shameful amongst the heathens.: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law has played the harlot, and also behold, she is with child by whoredom: and Judah said, Bring her forth To the Magistrate, from whom she may receive her sentence and deserved punishment. Iudah had not the power of Life and Death, at least not over her who was a Canaanite, and who was not in his, but in her own fathers house. But he being a person of great estate and authority, and as it seems, of obliging conversation, could do very much to persuade those who then had the power of the Sword either to draw it forth at least in a just cause on his behalf, or to sheath it upon his desire and satisfaction., and let her be burnt As guilty of Adultery, which was punished with death by the laws of God, Deut. 22. 23, 24. and of Nations too, Ier. 29. 22, 23. He chargeth her with adultery, because she was betrothed to Shelah: See Deut. 22. 23. This eagerness of Iudah proceeded not from zeal of Justice, for then he would not have indeavoured to destroy the innocent child with the guilty mother, against Gods law, Deut. 24. 16. Ezek. 18. 20 but from worldly policy, that he might take her out of the way which he esteemed a burden and a blot to his family..

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 bracelets, and staff.

And Judah acknowledged them His guilty conscience and the horrour of so foul a fact together with his sudden surprizal forced him to an ingenuous confession, whereas he might have used many pretences and evasions, which would easily have prevailed with such partial Judges., and said, She has been more righteous than I She was more unchast, because she knowingly committed Adultery and Incest, when he designed neither; but he was more unjust, because he was the cause of her sin, both by withholding Shelah from her, who was hers both by right and by Iudahs promise, and by whom her chastity should have been preserved; and by his solicitation and encouragement of her to the sin.: because that I gave her not to Shelah my son: and he knew her again no more Showing the sincerity of his confession by his forsaking of the sin confessed. See Iob 34. 32. And it may be probably concluded that he neither knew her nor any other Woman afterward, because there is no mention of any Child which he had after this time..

And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that behold, twins were in her womb.

And it came to pass when she travailed, that the one put out his hand, and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a skarlet thread In token of his being the first-born, which she confidently expected he would be., saying, This came out first.

And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that behold his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee Be imputed to thee, as the same phrase is taken Genesis 16. 5.: therefore his name was called Pharez.

And afterward came out his brother that had the skarlet thread upon his hand, and his name was called Zarah.