Tamar's Genealogical Lineage in Genesis
Tamar, whose name means "palm" or "palm-tree" [3], is a significant figure in the biblical narrative, primarily known through Genesis 38. She was initially married to Er, Judah's firstborn son [1, 9]. After Er's death, she was given to his brother Onan, in accordance with the levirate marriage custom [5, 9]. When Onan also died, Judah promised Tamar his third son, Shelah, but delayed fulfilling this promise [5, 9].
Concerned about the continuation of Judah's lineage, Tamar took matters into her own hands. She disguised herself as a harlot and waited for Judah on the road to Timnah, where he was going for sheep-shearing [4, 5, 9]. Judah, not recognizing her, lay with her, and she conceived [9]. As a pledge, she took his signet, cord, and staff [9]. When Judah later learned of Tamar's pregnancy and intended to have her burned for harlotry, she produced his pledges, revealing him as the father [9]. Judah then acknowledged her righteousness, stating that she was "more righteous than I" because he had not given her to Shelah [9].
Tamar subsequently gave birth to twin sons, Perez and Zerah [2, 10]. The lineage of the Messiah, as recorded in the New Testament, traces through Perez [10, 14]. The Chronicler also highlights Perez as the main ancestral line of David [11]. This event is crucial for understanding the continuity of the Davidic line and, ultimately, the lineage of Jesus Christ [10, 14].
Beyond Genesis 38, the name Tamar appears for other women in the Bible. One notable figure is Tamar, David's daughter by Maacah, and the full sister of Absalom [12, 13]. She was tragically raped by her half-brother Amnon, David's eldest son [9, 13]. Another Tamar is mentioned as Absalom's daughter [7]. These distinct individuals, though sharing the same name, are separate from the Tamar in Judah's lineage [6, 7, 8].
The story of Tamar and Judah has been subject to various interpretations. Rabbinic tradition, as seen in the Babylonian Talmud, views Tamar's actions as being "for the sake of a mitzva" (a commandment or good deed), specifically to have children and ensure the continuation of the lineage [16, 17]. This perspective suggests that her seemingly licentious act was justified by its ultimate purpose, leading to her merit in becoming an ancestress of kings like David and prophets like Isaiah [16, 17]. Matthew Henry, a Nonconformist commentator, acknowledges the "ill-favoured story" but notes that some excuse Tamar's actions as an attempt to raise up seed for the deceased, given Judah's failure to provide Shelah [15]. The inclusion of Tamar in the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1:3 is also noted by commentators like Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, who observe that she is one of four women mentioned, three of whom have "a blot at their names in the Old Testament" [14]. This highlights a recurring theme in biblical genealogies where God works through imperfect human circumstances.
Sources
- Genesis “Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. -- Genesis 38:6”
- Genesis “Genesis 38:27 (BSB) — When the time came for Tamar to give birth, there were twins in her womb.”
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Tamar — palm; palm-tree”
- Genesis “Genesis 38:13 (BBE) — And when Tamar had news that her father-in-law was going up to Timnah to the wool-cutting,”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Tamar — (palm tree). + The wife successively of the two sons of Judah, Er and Onan. (Genesis 38:8-30) (B.C. about 1718.) Her importance in the sacred narrative depends on the great anxiety to keep up the lineage of Judah. It seemed as if the family were on the point of extinction. Er and Onan had successively perished suddenly. Judah's wife, Bathshuah, died; and there only remained a child, Shelah, whom Judah was unwilling to trust to the dangerous union as it appeared, with Tamar, lest he should meet with the same fate as his brothers. Accordingly she resorted to the”
- STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H8559G — Woman living at the time of the Patriarchs (refs: #A woman living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.38.6; <br>referred to as <stro)”
- STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H8559I — Absalom's daughter living at the time of United Monarchy (refs: #A woman from the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at 2Sa.14.27;)”
- STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H8559H — David's daughter living at the time of United Monarchy (refs: #A woman from the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.13.1;)”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Tamar — Palm. (1.) A place mentioned by Ezekiel (47:19; 48:28), on the southeastern border of Palestine. Some suppose this was "Tadmor" (q.v.). (2.) The daughter-in-law of Judah, to whose eldest son, Er, she was married (Gen. 38:6). After her husband's death, she was married to Onan, his brother (8), and on his death, Judah promised to her that his third son, Shelah, would become her husband. This promise was not fulfilled, and hence Tamar's revenge and Judah's great guilt (38:12-30). (3.) A daughter of David (2 Sam. 13:1-32; 1 Chr. 3:9), whom Amnon shamefully outrag”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 1:3: And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar,.... The genealogical account of Christ goes on from Judah in the line of Phares, with whom Zara is mentioned; not because they were twins, for so were Jacob and Esau, and yet the latter is taken no notice of; but it may be because of what happened at their birth, see Gen 38:28. But the line of the Messiah was in Phares, and very rightly is he put in the genealogy of Christ, the Jews themselves being witnesses; who expressly say, that "the Messiah comes from him." These two are said to be begotten of Thamar, daughter-in-law to”
- 1 Chronicles (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Chronicles 2:4: 2:4-5 The main ancestral line of David descends from Perez, one of the sons of Tamar, Judah’s widowed daughter-in-law. • Hamul, one of Perez’s sons, is ignored completely; the Chronicler might not have had information about him.”
- 2 Samuel (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 2 Samuel 13 (introduction): AMNON LOVES TAMAR. (Sa2 13:1-5) Tamar--daughter of David by Maachah (Sa2 3:3).”
- 2 Samuel (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 13:1: Whose name was Tamar - Tamar was the daughter of David and Maacah, daughter of the king of Geshur, and the uterine sister of Absalom. Amnon was David's eldest son by Ahinoam. She was therefore sister to Amnon only by the father's side, i.e., half-sister; but whole sister to Absalom.”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 1:3: And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; 4. And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; 5. And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6. And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her of Urias--Four women are here introduced; two of them Gentiles by birth--Rachab and Ruth; and three of them with a blot at their names in the Old Testament--Thamar, Rachab, and Bath-sheba. This feature in the present genealog”
- Genesis (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Genesis 38:12: It is a very ill-favoured story that is here told concerning Judah; one would not have expected such folly in Israel. Judah had buried his wife; and widowers have need to stand upon their guard with the utmost caution and resolution against all fleshly lusts. He was unjust to his daughter-in-law, either through negligence or design, in not giving her his surviving son, and this exposed her to temptation. I. Tamar wickedly prostituted herself as a harlot to Judah, that, if the son might not, the father might raise up seed to the deceased. Some excuse this by sugg”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Nazir 23b.4: Yet despite the similarity between their actions, Tamar engaged in licentious sexual intercourse for the sake of a mitzva, to have children, and therefore she merited that kings of the House of David descended from her. King David’s lineage traces back to Tamar’s son Peretz (see Ruth 4:18–22). And she also merited to be the ancestor of prophets, e.g., Isaiah, who was related to the royal family. Conversely, with regard to Zimri, who engaged in licentious sexual intercourse for the purpose of a transgression, several multitudes of Israel fell due to him; twenty-f”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Nazir 133b.46:4: Yet despite the similarity between their actions, Tamar engaged in licentious sexual intercourse for the sake of a mitzva, to have children, and therefore she merited that kings of the House of David descended from her. King David’s lineage traces back to Tamar’s son Peretz (see Ruth 4:18–22). And she also merited to be the ancestor of prophets, e.g., Isaiah, who was related to the royal family. Conversely, with regard to Zimri, who engaged in licentious sexual intercourse for the purpose of a transgression, several multitudes of Israel fell due to him; twen”