Genesis 37 is the sad story of Joseph angering his brothers and being sold into slavery in Egypt. Genesis 38 is the story about Judah leaving to start a family, which quickly descends into evil, trickery, prostitution, and hypocrisy. And the very next chapter, we return to Joseph’s story as a slave in Egypt! Why does the Bible have a story like this right in the middle of the much more important story of Joseph?

Examining Judah’s sad story shows history repeating itself. He marries Shua’s daughter, and has three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. Er marries Tamar, but he is wicked, so God kills him. Judah orders Onan to marry Tamar and take on the responsibility of providing an heir (as was the custom at the time, see Deuteronomy 25:5). But Onan knew that the heir would not be his, and so he refuses to do his duty out of envy. This also angers God, who then kills Onan.

Tamar is left a widow, because Judah is now reluctant to give Tamar to his final son Shelah– “Lest he also die like his brothers.” He tells her to stay in her father’s house until Shelah is grown. But that time comes and goes, and she isn’t given to Shelah. Judah’s broken his promise, possibly because he blames her for their deaths. She’s been cut off, disgraced, through no fault of her own. 

So she takes matters into her own hands. Judah’s wife has died. Knowing where he would be traveling, Tamar veils herself and waits by the road. Judah solicits her as a prostitute, offering a young goat as payment and his signet ring and staff as pledge of payment. Judah later tries to send the payment, but he and his friends can’t find her, and the locals say there’s never been a prostitute around there.

Three months later, Judah’s told that Tamar’s been a prostitute and gotten herself pregnant. He orders her to be burned for her crimes, a more severe punishment than the usual stoning. But she still holds his pledge. “When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.” And she said, “Please determine whose these are—the signet and cord, and staff.” (Genesis 38:25)

Judah’s struck to the heart. By condemning her, he has also condemned himself. “So Judah acknowledged them and said, “She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he never knew her again.” (Genesis 38:26) God has convicted him as bearing responsibility for what has happened, and he accepts it.

This sad story of a family’s dysfunction has as happy an ending as it possibly could, as Judah returns to God and his mercy. He acknowledges what he’s done wrong and works to atone for his sin. And most importantly for the ongoing story of Joseph, Judah is now a changed man. Before he was the one who thought to sell Joseph into slavery, but now he knows the responsibility he has to his family, and he will not forget what that means.

Art: Jim Padgett via Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org