Bible Strands
Genesis 38:24
About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and now she is pregnant.” “Bring her out!” Judah replied. “Let her be burned to death!”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Judah commands his household officials to execute his daughter-in-law Tamar by fire after learning she is pregnant and has engaged in prostitution. This declaration occurs roughly three months after he dismissed her following her encounter with him under a false identity.
The words — The Hebrew verb זָֽנְתָה (za.ne.Tah) literally means “she has acted as a prostitute,” establishing the charge against Tamar. Judah’s execution order follows the reported timeline and the specific accusation without immediate verification.
The thread — Leviticus 21:9 prescribes burning for a priest’s daughter who prostitutes herself, while Judges 19:2 and Ezekiel 23:5 track sexual unfaithfulness as markers of social breakdown and covenant violation.
Why it lands — The passage forces a reader to observe how legal condemnation operates on incomplete information before the narrative shifts. It requires acknowledging that human judgment of sexual conduct often precedes, and frequently misreads, divine purpose.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
Cross-references
- Leviticus 21:9 If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by prostituting herself, she profanes her father; she must be burned in the fire.
- Judges 19:2 But she was unfaithful to him and left him to return to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. After she had been there four months,
- Ezekiel 23:5 Oholah prostituted herself while she was still Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors
- Ezekiel 23:19 Yet she multiplied her promiscuity, remembering the days of her youth, when she had prostituted herself in the land of Egypt
- Ezekiel 23:44 And they slept with her as with a prostitute; they slept with Oholah and Oholibah, those lewd women.
- Hosea 2:5 For their mother has played the harlot and has conceived them in disgrace. For she thought, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me bread and water, wool and linen, oil and drink.’
- Genesis 20:3 One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”
- Genesis 20:7 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and all who belong to you.”
- Genesis 20:9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tremendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.”
- Genesis 34:31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”