Genesis 38:14

She realized that now Shelah was grown up, but Judah had not given her to him to be his wife. So she took off her widow’s clothes, and covered her head with a veil, so that people would not ◄recognize her/know who she was►. Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim town, which is on the road to Timnah.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

13Someone said to Tamar, “Your father-in-law is going to the fields near the city of Timnah to help the men who are shearing his sheep.”

15When Judah came along and saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, because she had covered her head like prostitutes often did (OR, and sat where prostitutes often sat).

Read all of Genesis 38

Cross References

Genesis 38:11Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Return to your father’s house, but do not marry anyone else. When my youngest son Shelah grows up, he can marry you.” But Judah really did not want Shelah to marry her, because he was afraid that then Shelah would die too, just as his older brothers had died. So Tamar obeyed Judah and went back to live in her father’s house again.

Genesis 38:26When the man did that, Judah recognized the ring and the stick. He said, “She is more righteous than I am. I did not tell my son Shelah to marry her, as I promised that I would.” And Judah did not have sex [EUP] with her again.

Jeremiah 3:2“Look up at the barren hilltops. On every hilltop there are [RHQ] idols that you have worshiped. It is as though they are all lovers with whom you have had sex. It is as though you have sat along the roadsides like an Arab, waiting to attack and steal things from those who pass by. Because of worshiping idols and all the other wicked things that you have done, you have caused the entire land to become unacceptable to me.

Matthew Henry on Genesis 38:13-24

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. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep. 14 And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a veil, 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. 15 When… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 38:14