Genesis 38:15
in Genesis 38When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she had covered her face.
KJV
When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.
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This verse in Genesis 38
Commentary
5 notes on this verseWhile Tamar was making supplication to God for these things, behold, Judah came out and saw her. The prayer of Tamar inclined him, contrary to his usual habit, [to go] to a harlot. When she saw him, she was veiled, for she was afraid.
This site's exposition
he thought she was a prostitute
on Genesis 38:15-16
Judah takes her for a prostitute, and the veil over her face is the whole of his reason. Gill reads the place she sat in as the other half of it, a woman waiting by the road. The writer adds that Judah did not know she was his daughter-in-law.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot,.... By her posture and the place she was in: because she had covered her face; with her veil, that he did not know her; for this is not given as a reason why he took her to be an harlot; the reason of this was, because she sat in the public road; but having covered her face he could not discern who she was, and therefore, from the other circumstance, concluded that she was an harlot, and sat there to prostitute herself to any that passed by.
He sent it by his friend (who was indeed his back-friend, because he was aiding and abetting in his evil deeds) the Adullamite, who came back without the pledge. It is a good account (if it be but true) of any place which they here gave, there is no harlot in this place; for such sinners are the scandals and plagues of any place.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Thought her to be a harlot - See the original of this term, Gen 34:31 (note). The Hebrew is זונה zonah, and signifies generally a person who prostitutes herself to the public for hire, or one who lives by the public; and hence very likely applied to a publican, a tavern-keeper, or hostess, Jos 2:1; translated by the Septuagint, and in the New Testament, πορνη, from περναω, to sell, which certainly may as well apply to her goods as to her person.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Ve-tekhas is a transitive verb. It means and covered herself. 28 An intransitive verb is not followed by the object.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 1 further source is cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּרְאֶ֣הָ | vaiyireha | and he saw her | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| יְהוּדָ֔ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וַֽיַּחְשְׁבֶ֖הָ | vaiyachsheveha | and he considered her | H2803 → | 124 times |
| לְזוֹנָ֑ה | lezonah | to a prostitute | H2181 → | 94 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| כִסְּתָ֖ה | khisetah | she had covered | H3680 → | 152 times |
| פָּנֶֽיהָ׃ | paneiha | face her | H6440 → | 2123 times |
וַיִּרְאֶ֣הָand he saw her
vaiyirehaH7200 →1300 times
יְהוּדָ֔הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
וַֽיַּחְשְׁבֶ֖הָand he considered her
vaiyachshevehaH2803 →124 times
לְזוֹנָ֑הto a prostitute
lezonahH2181 →94 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
כִסְּתָ֖הshe had covered
khisetahH3680 →152 times
פָּנֶֽיהָ׃face her
paneihaH6440 →2123 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON GENESIS 34:4; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.