Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 38:6
And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name [was] Tamar.
6. Tamar ] = “a date palm.” A female name, occurring twice in the family of David (2Sa 13:1; 2Sa 14:27).
Judah, as head of the family, selects a wife for his firstborn, as in Gen 24:3, Gen 34:4.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn,…. Chose one for him, and presented her to him for his liking, whom he approving of married:
whose name [was] Tamar; which signifies a “palm tree”: the Targum of Jonathan says, she was the daughter of Shem; but it is altogether improbable that a daughter of his should be living at this time, and young enough to bear children: it is much more probable that she was daughter of Levi, Judah’s brother, as an Arabic writer o asserts; but it is more likely still that she was the daughter of a Canaanite, who was living in the same place, though his name is not mentioned,
Ge 38:11.
o Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. p. 16.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Verses 6-11:
Judah selected a wife for his firstborn son Er. This likely occurred at an early age. Her name, Tamar, meaning “palm tree,” is Shemitic, suggesting that she was not of Canaanite (Hamitic) origin. Before this marriage resulted in the birth of children, Jehovah killed Er, for some unnamed wickedness in his life. The Hebrew context suggests the possibility that it was some unnatural abomination like that of the men of Sodom (Ge 13:13; 19:5).
The Levitical law of marriage among the Jews provided that a man should marry the childless widow of his brother (or near kinsman) and raise up a child who would be the heir of the deceased, for the perpetuation of the family, see De 25:5-10. This was the custom long before the Law was given from Sinai. When this custom began is not known; that it was incorporated into the Levitical statutes indicates Divine approval of it.
After Er’s death, Judah instructed his second son Onan to marry Tamar, and produce a child who would be the heir to Er. Onan was unwilling to father a child which would not be recognized as his. When he had sexual relations with Tamar, he ejaculated on the ground rather than into Tamar’s womb. For this, God took his life.
God did not disapprove of Onan’s act as a form of birth control. He disapproved of it because Onan sinned against the sanctity of the theocratic family by refusing to perpetuate the lineage of the firstborn.
Evidently Judah’s third son was too young for marriage. Following Onan’s death, Judah sent Tamar back to her father’s house, where she should wait until Shelah was old enough for marriage; then Tamar would become his wife. The context implies that this was but a subterfuge; that Judah had no intention of allowing his third son to marry her, considering her to be “unlucky.”
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
Gen 38:6, &c. Name was Tamar It is not said who or of what family Tamar was, though it is most probable she was a Canaanitess; nor does it appear what was the crime of Er; enormous enough, no doubt, to draw down so exemplary a punishment from God. It is plain, from this transaction, that the practice which Moses afterwards enacted into a law, Deu 25:5 was of ancient standing: the same custom prevailed among the AEgyptians. The crime of Onan shews a peculiarly malignant disposition, Deu 25:9.; and it is probable, that bad as it was in itself, yet his sin was aggravated with a worse circumstance, viz. his having an eye to the suppressing of the MESSIAH’s birth, since he should not have the honour to be numbered among his ancestors, which might provoke GOD to cut him off. See Univ. Hist. Acts of self-pollution were always held peculiarly criminal, even by heathen moralists. The Hebrew doctors looked upon them as a degree of murder.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Gen 38:6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name [was] Tamar.
Ver. 6. And Judah took a wife for Er. ] When he was but fourteen years of age, as appears by the Chronicle, seven years after the selling of Joseph. And here it is well observed, a that though Judah took a wife without his father’s consent, yet he will not have Er to do so.
a Musculus.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Gen 38:6-11
6Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD took his life. 8Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” 9Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother’s wife, he wasted his seed on the ground in order not to give offspring to his brother. 10But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; so He took his life also. 11Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”; for he thought, “I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
Gen 38:6 “Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn” Judah did not allow his father to choose his bride, but in the cultural tradition he choose the wife for his son. It is obvious that because of his background of faith in YHWH that he would have chosen an upstanding woman. Her name is Tamar, which means “palm tree” (BDB 1071 II). There are several other women in the Bible who have the same name.
Gen 38:7 “Er. . .was evil in the sight of the LORD” This negative evaluation occurs often in the OT (cf. Gen 32:13; Deu 4:25; Deu 31:29; Jdg 2:11; Jdg 3:7; Jdg 3:12; Jdg 4:1; Jdg 6:1; Jdg 10:6; Jdg 13:1; 1Sa 15:19; 1Ki 11:6; 1Ki 14:22; 1Ki 15:26; 1Ki 15:34; 1Ki 16:19; 1Ki 16:25; 1Ki 16:30; 1Ki 21:20; 1Ki 21:25; 1Ki 22:52; 2Ki 3:2; 2Ki 8:18; 2Ki 8:27; 2Ki 13:2; 2Ki 13:11; 2Ki 14:24; 2Ki 15:9; 2Ki 15:18; 2Ki 15:24; 2Ki 15:28; 2Ki 17:2; 2Ki 17:17; 2Ki 21:2; 2Ki 21:6; 2Ki 21:15-16; 2Ki 21:20; 2Ki 23:32; 2Ki 23:37; 2Ki 24:9; 2Ki 24:19). The results of the fall are pervasive and destructive. Because of the seeming parallels between the actions of Er and Onan which are mentioned in Gen 38:8-10, the rabbis assert that they were both guilty of the same sin (i.e., “wasted his seed on the ground”), but this is not clear from the context. They assert that Er did not want his wife to have children because it would have made her appear old before her time.
It is obvious that they acted in an inappropriate way, violating known guidelines. It is also obvious that the Lord uses temporal judgment (cf. Job 22:15-16; Pro 10:27).
Gen 38:8 “Then Judah said to Onan, ‘Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her'” This is the later cultural concept of Levirate marriage (cf. Deu 25:5 ff.). We have only two examples of this in the Scriptures, here and in the book of Ruth. Inheritance rights were a significant issue.
Judah gives his second born son three commands.
1. go in to your brother’s wife, BDB 97, KB 112, Qal IMPERATIVE
2. perform your duty as a brother-in-law, BDB 386, KB 383, Piel IMPERATIVE
3. raise up offspring for your brother, BDB 877, KB 1086, Hiphil IMPERATIVE
For a good brief discussion of “Levirate (from the Latin for “brother”) Marriage” see NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 902-905 and ABD, vol. 4, pp. 296-297.
Gen 38:9 “Onan knew that the offspring would not be his” Apparently Onan was more concerned about a larger inheritance for himself than he was with his brother’s family. This is the only birth control mentioned in the OT. Because his brother was the firstborn the larger part of the inheritance would go to his heir. This chapter clearly reveals the wickedness in these first two sons of Judah.
“so when he went in to his brother’s wife” The Hebrew VERB TENSE implies that he went in to her only once (two PERFECT TENSE VERBS).
Gen 38:11 “Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law. . .until my son Shelah grows up” Judah had only three sons and two of them had apparently died by contact with Tamar. Judah was afraid that his last son would die and he would have no posterity. This account may be recorded to show how all of the Patriarchs tried to manipulate the promises of God in connection with the promised Messiah who would come through their seed. Or, it may simply be a fear connected with a possible curse on Tamar. The sin relates to the fact that he lied to his daughter-in-law when he had no intention of giving his last son to her, which was the legal requirement. The fact that Tamar returned to her father’s house (i.e., Judah’s command, BDB 442, Qal IMPERATIVE) seems to be a cultural norm (cf. Lev 22:13 and Rth 1:8).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
took: Gen 21:21, Gen 24:3
Tamar: Mat 1:3
Reciprocal: Jdg 14:2 – get her