Genesis 38:25
in Genesis 38As she was being brought out, Tamar sent a message to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these items belong.” And she added, “Please examine them. Whose seal and cord and staff are these?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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 the cords, and the staff.
KJV
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.
⋯
This verse in Genesis 38
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThe signet - חתמת chothemeth, properly a seal, or instrument with which impressions were made to ascertain property, etc. These exist in all countries. Bracelets - פתילים pethilim, from פתל pathal, to twist, wreathe, twine, may signify a girdle or a collar by which precedency, etc., might be indicated; not the muslin, silk, or linen wreath of his turban, as Mr. Harmer has conjectured. Staff - מטה matteh, either what we would call a common walking stick, or the staff which was the ensign of his tribe.
This site's exposition
About three months later
on Genesis 38:24-25
She sends his own pledge back with a request to examine the seal and cord and staff. Judah and his brothers had sent Joseph's bloodied robe to their father at Genesis 37:32 and told him to examine it. Henry marks how severe men are about their own sin.
This site's exposition
Tamar sent a message to her father-in-law
Tamar holds back the pledge until she is already being led out. She sends it to Judah alone and accuses no one before the crowd. The judgment passes back into the judge's own hands.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Some of the Jewish writers observe that as Judah had said to his father, See, is this thy son's coat? ( ch. xxxvii. 32 ) so it was now said to him, "See, are these thy signet and bracelets?" Judah, being convicted by his own conscience, 1. Confesses his sin: She has been more righteous than I.
When she was brought forth,....
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הִ֣וא | hi' | she | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מוּצֵ֗את | mutzet | [was being] brought out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| וְהִ֨יא | vehi' | and she | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| שָׁלְחָ֤ה | shalchah | she sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| חָמִ֙יהָ֙ | chamiha | father-in-law her | H2524 → | |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לְאִישׁ֙ | leish | to a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֵ֣לֶּה | ʾeleh | these | H428 → | 746 times |
| לּ֔וֹ | lo | [belong] to <the> him | ||
| אָנֹכִ֖י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| הָרָ֑ה | harah | [am] pregnant | H2030 → | 16 times |
| וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vatomer | and she said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַכֶּר־ | haker- | investigate | H5234 → | 49 times |
| נָ֔א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| לְמִ֞י | lemi | [belong] to whom? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| הַחֹתֶ֧מֶת | hachotemet | the seal | H2858 → | |
| וְהַפְּתִילִ֛ים | vehapetilim | and the cord | H6616 → | |
| וְהַמַּטֶּ֖ה | vehammateh | and the staff | H4294 → | |
| הָאֵֽלֶּה׃ | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
הִ֣ואshe
hi'H1931 →1879 times
מוּצֵ֗את[was being] brought out
mutzetH3318 →1067 times
וְהִ֨יאand she
vehi'H1931 →1879 times
שָׁלְחָ֤הshe sent
shalchahH7971 →845 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
חָמִ֙יהָ֙father-in-law her
chamihaH2524 →
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
לְאִישׁ֙to a man
leishH376 →1663 times
אֲשֶׁר־whom
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
אֵ֣לֶּהthese
ʾelehH428 →746 times
לּ֔וֹ[belong] to <the> him
lo
אָנֹכִ֖יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
הָרָ֑ה[am] pregnant
harahH2030 →16 times
וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙and she said
vatomerH559 →5305 times
הַכֶּר־investigate
haker-H5234 →49 times
נָ֔אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
לְמִ֞י[belong] to whom?
lemiH4310 →423 times
הַחֹתֶ֧מֶתthe seal
hachotemetH2858 →
וְהַפְּתִילִ֛יםand the cord
vehapetilimH6616 →
וְהַמַּטֶּ֖הand the staff
vehammatehH4294 →
הָאֵֽלֶּה׃<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 20:12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their…
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 12:14
For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.
- Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
- Daniel 7:10
A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousands upon thousands attended Him, and myriads upon myriads stood before Him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.
- Revelation 2:23
Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
- Ecclesiastes 12:14
Through
Psalms 50:21You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But now I rebuke you and accuse you to your face.
it leads to
- Romans 2:4–5
Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?
- Proverbs 29:1
A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery.
- Psalms 94:7–11
They say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.”
- Romans 2:4–5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies8
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.