The Intertextuality of Genesis 38 (Part 2)

Final post on Gen 38. Here are some more connections between this story and other OT narratives.  Still need to think some more on the implications of these connections.

Gen 38 and Josh 2

There are interesting parallels between Josh 2 and Gen 38. Both Tamar and Rahab are referred to as harlots (Gen 38:15; Josh 2:1). Both Judah and the spies “go in” to the harlot, but only Judah sleeps with her. In both cases there is deception. But unlike in the story of Judah and Tamar, Rahab does not deceive those who came in to her but those who try to get the men. Again, the deception works because one party does not know. Judah really does not know, Rahab only pretends not to know. In both stories the deception leads to “sending” which results in “not finding.” Both stories also feature the “binding” of “scarlet” (Gen 38:28; Josh 2:18).

Gen 38 and Ruth

Ruth 4:12 – “May your house be as the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the seed that YHWH will grant you by this woman.”

• Both stories start with an indication of time
• Both Judah and Elimelech leave their home
• The names of the characters are given
• Judah marries a Canaanite woman, Mahlon and Chilion marry Moabite women
• Two sons die: Er and Onan, two sons die: Mahlon and Chilion
• Both women are told to return to their father’s/mother’s house
• Transformation in both stories is the result of the foreign women’s actions
• Tamar obtains a child from Judah, Ruth obtains a child from Boaz
• In both stories the unions are related to levirate marriage
• Both stories end with the birth of a son/sons

The problem in both stories is the same: lack of offspring. Both Tamar and Ruth eventually solve this problem, but in very different ways. Ruth’s way does not involve deception and illicit sex but is based on kindness and doing things the proper way. Thus the parallels between Gen 38 and Ruth again suggest that Tamar could have chosen a better way. At the same time the story of Ruth also puts Judah and Onan in a bad light. Both of them are similar to the unnamed relative in Ruth 4 who only wants to take Ruth for personal gain. If they had had the attitude of Boaz the story in Gen 38 probably would have turned out very different.

Gen 38 and 2 Sam 11-13

The story of Tamar in Gen 38 is related to the story of Tamar in 2 Sam 13. Similarities include:

• Illicit sex
• Dwelling in father’s/brother’s house
• Sheep-shearing

However, there are also connections to 2 Sam 12-13. Notice, for example, the similarities between the names in both stories (even more visible in the Hebrew):

• Judah = David
• Hirah = Hiram
• Bat-shua = Bathsheba
• Er = deceased firstborn son of David and Bathsheba
• Onan = Amnon
• Shelah = Solomon
• Tamar = Tamar

Other similarities between Gen 38 and 2 Sam 11-12 include:

• Illicit sex
• Period of quietness – hope that incident is forgotten
• Woman becomes pregnant
• Righteous indignation over misconduct
• Sending words to the responsible person

The story of David mirrors the story of Judah:

• Judah – death of two sons (Er and Onan) leads to sex scandal
• David – sex scandal leads to death of two sons (unnamed son and Amnon)

Genesis 38 in Context (Part 2)

Gen 38 not only connects backwards to Gen 37 but also contains a number of links to Gen 39. Here are a few of them:

Judah and Joseph

Gen 38 begins by stating that Judah went down from his brothers. Gen 39 begins by reminding the reader that Joseph had gone down to Egypt. The repetition of the word “go down” connects the two chapters and invites us to once again compare Joseph and Judah:

• While Judah goes down of his own free will, Joseph goes down involuntarily.
• While Judah marries and fathers three sons, Joseph is an unmarried slave in Egypt.
• While the Lord is against members of Judah’s family, he is with Joseph.
• While everything seems to go wrong in Judah’s family, Joseph is successful in all he does.
• While Judah gives in to sexual temptation, Joseph refuses to sin sexually.
• Judah is rightfully accused by a woman he slept with, Joseph is unrightfully accused by a woman he did not sleep with
• Judah’s items in the hand of Tamar prove his guilt, Joseph’s garment in the hand of Potiphar’s wife is supposed to prove his guilt, but is really a sign of his innocence.
• Judah’s line continues as a result of his giving in to sexual temptation, Joseph is put into prison as a result of his refusal to give in to sexual temptation

In both stories there are several turning points:

Judah (goes down)                                        Joseph (goes down)

Successful (marries, has family)                     Unsuccessful (unmarried, no family)

 Lord against his sons                                      Lord with him

 Unsuccessful (sons, wife die)                         Successful (put over Potiphar’s house)

Sex with Tamar                                               No sex with Potiphar’s wife

Successful (two sons)                                     Unsuccessful (put into prison)

  Lord with him

    Successful (put over prison)

Judah goes down and is initially successful. It looks as if his line will continue. Because his sons are evil God is against Judah’s family and his line is in peril. Joseph goes down and is initially unsuccessful. He becomes a slave in Potiphar’s house. In contrast to Judah’s family, the Lord is with Joseph, causing him to become successful. Thus the initial scenes of both chapters show how the Lord’s actions bring different results to Judah and Joseph.

The second turning point in Judah’s story is the sexual encounter with Tamar. Because of this event Judah once again has three sons (as in the beginning) and there is hope again for his line. Yet this success is bought at a high price: though Tamar’s plan is successful it ends up bringing great embarrassment to all the involved parties. Also, Judah’s sin of sleeping with a prostitute turns out to be an even greater sin: sleeping with his daughter-in-law!

In Gen 39 Joseph is faced with the same temptation as Judah. Because he refuses to do what Judah did, he becomes unsuccessful once again – he is now a prisoner. This is the irony in the two stories: Judah sins and becomes successful again, Joseph refuses to sin and becomes unsuccessful again. However, the Joseph story contains a final turning point: because the Lord is with Joseph, he becomes successful once more (and is put in a position that will lead to his ultimate success). Thus one of the lessons the story teaches is that it is better to gain success through the help of God than through one’s own actions.

Tamar and Joseph

This very point is also brought out by a comparison between Tamar and Joseph. Both of them remain in a house: Tamar in the house of her father (38:11), Joseph in the house of his Egyptian lord (39:2). Both of them have been given everything, but one thing has been withheld from them: Shelah from Tamar (38:14) and Potiphar’s wife from Joseph (38:9). While the withholding of Potiphar’s wife is lawful, the withholding of Shelah seems to be unlawful. This could be used as an argument to justify Tamar’s actions. Yet notice that Joseph appeals to God as the highest authority: “how could I do this great evil and sin against God?” (39:9) After Joseph’s speech about Potiphar (vv 8-9) we would expect him to say: “how can I do this great evil and sin against my lord (i.e. Potiphar).” By appealing to God, Joseph makes it clear who he is ultimately responsible to. Sleeping with Potiphar’s wife would be unjustified from a human perspective, but more importantly it would be a sin against God. Thus the story in Gen 39 and in particular Joseph’s question in v 9 provide a subtle commentary and evaluation of the events in Gen 38. Though Tamar’s action was successful and may have seemed justified from a human perspective, the question is whether it was right before God. As Gen 39 shows there is a way to be successful without sinning against God! Though being faithful to God’s law may at times appear to be to our disadvantage, in the end it is the only way to experience true and untarnished success.

Judah and Potiphar

The fact that Tamar and Joseph appear to have parallel roles in Gen 38 and 39, respectively, also invites a comparison between Judah and Potiphar. Both are heads of household. Judah’s household is in trouble because the Lord is against it. Potiphar’s household is successful because the Lord is with Joseph. Judah does not perceive what the problem is and selfishly refrains from giving Shelah into Tamar’s hand – the best way the problem in Gen 38 could have been solved. Potiphar, on the other hand, recognizes that the Lord is with Joseph and unselfishly gives everything he had into Joseph’s hand. Thus the opening scene of Gen 39 again provides an instructive contrast to the story of Gen 38. Gen 39 in essence shows how Judah’s house could have prospered if Judah and his family had been faithful to God like Joseph.

Both scenes are also related to the larger Joseph narrative. Jacob’s household is in trouble because the brothers are unwilling to unselfishly recognize Joseph’s special role. They don’t want him to rule over them. The irony is that the rest of the Joseph story shows that whenever Joseph becomes the ruler of anything (Potiphar’s house, the prison, Egypt) that place prospers because the Lord is with him. Therefore it would have been to the brothers’ benefit if they had acted like Potiphar and given everything into the hand of Joseph. Instead they take him into their hand (37:21) and eventually selfishly sell him so he will not rule over them, thus bringing much sorrow and trouble on their own household.

Keywords in Genesis 38

Taking, giving and belonging

The story in Gen 38 begins with Judah taking twice: he takes the daughter of Shua and he takes Tamar as a wife for Er. Judah’s taking is indicative of his dominant role in the first part of the narrative. He is the one in control and takes all decisive action to ensure the continuity of his family. This also shows his selfish attitude that he has already demonstrated in chapter 37 and which will be replicated by his son Onan. Both of them will take but they refuse to give: Onan refuses to give his brother seed (because the offspring would not “belong” to him) and Judah refuses to give Shelah to Tamar. The problem is selfishness: they would give, but only if it was to their own advantage. The irony is that their refusal to give unselfishly actually is to their disadvantage: Onan dies (apparently heirless) and Judah is faced with the prospect of his line discontinuing. Thus they jeopardize the future of their own family (i.e. what “belongs” to them). Had they, on the other hand, taken the risk of giving unselfishly this would have actually been to their own advantage.

While Judah only takes but refuses to give in the first part of the story, things change as Tamar takes the initiative and basically forces him into a position where he has to give what belongs to him. As we would expect, his giving is also selfish: he wants sex and is therefore willing to give his personal items to Tamar. Yet this is not all that Judah gives. The genius of Tamar’s action is that she uses Judah’s selfishness to her own advantage so that he ends up “unselfishly” giving to her what she really wants, namely seed so that the line may continue. (Note how this gives added meaning to her question: What will you give me?)

Having given his personal items to Tamar, Judah wants to take them back. For the first time in the story, however, he is unsuccessful in taking: the woman and the items seem to have disappeared. The failure of Judah to take illustrates the shift of power in the story. Whereas at the beginning of the narrative Judah was in control, now it is Tamar. She has power over Judah not only because she has his items but also because he does not want his going in to a prostitute to become public knowledge. In order to avoid public ridicule Judah is content to have her keep his items.

It is probably not accidental that giving and taking also occur in the final scene of the story. As Tamar is in labor, one of the twins stretches out (literally: gives) a hand, whereupon the midwife takes it and puts scarlet around it. The fact that the hand that is given and taken is then pulled back is reminiscent of the deception, reversals and unexpected turns that characterize the whole narrative. Judah gives the items in his hand into Tamar’s hand, but when he wants to take them from her hand again, she cannot be found anymore.

Sending

The verb “send” occurs five times in the story, with both Judah and Tamar sending once. As mentioned in a previous post, Judah’s sending is unsuccessful, while Tamar’s sending is successful. Thus this keyword and the two events connected to it are exemplary of the fate of the two main protagonists: Tamar’s mission is successful, while Judah’s is not. Yet in the end the success of Tamar’s mission also benefits Judah since his line continues.

It is interesting that in Hebrew, the term “send” looks and sounds very similar to Shelah (both words have three consonants of which two are identical and the third is only slightly different). This invites the reader to connect the sending with the story of Shelah. In both cases there is a promise: Judah promises Tamar to send a kid, just as he promised to give her Shelah. The unsuccessful sending of the kid is in some ways illustrative of Shelah not being given to Tamar – what was promised is not given. Whereas in the first instance Judah does not want to give, in the second instance he wants to but ironically cannot.

The Structure of Genesis 38 (Part 5)

(Continued from previous post)

Part B’ (vv 24-26)

A And it happened after three months, Tamar is pregnant (24)

           B Judah said: Bring her out, let her be burned (24)

 C By the man to whom these belong I am pregnant (25)

 C’ Recognize who this seal and this cord and this staff belong to (25)

 B’ Judah said: She is more righteous than I (26)

A’ And it happened at the time when she was to give birth, twins in Tamar’s body (27)

This scene in many ways provides a contrast to B. There Tamar was childless, now she is pregnant. The problem that perpetuated her childlessness in B, namely that Shelah was not given to her, is finally recognized by Judah in B’. Also, the righteousness of Tamar contrasts with the wickedness of Er and Onan. Thus the main problems shown in B have now been solved and the story is well on its way to denouement.

In both B and B’ Judah speaks twice. Both of his initial statements are commands that are not executed because another character thwarts his plans. This again highlights Judah’s helplessness in the story. He wants to be in control, yet he is not. In B the plan is thwarted because of the wickedness of Onan, in B’ the plan is thwarted because Judah realizes his own wickedness. Thus Judah cannot blame someone else anymore but only himself. This realization is a key element in the story and shows that the experience with Tamar has had the desired teaching effect. Judah, who had deceived his father in chapter 37 is here deceived himself but in the end realizes that he himself is a big part of the problem. This realization is the second statement in B’ which connects to the second statement in B through the mention of Shelah. There Judah behaved like Onan: he pretended that he would give but for selfish reasons did not. Thus the second statements in B and B’ move from initiation of the problem to realization of the problem.

At the center of the section stand Tamar’s two statements: “By the man to whom these belong I am pregnant” and  “Recognize who this seal and this cord and this staff belong to.” The answer is obvious and it is this answer that implicates Judah. He is just as guilty as her, in fact, as he himself admits, he is more guilty than she because he drove her to do what she did by not giving her his son Shelah. Judah only gave her his personal items instead of his son. Thus the offspring that could have been produced by legitimate means is now produced by illegitimate means.

The center of the section obviously reminds the attentive reader once again of Gen 37. There the brothers (including Judah) did to Jacob what Tamar now does to Judah. The brothers send the torn and bloody garment of Joseph to Jacob and ask him to identify it. In Gen 38 Tamar sends Judah’s personal items to him and asks him to identify them. Through the repetition the author once again emphasizes how Judah is deceived in the same way that he and his brothers deceived their father in the previous chapter.

There are also strong connections to C. Once again Judah and Tamar are the main characters. In C something about Judah was reported to Tamar, prompting her to take action with regard to him. In B’ something about Tamar is reported to Judah, prompting him to take action with regard to her. Tamar’s action works, Judah’s does not, ironically precisely because Tamar’s action worked. Because he was duped in C, he can now be exposed in B’. The means of exposing him are the very items he gave to her in C.  In addition, the keyword “send” reappears. In the previous scene Judah attempted unsuccessfully to send something to Tamar. Now Tamar successfully sends to Judah. Judah sends through his friend so that he will not be found out. Now Tamar sends to expose him.

Part A’ (vv 27-30)

A One stretched out his hand, they put a scarlet around his hand (28)

B She said: this one came out first (28)

 C When he pulled back his hand, behold his brother came out (29)

B’ She said: what a breach you breached concerning yourself (29)

A His brother came out, the one around whose hand was the scarlet (30)

This final scene parallels A. Both scenes revolve around child bearing and giving of names. Because of the birth of the twins at the end of the story the original number of three sons Judah had at the beginning of the story is restored. Thus the story has come full circle.

The scene also has connections to B. In both scenes there is a struggle between brothers. As in B the struggle between the brothers in A’ seems to be an illustration for the larger struggle between Jacob’s sons, in particular between Joseph and Judah. Like Onan, Judah was unwilling to unselfishly help his brother Joseph. He only helped him for personal gain and by helping him in essence prevented him from having seed. Thus Joseph who is clearly favored by the father will not be able to continue the line. Like Perez, Judah has gained preeminence over Joseph and the statement of the midwife in v 29 applies to Judah as well: what a breach you breached concerning yourself.

The Structure of Genesis 38 (Part 4)

(Continued from previous post)

Part C (vv 12-23)

A Judah goes up to Timnah with his friend Hirah, the Adullamite (12)

 B Tamar takes off her widow’s garments and puts on a veil (14)

 C Tamar sits down (14)

 D She had not been given to Shela (14)

 E Encounter between Judah and Tamar (15-18)

 D’ She becomes pregnant of Judah (18)

 C’ Tamar gets up (19)

 B’ Tamar takes off the veil and puts on her widow’s garments (19)

 A’ Judah sends through the hand of his friend, the Adullamite (20-23)

The focus of this section is clearly on Tamar. She takes the initiative so that the line can continue. At the center of the section is the encounter between Judah and Tamar, in particular the dialogue they have in vv 16-18. This is the turning point of the whole story. It’s interesting how the dialogue picks up the theme of doing something for gain. Tamar will not just let Judah sleep with her. She wants to have a payment for her services. Judah who received payment for Joseph in chapter 37 now has to make a payment himself. Since he is a deceiver, however, and a man who does not keep his word, Tamar insists on a pledge until she receives the young goat.

The section also gives a lot of attention to Tamar’s identity change that makes the deception possible and successful (note that from the very beginning deception in the Bible is closely connected to disguise and change of identity). In the previous section it was Judah who changed identities, becoming in a way like his son Onan. Now it is Tamar’s turn. The widow becomes a prostitute. The irony is that as a prostitute she is able to get from Judah what she is unable to get from him as a widow and daughter-in-law, namely a way to continue the line. Judah is more willing to provide seed for a prostitute than for his own relative! The reason is very simply selfishness. He selfishly wants to sleep with the prostitute just as he selfishly refused to give Shelah to Tamar.

It’s interesting that Judah promises Tamar a young goat as payment. The only time this animal has appeared previously was in Gen 27, where Jacob used it to deceive his father. Now it again occurs in the context of deception. In both cases, a person “comes in” to another and one of the two thinks the other is someone else than they really are (Isaac thinks Jacob is Esau and Judah thinks Tamar is a prostitute). The mention of a goat also reminds of Gen 37 where the brothers dipped Joseph’s coat into the blood of a goat in order to deceive their father. Thus we are reminded that the story of Jacob’s family is a story of deception. Jacob deceives his father (Gen 27) and Laban (Gen 31) and is himself deceived both by Laban (Gen 29) and by his sons (Gen 37). Judah, who took part in the deception of Jacob is now deceived himself (Gen 38). Later on Joseph will also deceive his brothers in order to test them (notice how the reader is reminded of this theme of deception through the keyword “recognize”). It is only when Joseph stops his deception that the family is reunited. Thus Jacob’s family is separated through deception and only reunited when all deception stops and everyone is willing to admit their true identity.

A keyword in this section seems to be the term “give.” This connects the section to the previous one where Onan did not want to give his brother seed because he knew that the offspring would not be his. Also, Judah refused to give Shelah to Tamar (though the term “give” is not explicitly mentioned). The refusal to give endangers Judah’s line. Now Tamar through deception (Judah did not know that she was his daughter-in-law – v 16!) brings Judah into a situation where he has to (and, ironically, wants to) give. Obviously Judah will give a young goat. More importantly, however, he will give Tamar seed so that the line can continue (notice Tamar’s somewhat ambiguous question: What will you give me, when you come in to me?). This is the ultimate gain not just for Tamar and Judah because it is through the seed that salvation will come (Gen 3:15). And it is indeed through the line of Judah that the savior eventually comes!

(to be continued)

The Structure of Genesis 38 (Part 3)

Besides the four part arrangement discussed in the previous post, the story in Genesis 38 could also be divided into the following five parts:

A Part 1 (vv 1-5)

• A woman bears Judah sons
• Names given

B Part 2 (vv 6-11)

• Tamar childless
• Shelah promised but not given
• Judah speaks twice
• Er and Onan do evil in the eyes of the Lord
• Onan knew that the seed would not belong to him

 C Part 3 (vv 12-23)

 B’ Part 4 (vv 24-26)

• Tamar with child
• Problem of not giving Shelah recognized
• Judah speaks twice
• Tamar more righteous than Judah
• Of the man whom these belong to…examine whom these belong to

A’ Part 5 (vv 27-30)

• A woman bears Judah sons
• Names given

This structure highlights the encounter between Judah and Tamar at Enaim. Below and in the next few posts I will comment on each of the five parts.

Part A (vv 1-5)

A Judah at Adullam (1)

B Birth of three sons (2-4)

 A’ Judah at Chezib (5)

This first section clearly focuses on the birth of Judah’s three sons who will have key roles in the narrative that follows. In the central position of the three is Onan who will also be at the center of the following section. It is his action that is particularly highlighted.

Note also that the author informs us that Judah was at Chezib (which means “deceiving”) when Shelah was born. This is a good example of seemingly irrevelant information that is very intentionally included because it will gain significance as the story progresses.

Part B (vv 6-11)

A Judah takes Tamar as a wife for Er (6)

 B Er was wicked in the eyes of the Lord, he caused him to die (7)

 C Judah said to Onan: Go in to the wife of your brother (8)

 D Raise up seed for your brother (8)

E Onan knew that the seed would not be his, so when he went in to his brother’s wife he spoiled the ground (9)

 D’ so he would not give his brother seed (9)

 B’ What Onan did was wicked in the eyes of the Lord, he caused him to die (10)

 C’ Judah said to Tamar: Remain a widow in the house of your father (11)

 A’ Judah tells Tamar to be a widow in her father’s house (11)

This section emphasizes the negative development of Judah’s line. At the beginning of the section Judah is married and has three sons. The prospects for his line are good. At the end of the section Judah’s wife and two of his sons are dead, his one remaining son is unmarried and his daughter-in-law is a widow. Things do not look good for Judah’s line.

The center of the section (vv 8-10) focuses on Onan. He is a big part of the problem: because of his selfish attitude and his unwillingness to help his brother, Judah’s line is in peril. The very center of the section seems to be the statement “he spoiled the ground.” This is obviously the central action that prevented the line from continuing. Yet it seems to have a deeper significance. It’s interesting that the same combination of terms (“spoil” + “earth”) is also used in Gen 6:11-13 in connection with the flood story. This connects Onan with the evil people living at the time of the flood. In both cases God causes those who spoil the earth to die. This shows that the real issue in Gen 38 is not the spilling of the seed on the ground, but the selfish attitude of Onan who only thinks of his own profit. This is what “spoils” the earth. The idea that man’s sin impacts the ground is not new, it is already present in Gen 3.

It’s also interesting how the central action of Onan “changes” Judah’s attitude. Notice the difference between parts C and C’. In C Judah tells Onan to go to his brother’s wife and raise up seed but in C’ he tells Tamar to be a widow in her father’s house, refusing to give Shelah to her. By this refusal to give Judah is in a way echoing the action and attitude of Onan. Judah becomes like Onan. Thus Onan’s deed serves as an illustration for the central problem in the story, namely the refusal to give. It is this refusal that endangers the line because it prevents the raising up of seed.

(To be continued)

The Structure of Genesis 38 (Part 2)

Besides the parallel panel arrangement discussed in the previous post, several other structures of Genesis 38 are also possible. It’s interesting, for example, that there are four time indicators in the story (vv 1, 12, 24 and 27). Thus the story could be divided into the following four parts:

1)  And it happened at that time (vv 1-11)

2)  Now when many days had passed (vv 12-23)

3)  And it happened after about three months (vv 24-26)

4)  And it happened at the time when she was to give birth (vv 27-30)

A careful reading shows that there are parallels between parts 1 and 4 and parts 2 and 3:

 A And it happened at that time (vv 1-11)

• Bearing (3-5)
• Names: Hirah, Shua, Er, Onan, Shelah, Tamar (1-6)
• Controversy between brothers (8-9)

 B Now when many days had passed (vv 12-23)

• And Tamar was told: your father-in-law (13)
• Sending (17, 20, 23)
• Seal, cord, staff (18)
• Pregnant (18)
• He did not know that she was his daughter-in-law (16)

 B’ And it happened after about three months (vv 24-26)

• And Judah was told: your daughter-in-law (24)
• Sending (25)
• Seal, cord, staff (25)
• Pregnant (24, 25)
• He did not know her anymore (26)

A‘ And it happened at the time when she was to give birth (vv 27-30)

• Bearing (27, 28)
• Names: Perez, Zerah (29, 30)
• Controversy between brothers (29, 30)

This structure highlights the parallels between the beginning and end of the story as well as between the two central sections. In Part A a woman bears Judah sons and the same thing happens again in Part A’. In both cases there is controversy between the sons. Thus in some ways the story ends as it began. Nevertheless the birth of sons is positive. After the deaths of two of Judah’s sons in Part A, the birth of two sons in Part A’ brings the total number of sons back to three. Thus the story comes full circle. In spite of all the similarities, however, there is one key difference: Judah is not the same anymore.

The two central parts show how the continuation of Judah’s line is achieved through deception and how Judah reacts to that deception. It is here that the most important actions and also the turning point of the story take place. Notice that Judah and Tamar are the central characters in both parts, with Tamar continually triumphing over Judah.

• In Part B Tamar is told something about Judah, whereupon she successfully takes action concerning him. In Part B’ Judah is told something about Tamar, whereupon he wants to take action concerning her but then does not.
• In Part B Tamar successfully obtains seal, chord and staff from Judah. In Part B’ the items are returned to Judah but they prove his guilt.
• In Part B Judah sends a goat to Tamar but the mission is unsuccessful. In Part B’ Tamar successfully sends Judah’s items to him.

Through the contrasts the author highlights how Judah is duped throughout the story and how Tamar achieves a position of power over him. This is a reversal of the situation at the beginning of the story and also of the situation in the previous chapter. Thus Judah is in a way able to experience what both Jacob and Tamar went through as a result of his wrong actions. In contrast to his deception of Jacob, however, Tamar’s deception is designed for Judah’s own good, since it ensures the continuation of his line. While his deception is motivated by selfishness and guilt, her deception appears in a more positive light (which does not mean it was the best solution – more on this in a future post). In the end, Judah himself has to admit that she is more righteous than he is (38:26).

Alternatively, vv 20-23 could be considered a separate, central scene:

 A And it happened at that time (1-11)

 B Now when many days had passed (12-23)

C Judah, Hirah and the townspeople (20-23)

 B’ And it happened after about three months (24-26)

 A‘ And it happened at the time when she was to give birth (27-30)

This structure highlights the scene in vv 20-23 where Judah attempts to pay the prostitute for her services, yet she cannot be found. It emphasizes the fact that the prostitute could not be found (the term “find” is mentioned 3 times in this section and only here in the whole narrative), thus highlighting the deception. It is as if the woman does not exist. This must make Judah question his own sanity: he had sex with a woman who apparently does not exist. The only explanation is that the woman was not who she seemed to be. The reader knows this, of course, but Judah does not. This shows the helplessness of Judah. In the previous chapter he had power over another by way of deception, now he himself is duped and by a woman at that!

The section begins with Judah sending his friend to take the pledge back. Because the friend cannot find the woman, Judah says at the end of the section that she should keep (literally: take) it. This again emphasizes the power of Tamar over Judah: his emblems of power remain in her hand until she chooses to give them back to him. This may be significant in light of the struggle for preeminence among the brothers in the Joseph story. In the end Judah does receive the preeminent position but not because he has secured it through his own power but because it is given to him.

 

The Structure of Genesis 38 (Part 1)

The story of Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38 is an important but often overlooked part of the Joseph narrative. Over the next few weeks I will be sharing some of the insights I have gained from a close reading of the story. I begin with some observations on the structure of the narrative.

Genesis 38 basically contains two stories that progress along very similar lines:

Story 1 (vv 1-11)

A Judah goes down from his brothers, Hirah mentioned (v 1)

B Judah turns aside to a man from Adullam, there he sees a woman (vv 1-2)

C Judah goes in to the woman (v 2)

D The woman becomes pregnant (v 3)

E The woman bears three sons (vv 4-5)

F There is controversy between the sons (vv 8-9)

 Story 2 (vv 12-30)

A’ Judah goes up to Timnah, Hirah mentioned (v 12)

B’ Judah sees a woman and turns aside to her (vv 15-16)

C’ Judah goes in to the woman (v 18)

D’ The woman becomes pregnant (v 18)

E’ The woman bears two sons, restoring the original number of three sons (vv 27-28)

F’ There is controversy between the sons (vv 28-29)

The parallel arrangement invites us to compare and contrast the two stories. Whereas Judah goes down at the beginning of story 1 he goes up at the beginning of story 2. This is already indicative of his fortunes in each story: whereas story 1 develops quite negatively so that at its end Judah’s line is in serious danger, story 2 provides hope that the line will continue. Thus story 2 provides the solution to the dilemma in story 1. Ironically, this solution can be provided only by way of deception, so that in the end the one who caused the problem becomes the one who solves it.

The biggest difference between the stories is the episode of Judah and Tamar in vv 15-18. In story 1 Judah turns aside, sees a woman, takes her and goes in to her. In story 2 it’s not quite that simple. While he does turn aside and see a woman, he cannot simply go in to her. Instead he must give her something first, causing the woman to gain power over him (more on this dynamic in my comments on keywords). Whereas in story 1 it is Judah who is active, in story 2 it is Tamar. Only because of her initiative do the fortunes of the family as well as her own fortunes change. While at the end of story 1 she is a widow in the house of her father, at the end of story 2 she gives birth to twin sons. Thus the differences between story 1 and 2 really highlight the key role of Tamar.

She is also responsible for an apparent change in Judah. In both stories Judah attitude toward the law is ambiguous. In the first story he marries a Canaanite woman, yet he is very concerned that his son Onan provide seed for his brother through levirate marriage. In the second story he goes in to a woman whom he considers to be a prostitute, but when he finds out that that same woman is pregnant by harlotry he orders that she be burned. This creates the impression that Judah seems to be quite lax about obeying the law when it comes to himself, but very strict when it comes to others. Ironically, it is precisely Judah’s strict adherence to the law with regard to Tamar that eventually exposes his own lack of adherence to the law. If he had not ordered her to be burned, no one would probably have found out that he impregnated her (this also speaks for Tamar whose main concern is not taking revenge on Judah by exposing him but providing descendants so the line will not die out.) Nevertheless, it is the exposure that leads to a change of attitude in Judah. This exposure becomes possible only because of Tamar’s insistence on Judah giving her his personal items.

On a side note, it’s also interesting how the movement of the personal items goes along with Judah’s transformation. He gives them to Tamar (thus in a way giving up his identity) in order to selfishly satisfy his sexual desires. Yet by doing so he unknowingly unselfishly solves the problem he himself created. When he receives the items back his attitude (and identity) change – he realizes that he was the one who forced Tamar to go to such desperate measures, in order to unselfishly continue the line. This prepares him to later on very unselfishly offer up his own life in exchange for that of his brother Benjamin.

This structure also allows us to compare Onan and Judah. Onan is the main problem in story 1. At the end of story 1 Judah displays the same attitude as his deceased son by refusing to give. In story 2 Judah himself is brought in the same situation as Onan. Because of the deception he now gives the seed that Onan refused to give.

Homework

Take another look at the story to see if there is another way to structure it. What is the significance of the structure(s)?

Clue #3: The Text Repeats Itself (Part 1)

Anyone who reads the Bible attentively will notice that one of the key rhetorical devices the biblical authors use is repetition. Repetition is everywhere! You don’t have to read very far in the Bible in order to realize this – the very first chapter of the Bible is already full of repetition. This is somewhat strange for us, since we are taught to avoid repetition, at least exact repetition of words or phrases. In school we learn to use a synonym or to rephrase things in a different way. This is not the way the authors of the Bible write. They will purposefully repeat certain words or phrases in a text in order to make their point. Other times they will repeat something but make a slight change – we might call this repetition with variation. They don’t do this because it would be boring to use exact repetition but because they want to make a certain point through the variation. As readers it is therefore very important for us to notice both exact repetition as well as repetition with variation.

Unfortunately, many modern translations are not very helpful here. Because many translators have not realized how important repetition is for the biblical authors, they will often use several different English words to translate a certain Hebrew or Greek word. This means that in English the repetition of words and phrases is not always clearly visible. That’s why it’s important to know the original languages in which the Bible was written or, if that’s not possible, to use a translation that is as close as possible to the original language. Admittedly, even the most faithful translations are not always consistent when it comes to repetition of words and phrases but they are certainly better than more loose translations or paraphrases.

Here’s an example from the Joseph story that illustrates how a biblical author uses repetition to convey meaning. (Note also that the three examples I gave in the previous two posts work exactly the same way. In each case the author uses repetition to make his point.)

Example #1: Genesis 37-38

Genesis 37 describes how Joseph visits his brothers, is thrown into a pit and eventually sold into slavery. In order to cover up their crime the brothers do the following:

Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” (Gen 37:31-33)

After describing Jacob’s grief at the apparent death of his son, the end of chapter 37 briefly reports that Joseph was sold to Potiphar in Egypt. The next chapter then suddenly shifts to a story about Judah. It is only in Genesis 39 that the story returns to Joseph. This shift in Gen 38 has puzzled many readers. Why this interlude about Judah? Why doesn’t the writer go directly to chapter 39? Many scholars have not seen any good reason for this shift and therefore concluded that chapter 38 is a later addition. But a careful reading of the text suggests that chapter 38 is placed in this particular position for a reason.

First of all we have to realize the importance of Judah in what we usually call “the story of Joseph” in Genesis 37-50. Like Joseph, Judah plays a key role in these chapters. Notice that it is Judah who saves Joseph from death by suggesting to the brothers that they sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites (Gen 37:26-27). Later on it is Judah who speaks on behalf of his brothers as they are standing before Joseph in Egypt. In light of the significant role of Judah in the overall story it should not surprise us that a whole chapter is devoted to an episode in his life. But why is the episode placed here?

For one thing, to show the contrast between Judah and Joseph. This becomes clear by comparing chapter 38 with chapter 39. While Judah yields to sexual temptation in Gen 38, Joseph flees from sexual temptation in Gen 39. But what about chapter 37? How does chapter 38 relate to chapter 37?

The problem in chapter 38 is that Judah’s daughter-in-law Tamar should be married to Judah’s youngest son Shela after her previous two husbands (Shela’s older brothers) have died. This arrangement was called a levirate marriage and ensured that the name of a man who had died without producing an heir would continue (see Deut 25:5-10). But since Shela is not given to Tamar she disguises herself and sits down by the side of the road. Judah sees her, thinks she is a prostitute and tells her that he wants to sleep with her. He promises to send her a kid from the flock as payment. She wants a pledge, however, until he sends the kid and so he gives her his seal and cord and his staff. After he sleeps with her she becomes pregnant. The story then continues as follows:

Now it was about three months later that Judah was informed, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also with child by harlotry.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” It was while she was being brought out that she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man to whom these things belong.” And she said, “Please identify and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?” And Judah identified them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not have relations with her again. (Gen 38:24-26)

Did you notice anything? What does this scene remind you of? Here is where attentiveness to repetition is very helpful. Notice how similar this scene is to the one at the end of chapter 37. In both scenes something is brought to a person with the request to identify it. In both cases the person identifies what is brought and then makes a statement. These similarities do not seem to be coincidental. Instead the biblical writer has intentionally put the story in chapter 38 after chapter 37 to show, among other things, how Judah is taken advantage of and deceived just as he and his brothers took advantage of and deceived their father. As he has done to others so it is done to him. Yet Judah’s reaction at the end of chapter 38 already hints at the change that takes place in his life throughout the larger story. Thus Genesis 38 is a key component of the Joseph story and makes perfect sense in the position it is in.

Coming up next: an example of repetition with variation.