Question 1

Who are Judah and Tamar in this passage, and how are they related?

Accepted Answer

Judah is one of Jacob’s sons, part of the family chosen by God for His covenant promises. He has three sons with a Canaanite woman: Er, Onan, and Shelah. Tamar is the woman Judah chooses as a wife for his firstborn son Er, so she becomes Judah’s daughter-in-law. After Er and then Onan die under God’s judgment, Tamar is promised to the third son, Shelah, but Judah never follows through. Later, without Judah knowing who she is, he sleeps with her, and she becomes the mother of his children.

Question 2

Why did God kill Er and Onan, and what was their sin about?

Accepted Answer

The passage says Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in God’s sight, so God put him to death, though it does not list his specific actions. After Er dies, Onan is told to act as a husband to Tamar so a child can carry on his brother’s name. Onan pretends to obey but deliberately avoids giving Tamar a child while still using her sexually. He spills his seed on the ground so the child will not count as his brother’s. God sees this as serious evil, a mix of sexual sin and refusal of his duty, and puts him to death too.

Question 3

What was Tamar trying to do when she disguised herself by the road?

Accepted Answer

Tamar had been promised to Judah’s third son, Shelah, so that her dead husband’s family line would continue. As time passed, it became clear Judah had no intention of giving Shelah to her. She was left a childless widow, with no security and no place in the family. When she heard Judah was going to Timnath, she took off her widow clothes, covered her face, and sat where he would see her. By pretending to be a prostitute and asking for his signet, cord, and staff, she forced Judah to deal with the wrong he had done and secured children from the very family that had denied her.

Question 4

What does Judah mean when he says, "She hath been more righteous than I"?

Accepted Answer

When Tamar is found to be pregnant, Judah first reacts with harsh judgment and calls for her to be burned for sexual sin. But when she quietly sends him his own signet, cord, and staff and says the father is the man who owns these, Judah realizes he is the guilty one. By saying, “She has been more righteous than I,” he admits he failed in his duty to give her to Shelah as promised. Tamar’s actions were still sinful, but Judah recognizes that his broken promise and cowardice were worse. This is a moment of confession and humility for him.

Question 5

What is levirate marriage, and how does it shape what happens here?

Accepted Answer

Levirate marriage was a custom where a man would marry his dead brother’s widow if the brother had no children. The first son from that union would carry the dead brother’s name and keep his share in the family. In this story, Judah tells Onan to go in to Tamar and raise up children for his dead brother Er. Onan refuses in his heart, because any child would legally belong to Er, not him, so he uses Tamar but prevents conception. Later, Judah should give Tamar to Shelah, but he delays and then withholds him. All the tension and sin in this passage centers on people dodging their duty in this custom.

Question 6

Why is this story important for understanding God’s plan of salvation?

Accepted Answer

This story shows that God’s plan moves forward even through messy and shameful events. Judah marries outside the covenant people, his sons are wicked, sexual sin and deceit are everywhere, and yet God still brings a child from Tamar that will be in the line leading to the Savior. It shows God does not approve of the sins here, since He judges them clearly, but He is not blocked by them. He can bring good out of deep failure. This helps us see that God’s promises do not rest on human goodness, but on His own faithfulness.

Question 7

What does this passage teach about God’s view of sexual sin and justice?

Accepted Answer

The passage shows that God sees and judges sexual sin and self-serving behavior. Er is described simply as wicked, and God ends his life. Onan abuses Tamar, uses her body while refusing his duty, and God judges him as well. Judah is ready to punish Tamar severely for what he thinks is her sin, while hiding his own. When his guilt is exposed, his shame shows how wrong he was. Through all this, we see God cares about purity, faithfulness, and justice. He does not ignore evil, even within the chosen family, and He exposes hypocrisy in time.

Question 8

Why does Tamar’s plan feel so troubling, and how should we view her actions?

Accepted Answer

Tamar’s plan is troubling because it mixes a right desire with a wrong method. She has been wronged, left as a widow without children or protection, and denied what she was promised. Her desire for a child and a place in the family fits the customs of her time and the importance of the family line. But she chooses deception and sex outside marriage, even with her father-in-law. The passage does not excuse her sin, yet it shows her as more in the right than Judah because he created the situation by breaking his promise. Her story warns us not to rush to sinful answers, even when we have been deeply wronged.

Question 9

How can this hard passage speak into a believer’s life today?

Accepted Answer

This passage is heavy, but it speaks to real life. It shows how sin in families, broken promises, and sexual misuse cause deep damage. It warns against blaming others instead of facing our own part, like Judah did at first. It also shows that God sees the oppressed, like Tamar, and He will bring truth to light. For a believer today, this story can push us toward honesty, repentance, and better care for the weak and vulnerable. At the same time, it offers quiet hope that even when we have failed badly, God can still work out His purposes and bring mercy out of a dark story.

Genesis 38:1

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.

Judah and Tamar

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Genesis 38:1

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.

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Judah and Tamar

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