Genesis 38

The next event recorded in the [~toledowth] of Jacob is the continuity of the Messianic line through Judah by Tamar his daughter-in-law. The weakness and nobility, alike, of Judah appear in this somewhat sordid narrative. His immorality while away from home was shameful, but his acknowledgement of his sin and his acceptance of the consequences represented in him a type of honor absolutely unknown to the tribal leaders of that era.

One cannot fail to be amazed that critical scholars generally denominate this chapter as "a completely independent unit,"[1] and that, "It has no connection with the story of Joseph."[2] Of course, it is true that this chapter is unrelated to the story of Joseph, for the section is the [~toledowth] of Jacob, not Joseph, and with relationship to the subject of the whole section it is definitely not a completely independent unit. It pertains very significantly to the story of Jacob in his capacity as the head of the Chosen Nation.

The immoral conduct of Judah, here related, shows why it was necessary for God to remove Israel from the pagan environment where they lived. As Leupold accurately observed:

"No matter how strongly Jacob's sons may have believed in the divine destiny of their family, they were in grave danger of being submerged by the Canaanite element, making matrimonial alliances with them, adopting Canaanite ideals of life, and so being ultimately absorbed by the dominant element."[3]

This danger was compounded and multiplied by the friendly nature of the pagan Canaanites who sought alliances and matrimonial connections with Israel. Thus, we can easily see why it was absolutely necessary for God to remove the whole people from that environment, as was definitely accomplished by their transfer to Egypt. "The Egyptians of old were noted for their aversion to strangers, especially shepherds (Genesis 46:34)."[4] If the Lord had left Israel in Canaan, they would most certainly have fallen "before the temptation of marrying with the daughters of the land, resulting in a great and rapid moral deterioration in the holy seed."[5] Furthermore, there would eventually have disappeared completely the line of demarcation between God's people and the pagan world in which they lived. How marvelous was the providence of God that removed His people from a situation in which they would surely have failed, to another, in which their temptations were offset by the aversion in which the Egyptians held them!

From these observations, it is clear enough that the episode of this chapter is a vital link in the [~toledowth] of Jacob. We appreciate the wise words of Willis on this: "Although Joseph is the chief character in these chapters (Genesis 37-50), these chapters deal with the family of Jacob."[6] Keil also affirmed that, "This chapter is no interpolation, but an integral part of the history of Israel."[7]

This chapter deals with matters that cannot be the subject of social conversation, but they are honestly and plainly set forth. As Dummelow said, "The honesty and truthfulness of the historian are shown in his not concealing the dark spots in the history of Judah, whose descendants attained such greatness."[8]