Tamar, "She hath been more righteous than I.."

       Though events centering around Tamar's life are quite confused and intolerable, according to today's moral standards, her actions were consistent with the standards of morality prevailing in the primitive era in which she lived.
       The Genesis account of Tamar serves a dual purpose. First, it is one of the Bible's best examples of the levirate marriage law. This was the ancient custom of marriage between a man and the widow of his brother required by the Mosaic law when there was no male issue and when the two brothers had been residing on the same family property. The law, of course, takes its name from the noun levir, meaning a husband's brother. Second, this Genesis account of Tamar gives us the Bible's most graphic picture of how a quick-witted widow of early Israel protected herself and her family rights.
       Tamar, not a wicked woman at all, plays a meaningful role in Old Testament history as the mother of Pharez, ancestor of King David. When she had lost two husbands, both of whom were brothers, and was refused the remaining young brother, she still had the courage to demand her rights to motherhood by law. What did she do? After her mother-in-law's death, she turned to the father of her husband. The legitimacy and courage of her action are implied in every move she makes.
       Scripture does not mention Tamar's parentage or place of birth but proceeds to introduce her by saying that her first husband Er "was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him.'' (Gen. 38:7). Next she became the wife of his brother Onan, who "displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also.'' (Gen. 38:10)
       This union of Tamar with Onan shows the perfect working of the levirate law, devised to retain the ownership of property within the family as well as to prevent the extinction of the family line. After her second husband's death, Judah advised his daughter-in-law Tamar to remain a widow at her father's house until his third son Shelah came of age. But fearing that Tamar possessed a sinister power, and that Shelah might die too, Judah delayed this third son's marriage with Tamar.
       A considerable time elapsed and then Judah's wife died. The love of offspring, still deep in the heart of Tamar, caused her to plan how she might seek her rights in motherhood from her father-in-law Judah. Since he had denied her his third son Shelah, she sought a way to force him to accept his responsibility as guaranteed to her by the levirate law.
       When Tamar heard that Judah was soon to be in the hills of Tim-nath with his friend Hirah, the Adullamite, at great personal risk she set upon a plan of her own. It was sheep-shearing season, and many guests would come from the surrounding country. Tamar planned to be there, too, but under a disguise, so that Judah would not recognize her as the widow of his sons.
       She removed her garments of widowhood, put on a veil to hide her face, and "wrapped herself'' probably in a colorful and becoming festival robe.
       Since Tamar's name was the same as that of the stately tropical tree of Bible lands, we can assume that she was a tall, sturdy woman with a graceful carriage, one who would command attention wherever she went. This time she chose to stand by the side of the road where Judah would pass by.
       Not recognizing this woman with the veil-covered face as the widow of his two sons and thinking she was a harlot, Judah made advances to her and said, ''Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee.'' (Gen. 38:16)
       Clever woman that she was, she said, '"What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?'' (Gen. 38:16)
       "'And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said. Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it? And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.'' (Gen. 38:17-18).
       The unscrupulous actions of Judah, with whom Tamar was here involved, and the noble actions of Joseph, whom Potiphar's wife tried to involve, present a striking contrast. Some commentators conjecture that is why the story of Potiphar's wife immediately follows that of Tamar.
       Tamar now turned homeward, carrying with her the signet, bracelet, and staff that had belonged to Judah. Then she removed her veil and put on again the garment of widowhood. A short time afterward Judah sent the kid by his friend Hirah, who had been with him at Timnath for the sheep-shearing. And Judah requested that his more personal possessions be returned when the kid was delivered.
       When Hirah entered the town where Tamar lived, carrying with him the kid, he asked for the harlot who had been by the side of the road, but the men told him there was no harlot in the place. This is the best evidence we have that Tamar was not a prostitute but a self-respecting woman, determined to outwit a man and demand her right to children, according to the laws of the time.
       About three months later (Gen. 38:24), Judah received word that his daughter-in-law Tamar was ''with child by whoredom.'' This  phrase suggests the malicious gossiper who had carried tales to Judah. Angered at this report, he ordered that his daughter-in-law be brought forth and burned, for that would have been the penalty if the report were true. (Lev. 20:14) When Tamar came before Judah, holding his signet, bracelets, and staff, she asked, "Discern, I pray thee, whose are these?'' (Gen. 38:25).
       Judah could not deny their ownership and admitted, "She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.'' (Gen. 38:26). The last phrase is evidence enough that Tamar was not a promiscuous woman. She had merely acted according to the laws and rather heroically at that; and we can be confident she had exonerated herself, and that Judah had absolved her of all guilt.
       Thrice denied a child by a rightful husband, Tamar now gave birth to twins by Judah. Like the twins of Rebekah, there is a detailed account of the appearance of the elder Pharez, who became inheritor of the family birthright. Afterward his brother Zarah was born with the "scarlet thread upon his hand'' that the midwife had tied there. The story of the birth of Tamar's sons depicts clearly a woman in travail and the birth of twins.
       In the story of Ruth, another widow who also came to motherhood through the levirate law, we find worthy mention made of Tamar, who bore a child to Judah. Other Tamars follow her, one the "fair sister'' (II Sam. 13:1) of Absalom and the other the woman of "fair countenance'' (II Sam. 14:27) who was the daughter of Absalom. Could it be that they were namesakes of their courageous ancestress, who would not be deprived of her rights of motherhood?