was no harlot in this place. 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. 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.
It is a very ill-favoured story that is here told concerning Judah; one would not have suspected 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 suggesting that though she was a Canaanite, yet she had embraced the true religion, and believed the promise made to Abraham and his seed, particularly that of the Messiah, who was to descend from the loins of Judah, and that she was therefore thus earnestly desirous to have a child by one of that family, that she might have the honour, or, at least, stand fair for the honour, of being the mother of the Messiah. And if this was indeed her desire, it had its success; she is one of the four women particularly named in the genealogy of Christ, Matt. 1. 3. Her sinful practice was pardoned, and her good intention was accepted; which magnifies the grace of God, but will by no means be admitted to justify or encourage the like. Bishop Patrick thinks it probable that she hoped Shelah, who was by right her husband, might have come along with his father, and that he might have been allured to her embraces. There was a great deal of plot and contrivance in Tamar's sin. 1. She took an opportunity for it, when Judah had a time of mirth and feasting with his sheep-shearers. Note, Times of jollity often prove times of temptation, particularly to the sin of uncleanness; when men are fed to the full, the reins are apt to be let loose. 2. She exposed herself as a harlot in an open place, v. 14. Those that are, and would be chaste, must be keepers at home, Tit. 2. 5. It should seem, it was the custom of harlots, in those times, to cover their faces, that though they were not ashamed, yet they might seem to be so. The sin of uncleanness did not then go so bare-faced as it does now.
II. Judah was taken in the snare, and though it was ignorantly that he was guilty of incest with his daughter-in-law, (not knowing who she was,) yet he was wilfully guilty of fornication; whoever she was, he knew she was not his wife, and therefore not to be touched: nor was his sin capable, in the least, of such a charitable excuse as some make for Tamar, that though the action was bad, the intention possibly might be good. Observe, 1. Judah's sin began in the eye; (v. 15.) he saw her. Note, Those have eyes and hearts full of adultery, (as it is 2 Pet. 2. 14.) that catch at every bate that presents itself to them, and are as tinder to every spark. We have need to make a covenant with our eyes, and to turn them from beholding vanity, lest the eye infect the heart. 2. It is added to the scandal, that the hire of a harlot (than which nothing is more infamous) was demanded, offered, and accepted; a kid from the flock, a goodly price at which her chastity and honour were valued! Nay, had the consideration been thousands of rams, and ten thousand rivers of oil, it had not been a valuable consideration. The favour of God, the purity of the soul, the peace of conscience, and the hope of heaven, are too precious to be exposed to sale at any such rates, the topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal them: what are those profited, that lose their souls to gain the world? 3. It turned to the reproach of Judah, that he left his jewels in pawn for a kid. Note, Fleshly lusts are not only brutish, but sottish, and ruining to men's secular interests. It is plain, that whoredom, as well as wine, and new wine, takes away the heart first, else it would never take away the signet and the bracelets.
III. He lost his jewels by the bargain; he sent the kid, according to his promise, to redeem his pawn, but the supposed harlot could net be found. He sent it by his friend, (who was indeed his back friend, because he was aiding and abetting in his evil deeds,) the Adullamite, who came back without the pledge. It is a good account (if it be but true) of any place, which they here gave, that there is no harlot in this place; for such sinners are the scandals and plagues of any place. Judah sits down, content to lose his signet and his bracelets, and forbids his friend to make any further inquiry after them, giving this reason, lest we be ashamed, v. 23. Either, 1, Lest his sin should come to be known publicly, and be talked of. Fornication and all uncleanness have ever been looked upon as scandalous things, and the reproach and shame of those that are convicted of them. Nothing will make those blush, that are not ashamed of these. Or, 2. Lest he should be laughed at as a fool, for trusting a strumpet with his signet and his bracelets. He expresses no concern about the sin, to get that pardoned, only about the shame, to prevent that. Note, There are many who are more solicitous to preserve their reputation with men, than to secure the favour of God and a good conscience; lest we be ashamed, goes further with them, than lest we be damned.
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. 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.
Here is,
I. Judah's rigour against Tamar, when he heard she was an adulteress; she was, in the eye of the
