Have the prostitute burned to death says the man who slept with her
Genesis 38:13-18,24 When Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep," she took off her widow's clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.
When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, "Come now, let me sleep with you."
"And what will you give me to sleep with you?" she asked.
"I'll send you a young goat from my flock," he said.
"Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?" she asked. He said, "What pledge should I give you?"
"Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand," she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.
..About three months later Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant."
Judah said, "Bring her out and have her burned to death!"
PERSONAL COMMENTARY
Don't you find it interesting that the very man who slept with Tamar thinking she's a prostitute is calling for her to be burnt to death because she was guilty of prostitution? Don't you find that a bit hypocritical?
6 comments:
Sure it's hypocritical but then that's just calling the kettle black.
I'm not sure what the relevance of this verse is in terms of the overall message of the site. Do you think everything mentioned in the Bible is good and lovely and acceptable to God?
I don't believe that he wanted her burned for prostitution, but rather because she was his daughter-in-law and was promised to his son Shelah and because of this his anger burnt against her. There's nothing really hypocritical about it.
You will see that he didn't succeed in his stupidity, and that God defended the woman, in fact, so much value was placed on her tenacity that she was one of 4 women deliberately mentioned in the lineage of Jesus.
As Tiny Tim said, you are absolutely correct that this is hypocrisy. First he hired a prostitute, then he hands her his power as a promise to pay, and finally tries to burn her out of his embarrassment and rage. Severe hypocrisy to the furthest extents (much like our politicians today).
But the Bible is not always a commentary. It is largely a historic account in the Old Testament and simply narrated the terrible state of man. Judah's actions were in no way the actions of God. Can God be blamed for our actions?
Right! Judah's response was very hypocritical and it explains why he considered Tamar more righteous than he. For a hypocrite appears to be righteous when within he is filled with hypocrisy (Matthew 23:28).
Keep up the good work.
He didn't know she was the prostitute, and cast her out of the family because his family had been cursed since she had come into his household- killing 2 sons and a wife. btw as soon as he finds out its her, he almost dies trying to save her life and is utterly shamed.
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