20130827 Tuesday, August 27 2013
Genesis 38: The First Jews

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

The man later known as Israel was born as "Jacob" (see Genesis 25: The Birth of Jacob and Esau). When Jacob's children were born (see Genesis 29: Jacob In Syria), they were known as the sons and daughter of Jacob (no different than the custom today), or "Jacobites" (as the common custom that we read throughout the Bible). After the LORD (Who was and is Jesus Christ; see Genesis 1: In The Beginning Was The Word and The Kingdom Of The LORD God) changed Jacob's name to Israel (see Genesis 32: The Origin Of Israel), the children of Jacob / Israel became the first "Israelites."

When Jacob's children themselves had children, they were all Israelites, but were further categorized according to which of the sons of Jacob / Israel was their forefather e.g. from Benjamin came the Benjamites, from Levi came the Levites (see also The Origin Of The Levite Priesthood), from Dan came the Danites, from Reuben came the Reubenites, and so on.

Judah is the most-familiar of the sons of Jacob / Israel. In the case of Judah's children, they are today most-commonly known by a term that is actually just an abbreviation of Judah - "Jew."

None of the children of Jacob / Israel could have married an Israelite - they, their brothers and sister Dinah (see Dinah Of Israel), were the only Israelites that existed. So too, Judah could not have married an Israelite. Nor could Judah have married a Jew, because he was the only "Jew" (i.e. the abbreviation of his name, another of which is Jude) that existed. For Jews to come into existence, Judah had to have children with a woman who was neither an Israelite or a Jew - the same as his brothers Levi, Dan, Reuben etc.

In Judah's case, he became the father of the Jews with a Canaanite woman, and then another Canaanite woman.

Judah's first wife was Shuah, a Canaanite, who gave birth to the first three sons of Judah, the first "Jews" - Er, Onan and Shelah.

"38:1 And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 38:2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her. 38:3 And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er. 38:4 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan. 38:5 And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him." (Genesis 38:1-5 KJV)

When the oldest son Er had grown to adulthood, Judah found a wife for him - a woman named Tamar, who could not have been a "Jew" either because the only Jews that then existed were Judah's three sons. Tamar was almost certainly a Canaanite woman, just like Judah's wife Shuah. The marriage of Er was brief however: "Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him." The LORD put Judah's second-born son Onan to death also (i.e. the LORD, Who would Himself later be born as a Jew, killed the first two "Jews" that existed).

"38:6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. 38:7 And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

38:8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. 38:9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. 38:10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also." (Genesis 38:6-10 KJV)

Judah then arranged for the widow Tamar to live in her father's home, with the intention that Tamar would eventually marry Judah's youngest son Shelah when he had grown up. Later, Judah's wife Shuah also died.

"38:11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

38:12 And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite." (Genesis 38:11-12 KJV)

Tamar eventually lost her tolerance for her widowhood and delayed family situation, so she resorted to a ruse to have children, not through her dead husband's brother, but through her dead husband's father who was then, as a widower, not married - just as Tamar was not married.

"38:13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep. 38:14 And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.

38:15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face. 38:16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.)

And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?

38:17 And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock.

And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?

38:18 And he said, What pledge shall I give thee?

And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. 38:19 And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

38:20 And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not. 38:21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side?

And they said, There was no harlot in this place.

38:22 And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.

38:23 And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

38:24 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.

38:25 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.

38:26 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." (Genesis 38:13-26 KJV)

Judah had twin sons with Tamar - Pharez and Zarah. It was from the line of Pharez that Jesus Christ was born (Matthew 1:1-3).

"38:27 And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. 38:28 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. 38:29 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. 38:30 And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah." (Genesis 38:27-30 KJV)

Fact Finder: (a) When did the tribe of Judah (the descendants of Judah) become the Kingdom of Judah? (b) When did the national religion of Judah begin? (c) Is the nation that is known today as "Israel" actually Judah?
(a) See Israel In History and Prophecy: Kingdom Of Judah and Israel In History and Prophecy: Jews
(b) See Israel In History and Prophecy: Judaism and Israel Never Knew Purim, Hanukkah Or Judaism
(c) See Israel In History and Prophecy: Israel Of Judah