Tamar
Tamar was Judah's daughter-in-law who, after being wronged by him, bore twin sons Perez and Zerah.
Biography
Tamar was the Canaanite wife of Er, the firstborn son of Judah. When Er died without offspring, Judah's second son Onan also died after refusing to fulfill his levirate obligation to raise up children for his brother through Tamar. Judah then withheld his third son Shelah, leaving Tamar in widowed limbo. Taking matters into her own hands, Tamar disguised herself as a cult prostitute and conceived twins, Perez and Zerah, by Judah himself. When her pregnancy was discovered, Judah initially condemned her to death, but upon recognizing his own seal, cord, and staff, he declared, "She is more righteous than I" (Genesis 38:26). Her sons Perez and Zerah were born, and Perez became an ancestor of King David and, through the Davidic line, of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:3).
Significance
Tamar is one of the most theologically significant women in the Old Testament, appearing in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus alongside Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. Her story within Genesis 38 is remarkable for the way it vindicates a marginalized foreign woman who acts with greater covenant fidelity than Judah himself. Scholars observe that Tamar secured through unconventional means what was legally and covenantally her right. Her son Perez became the ancestor of the Davidic dynasty and ultimately of the Messiah, making her one of the unexpected conduits of God's redemptive plan. Her story affirms that God works through the overlooked and the wronged to accomplish his sovereign purposes.
Verse Appearances (7)
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]