Genesis 38:24

²² And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.

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.

And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

²⁵ When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.

²⁶ And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and now she is pregnant.” “Bring her out!” Judah replied. “Let her be burned to death!”
KJV: And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
WEB: About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the prostitute. Moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution.” Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.”
ASV: And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
DARBY: And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law has committed fornication, and behold, she is also with child by fornication. And Judah said, Bring her forth, that she may be burned.
BLB: And it came to pass about three months [later], that it was told to Judah, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the prostitute, and also behold, she [is] pregnant by prostitution.” And Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned.”

ÅB: Så gikk det omkring tre måneder; da kom folk og sa til Juda: Tamar, din sønnekone, har drevet hor, og nå er hun også blitt fruktsommelig i hor. Og Juda sa: Før henne ut, hun skal brennes!
OTB: Omtrent tre måneder senere ble Juda informert: "Din svigerdatter Tamar har prostituert seg, og nå er hun gravid." Juda sa: "Før henne ut og la henne bli brent!"
B1930: Så gikk det omkring tre måneder; da kom folk og sa til Juda: Tamar, din sønnekone, har drevet hor, og nu er hun også blitt fruktsommelig i hor. Og Juda sa: Før henne ut, hun skal brennes!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Leviticus 21:9
And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
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Judges 19:2
And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there four whole months.
Read in context
Ezekiel 23:44
Yet they went in unto her, as they go in unto a woman that playeth the harlot: so went they in unto Aholah and unto Aholibah, the lewd women.
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Hosea 2:5
For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.
Read in context
Ezekiel 23:19
Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.
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Ezekiel 23:5
And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,
Read in context
Ezekiel 16:28
Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied.
Read in context
Jeremiah 3:6
The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
Read in context