[23] And Judah said, Let
her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou
hast not found her. [24] 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.
[25] When she was brought forth, she sent
to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child:
and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets,
and staff. [26] And Judah acknowledged
them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave
her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more. [27]
And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were
in her womb.
Lest we be shamed - Either,
-
Lest his sin should come to be known publicly, Or
-
Lest he should be laughed at as a fool for trusting a whore
with his signet and his bracelets. He expresses no concern about the sin,
only about the shame. There are many who are more solicitous to preserve
their reputation with men, than to secure the savour of God, lest we be
shamed goes farther with them than lest we be damned.
[28] And it came to pass, when
she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and
bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first,
[29] And it came to pass, as he drew back
his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou
broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.
[30] And afterward came out his brother, that
had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.
It should seem the birth was hard to the mother, by which
she was corrected for her sin: the children also, like Jacob and Esau,
struggled for the birth - right, and Pharez who got it, is ever named first,
and from him Christ descended. He had his name from his breaking forth
before his brother; this breach be upon thee - The Jews, as Zarah, bid
fair for the birth - right, and were marked with a scarlet thread, as those
that come out first; but the Gentiles, like Pharez, or a son of violence
got the start of them, by that violence which the kingdom of heaven suffers,
and attained to the righteousness which the Jews came short of: yet when
the fulness of time is come, all Israel shall be saved. Both these sons
are named in the genealogy of our Saviour, Matthew 1:3, to perpetuate the
story, as an instance of the humiliation of our Lord Jesus.
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