Genesis 38:23

Gen 38:23 And Judah said, Let her take [it] to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

Ver. 23. Lest we be shamed.] His care was more to shun shame, than sin. How much better that heathen! Satis nobis persuasum esse debet, &c.; this we should be fully persuaded of, saith he, that although we could conceal the matter from all, both gods and men, yet we should do nothing covetously, nothing unjustly, nothing against chastity, or common honesty. {a} Though I were sure, saith another philosopher, {b} that all men would be ignorant of what evil I do, and that all the gods would forgive it me; yet, for the filthiness that is in sin, I would not commit it. Plato condemns the poets for saying, that it were no matter though men did commit sin, so they could hide it. {c} Si non caste, saltem caute. How much better the Christian poet! Turpe quid acturus, te, sine teste, time. "Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight," though none else saw thee? said God to David. {2Sa 12:9} And David, in his sorrowful confession, saith as much to God upon the matter; "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned"; viz., in respect of the secrecy of my sin; therefore it is added, "and done this evil in thy sight." {Psa 51:4}

Behold, I sent this kid, &c.] He comforts himself in the loss of his pledge, that yet he had been as good as his word: but not a word we hear of sorrow for his sin; which, if he can but keep secret, he rests secure. This is a piece of natural atheism; and it is general. {d}

{a} Nihil tamen avare, nihil iniuste, nihil libidinose, nihil incontinenter esse faciendum. - Cicero Offic.

{b} Si scirem homines ignoraturos, et Deos ignoscituros, tamen propter peccati turpitudinem peccare non vellem. - Sen.

{c} Wς λυσιτελει το αδικειν εαν λανθανη. - Auson.

{d} Quasi dicat, Ego steti promissis, hoc mihi sufficit.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gen 38:23. Lest we be ashamed — Either, 1st, Lest his sin should come to be known publicly; or, 2d, Lest he should be laughed at as a fool for trusting a whore with his signet and his bracelets. He expresses no concern about the sin, only about the shame. There are many who are more solicitous to preserve their reputation with men, than to secure the favour of God; lest we be ashamed, goes further with them than lest we be damned.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He feareth man more than God.

Hebrew, in contempt.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 23. Lest we be shamed] Not of the act, for this he does not appear to have thought criminal; but lest he should fall under the raillery of his companions and neighbours, for having been tricked out of his signet, bracelets, and staff, by a prostitute.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(23) Lest we be shamed.—Maimonides asserts that Judah had committed no breach of the Law, the utmost therein commanded being that no Jewish woman should become a kedeshah (Deu_23:17). But Judah evidently regards what he had done as shameful, and having big friend’s testimony, if needed, to prove that he had performed what he promised, he bears with the loss of his signet and staff, rather than let the people know that he had been guilty of an act which they too would condemn.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23. Let her take it to her] i.e. let her retain the pledges, lest by making enquiries Judah should be exposed to shame.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And it came to pass about three months after,.... The above affair happened, and when the pregnancy of Tamar began to be somewhat visible, as it does in women with child about that time:

that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot: her being with child being observed by some of the family, or her neighbours, and knowing that she did not cohabit with Shelah, who, according to custom, ought to have been her husband, concluded that she had had a criminal conversation with some other person, which they were officious enough to report to Judah:

and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom; which was judged to be a plain proof and evidence that she had played the harlot:

and Judah said, bring her forth, and let her be burnt: not that Judah can be thought to be a civil magistrate in a Canaanitish and Heathen city where he sojourned, and as such pronounced this sentence on her at once, or even had the power of life and death in his own family; and besides Tamar was not in his, but in her own father's house: but the sense seems to be, that as he was a man of credit and esteem in the neighbourhood, and had an influence and interest in it; he moved that she might be brought out of her father's house, and take her trial before the civil magistrates, and be committed to prison until she was delivered, for it would have been barbarous, and contrary to the law and light of nature, to have burnt her when quick with child, and then indeed to be burnt to death, according to the usage of this country; and as we find adultery in later times was punished with this kind of death, even among Heathens, Jer 29:22; as it was in Egypt in the times of Sesostris the second (f); so Salaethus, prince of Croton in Italy, made a law that adulterers should be burnt alive, as Lucian (g) relates; as did also Macrinus the emperor, that those that were guilty of adultery should be burnt alive together, their bodies joined to each other (h): and this criminal action of Tamar was judged adultery, because she was, of right, and according to a custom or law then in use, the wife of Shelah: the Targum of Jonathan intimates, she was judged deserving of this death, because the daughter of a priest; the same law obtaining among the patriarchs as did in the times of Moses, Lev 21:9; and some, as Jarchi relates, say she was the daughter of Shem (i), the same with Melchizedek, priest of the most high God: one reason why Judah was in haste to have the sentence pronounced on her, and as soon as could be executed, was not only the disgrace she brought upon his family, but that she might be dispatched, and so his son Shelah freed from being obliged to marry her, which he did not care he should, and was glad of this opportunity to prevent it.

(f) Diodor. Sicul. l. 1. p. 54. (g) "Pro mercede conductis". (h) Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 4. c. 1. (i) Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 4. 1.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

A lie. Hebrew, "lest we be exposed to shame," by making any farther search. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Note, that fornication was esteemed sinful and shameful amongst the heathens.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. Let her take it to her — That is, let her keep what she has obtained. He feared the shame, contempt, and ridicule, which he would incur by further attempts to recover his signet and cord, and preferred to lose them.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Judah said, Let her take it to her, literally, let her take to herself (sc. the pledge)lest we be shamed (literally, become a contempt, i.e. by inquiring after her. Though not afraid to sin against God, Judah was pained at the idea of losing his reputation before men): behold, I sent this kid (i.e. I take you to witness that I have fulfilled my premise), and thou hast not found her.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Lest we be shamed - Either,

1. Lest his sin should come to be known publicly, Or

2. Lest he should be laughed at as a fool for trusting a whore with his signet and his bracelets. He expresses no concern about the sin, only about the shame. There are many who are more solicitous to preserve their reputation with men, than to secure the savour of God, lest we be shamed goes farther with them than lest we be damned.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

תקח לה Let that remain hers which she has in her possession (i.e. LET HER KEEP IT).

פן נהיה לבוז LEST WE BECOME A SCORN — if you seek her further the matter will become public and disgrace will follow, for what more can I do to redeem my promise? (for I have sent this kid etc and I can do no more).

הנה שלחתי את הגדי הזה BEHOLD, I SENT THIS KID — Because Judah had deceived his father through a kid of the goats — for he had dipped Joseph’s coat in its blood — therefore he, too, was deceived through a kid of the goats (Genesis Rabbah 85:9).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

תקח לה, “let her keep it for herself so that we will not look like fools chasing these trinkets and the fact that I slept with a prostitute will become public knowledge.” In Bereshit Rabbah 85,9 the Midrash quotes Proverbs 8,31 משחקת בתבל ארצו as the Torah rejoicing (making fun) of people. Yehudah who had deceived his father by inviting him to guess Joseph’s fate by showing him the bloody and tattered remains of his striped coat, now had in turn been deceived and would become publicly embarrassed through the incident with Tamar. It is remarkable that in both instances the male goat, שעיר עזים, is featured as part of the process of deception, i.e. as the sin. [perhaps this accounts for that animal being a prime species for sacrifices meant to atone for sin. Ed.]

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.

Lest we are humiliated. Lest I become a subject of ridicule for yielding up my ring, my wrap and my staff for such an ignoble purpose.

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.