Judah Wanders Away. Genesis 38:1-11

May the mumbling commence!

Now, we leave the story of Joseph to pick up the story of Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar.  We can learn many things from this digression.  Family crisis can cause division – especially when we think of “in-laws’”.  Read from Peterson’s The Message:

            About that time, Judah separated from his brothers and hooked up with a man in Adullam named Hirah.  While there, Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua.  He married her, they went to bed, she became pregnant and had a son named Er.  She got pregnant again and had a son named Onan.  She had still another son; she named this one Shelah.  They were living at Kezib when she had him.

            Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn.  Her name was Tamar.  But Judah’s firstborn, Er, grievously offended God and God took his life.

            So Judah told Onan, “Go sleep with your brother’s widow; it’s the duty of a brother-in-law to keep your brother’s line alive.”  But Onan knew that the child wouldn’t be his, so whenever he slept with his brother’s widow he spilled his semen on the ground so he wouldn’t produce a child for his brother.  God was much offended by what he did and also took his life.

            So Judah stepped in and told his daughter-in-law, Tamar, “Live as a widow at home with your father until my son Shelah grows up.”  He was worried that Shelah would also end up dead, just like his brothers.  So Tamar went to live with her father.  (Genesis 38:1-11)

Now read the same passage from the NIV translation:

At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.  There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her; she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.  She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.  She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him. 

Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.  But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the Lord's sight; so the Lord put him to death. 

Then Judah said to Onan, "Lie with your brother's wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother."  But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother.  What he did was wicked in the Lord's sight; so he put him to death also. 

Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Live as a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up." For he thought, "He may die too, just like his brothers." So Tamar went to live in her father's house.  (Genesis 38:1-11)

The only puzzling difference between these two passages is the distinction of Peterson calling Judah’s first wife Shuah, while the NIV and some of the others seem to give her father that name.  Many other translations are very vague at who the name actually belongs to.  The name is neuter, and interestingly enough it means opulence.  I guess who we assign the name to the daughter or the father is just plain vague.

The problems of Judah’s family begin in the first few words.  Judah left… or Judah separated from his brothers.  Judah then married a Canaanite woman – a departure from his ancestors.  And Judah ended up with sons who were wicked and greatly offended the Lord.

Judah and his sons did not follow through and do the right thing for Tamar.  As a widow (Peterson rightly emphasizes her status as a widow), Tamar is extremely vulnerable without sons.  I know Er’s brothers were supposed to produce a son for their brother, but Tamar would benefit most from such a birth.

As followers of God, we need to do rightly by the vulnerable in our midst – regardless of the cost to us.  May it be so!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out