Genesis 38:25

So some people went to Tamar’s house, and they started to take her to the place to burn her. But she said to them, “Take this necklace with a special stamp on it, and this walking stick, and show them to Judah, my dead husband’s father. Say to him, ‘The man that owns these things, he is the one that slept with me and made this baby grow inside me. So please look at this necklace with the special stamp on it, and this walking stick, and say who they belong to.’”

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

243 months later, somebody said to Judah, “Your dead son’s wife Tamar, she did a bad thing. She slept with a man that isn’t her husband. And now there is a baby growing inside her.” Judah wanted to punish Tamar for doing that. So he said, “Go and get her. Put her on a fire, and burn her until she dies.”

26So they took those things to Judah, and they told him what Tamar said. And Judah looked at those things, and he knew that they belonged to him. Then Judah knew that Tamar tricked him, and he felt shame. He said, “You know, I did the wrong thing. I didn’t let Tamar marry my son Shelah. But Tamar is better than me. She wanted to have kids that will belong to her dead husband, just like our culture says. That’s the reason why she got me to sleep with her.” So Judah didn’t punish Tamar, and he never slept with her again.

Read all of Genesis 38

Cross References

Genesis 38:18Judah said, “All right, I will give you something to show that I made that promise. What do you want me to give you?” Tamar said, “Give me that necklace with your special stamp on it, and your walking stick.” (Judah used that special stamp like a signature.) So Judah gave those things to Tamar. Then he slept with Tamar, like a man sleeps with his wife, and a baby started to grow inside her.

1 Corinthians 4:5So I’m telling you, don’t judge people before the right time comes. You have to wait until our leader Jesus comes back again from heaven. He knows every secret. He will show everyone the secret things that people think about doing. And at that time God will praise each of his good workers, and he will say good things about them.

Matthew Henry on Genesis 38:25-30

Birth of Phares and Zarah. ( b. c. 1714.) 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… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 38:25