Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
The brethren hereupon deprived Judah of his dignity, for hitherto he
had been their king, and they also excluded him from their fellowship,
and he had to seek his fortune alone.[74] Through the mediation of his
chief shepherd Hirah, he became acquainted with the Canaanitish king of
Adullam, Barsan by name. Though he was well aware of the corruption of
the generations of Canaan, he permitted passion to get the better of
him, and took a Canaanite to wife. The Adullamite king gave a banquet
in his honor, at which his daughter Bath-shua poured the wine, and
intoxicated by wine and passion Judah took her and married her.[75]
Judah's action may be compared to that of the lion who passes a carrion
and eats of it, though a cur preceding him on the way had refused to
touch it. Even Esau came in time to acknowledge that the daughters of
Canaan were wicked, and the lion Judah must needs take one of them to
wife.[76] The holy spirit cried out against Judah when he married the
Canaanite woman of Adullam, saying, "The glory of Israel went down in
Adullam."[77]
The first-born son of Judah from this marriage was named Er, "the
childless," a suitable name for him that died without begetting any
issue.[78] At Judah's desire, Er married Tamar, a daughter of Aram, the
son of Shem, but because she was not a Canaanitish woman, his mother
used artifices against her, and he did not know her, and an angel of
the Lord killed him on the third day after his wedding. Then Judah gave
Tamar to his second son Onan, the marriage taking place before the week
of the wedding festivities for Er had elapsed. A whole year Onan lived
with Tamar without knowing her, and when, finally, Judah uttered
threats against him on that account, he did, indeed, have intercourse
with her, but, giving heed to the injunctions of his mother, he took
care not to beget any children with her.[79] He, too, died on account
of his iniquity, and his name Onan "mourning," was well chosen, for
very soon was his father called upon to mourn for him.[80] Now Judah
conceived the plan of marrying Tamar to his youngest son Shelah, but
his wife would not permit it. She hated Tamar because she was not of
the daughters of Canaan like herself, and while Judah was away from
home, Bath-shua chose a wife for her son Shelah from the daughters of
Canaan. Judah was very angry at Bath-shua for what she had done, and
also God poured out His wrath upon her, for on account of her
wickedness she had to die,[81] and her death happened a year after that
of her two sons.
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