Judah

Continuing to look at the sex lives of some of the Biblical heros. Trying to create a biblical list of things considered sexually immoral. Was Paul considering Judah when he said that the sexually immoral (pornoi πόρνοι) will not inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Chor 6:9) Or did pornoi mean something else?

Judah was one of Jacob’s sons, the father of the tribe of Judah. This is the line that tracks towards David and later towards Jesus.

What kind of a guy was Judah?

“Tamar was told, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” So she removed her widow’s clothes and covered herself with a veil. She wrapped herself and sat at the entrance to Enaim which is on the way to Timnah. (She did this because she saw that she had not been given to Shelah as a wife, even though he had now grown up.) When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” Genesis 38:13-16

Notice the assumption that Tamar made. Tamar assumed that Judah was the type of guy who would stop to be with a prostitute on the way to town if one was available.  And it turns out she was right about that assumption.

The story continues (Gen 38:24-26):

After three months Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution, and as a result she has become pregnant.” Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” While they were bringing her out, she sent word to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” Then she said, “Identify the one to whom the seal, cord, and staff belong.” Judah recognized them and said, “She is more upright than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” He did not have sexual relations with her again.

Judah was upset that Tamar turned to prostitution.  However, notice the sin that Judah repents of here.  He doesn’t repent that he stopped to be with someone he thought was a prostitute. He repents that he hadn’t given Tamar to his other son Shelah (which was the expectation in their culture). 

Questions to consider:

• Would you assume a sexually moral man would stop to have sex with a prostitute on his way to town?
• Did the author or other characters in this story see anything wrong with this?

---

Start from the top:

• Recently Discovered Chapter of Deuteronomy
• Sexuality of: Heros of The Faith
• Biblical Marriage
• Porneia (Sexual Immorality???)
• Take the Sexuality and The Bible Quiz Here