Genesis 38:14
New International Version
she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.

New Living Translation
Tamar was aware that Shelah had grown up, but no arrangements had been made for her to come and marry him. So she changed out of her widow’s clothing and covered herself with a veil to disguise herself. Then she sat beside the road at the entrance to the village of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah.

English Standard Version
she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage.

Berean Standard Bible
she removed her widow’s garments, covered her face with a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that although Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.

King James Bible
And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.

New King James Version
So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife.

New American Standard Bible
So she removed her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.

NASB 1995
So she removed her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.

NASB 1977
So she removed her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.

Legacy Standard Bible
So she removed her widow’s garments from herself and covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself. And she sat at the entrance of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.

Amplified Bible
So she removed her widow’s clothes and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself up [in disguise], and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife [as Judah had promised].

Christian Standard Bible
So she took off her widow’s clothes, veiled her face, covered herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So she took off her widow’s clothes, veiled her face, covered herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.

American Standard Version
And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And she put away the clothes of her widowhood from her, and she was covered with a veil and she was adorned, and she sat in the crossing of the roads, which is on the road of Tamnath, because she saw that Shela had grown and she had not been given to him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And having taken off the garments of her widowhood from her, she put on a veil, and ornamented her face, and sat by the gates of Aenan, which is in the way to Thamna, for she saw that Selom was grown; but he gave her not to him for a wife.

Contemporary English Version
She also realized that Shelah was now a grown man, but she had not been allowed to marry him. So she decided to dress in something other than her widow's clothes and to cover her face with a veil. After this, she sat outside the town of Enaim on the road to Timnah.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And she put off the garments of her widowhood, and took a veil: and changing her dress, sat in the cross way, that leadeth to Thamnas: because Sela was grown up, and she had not been married to him.

English Revised Version
And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
she took off her widow's clothes, covered her face with a veil, and disguised herself. Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. (She did this because she realized that Shelah was grown up now, and she hadn't been given to him in marriage.)

Good News Translation
So she changed from the widow's clothes she had been wearing, covered her face with a veil, and sat down at the entrance to Enaim, a town on the road to Timnah. As she well knew, Judah's youngest son Shelah was now grown up, and yet she had not been given to him in marriage.

International Standard Version
So she took off her mourning apparel, covered herself with a shawl, and concealed her outward appearance. Then she went out and sat at the entrance of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah, because she knew that even though Shelah had grown up, she wasn't being given to him as his wife.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entrance of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife.

Literal Standard Version
and she turns aside the garments of her widowhood from off her, and covers herself with a veil, and wraps herself up, and sits in the opening of Enayim, which [is] by the way to Timnath, for she has seen that Shelah has grown up, and she has not been given to him for a wife.

Majority Standard Bible
she removed her widow’s garments, covered her face with a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that although Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.

New American Bible
So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a shawl, and having wrapped herself sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she was aware that, although Shelah was now grown up, she had not been given to him in marriage.

NET Bible
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.)

New Revised Standard Version
she put off her widow’s garments, put on a veil, wrapped herself up, and sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. She saw that Shelah was grown up, yet she had not been given to him in marriage.

New Heart English Bible
She took off her widow�s clothes and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.

Webster's Bible Translation
And she put off from her, her widow's garments, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath: for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him for a wife.

World English Bible
She took off the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she wasn’t given to him as a wife.

Young's Literal Translation
and she turneth aside the garments of her widowhood from off her, and covereth herself with a vail, and wrappeth herself up, and sitteth in the opening of Enayim, which is by the way to Timnath, for she hath seen that Shelah hath grown up, and she hath not been given to him for a wife.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Judah and Tamar
13When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14she removed her widow’s garments, covered her face with a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that although Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife. 15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face.…

Cross References
Genesis 24:65
and asked the servant, "Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?" "It is my master," the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.

Genesis 38:11
Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Live as a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up." For he thought, "He may die too, like his brothers." So Tamar went to live in her father's house.

Genesis 38:15
When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face.

Genesis 38:26
Judah recognized the items and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he did not have relations with her again.

Proverbs 7:10
Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart.

Jeremiah 3:2
"Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been violated? You sat beside the highways waiting for your lovers, like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness.


Treasury of Scripture

And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him to wife.

and sat.

Proverbs 7:12
Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

Jeremiah 3:2
Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

Ezekiel 16:25
Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms.

an open place.

Timnath.

Genesis 38:12,13
And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite…

that Shelah.

Genesis 38:11,26
Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house…

Jump to Previous
Clothing Covered Disguise Enaim Entrance Garments Gate Gateway Grown Herself Open Removed Road Sat Shelah Timnah Timnath Vail Veil Wasn't Way Widowhood Widow's Wife Wrapped
Jump to Next
Clothing Covered Disguise Enaim Entrance Garments Gate Gateway Grown Herself Open Removed Road Sat Shelah Timnah Timnath Vail Veil Wasn't Way Widowhood Widow's Wife Wrapped
Genesis 38
1. Judah begets Er, Onan, and Shelah.
6. Er's marriage with Tamar, and death.
8. The trespass of Onan.
11. Tamar is reserved for Shelah.
12. Judah's wife dies.
13. Tamar deceives Judah.
27. She bears twins, Pharez and Zarah.














(14) In an open place.--Heb., in the gate of Enajim. Enajim means "the two fountains," and we learn from Genesis 38:21 that it was the town where Tamar's father dwelt, and where Tamar was living with him in her widowhood. In the exploration of Palestine, Enajim has been identified with a place called Allin, Anin, or Anaim, three miles east of Tibneh, and situated upon an ancient road coming from Adullam. This makes the conclusion come to for other reasons certain, that the Timnath on the Philistine border was the town meant.

Verse 14. - And she put her widow's garments off from her (to prevent detection by Judah), and covered her with a veil, - to conceal her features, after the fashion of a courtesan (ver. 15; cf. Job 24:15) - and wrapped herself, - possibly with some large mantle (Alford) - and sat in an open place, - literally, in the opening (i.e. gate) of Enaim (LXX., Gesenius, Keil, Kalisch, Lange, et alii); less happily, in the opening of the eyes, i.e. in a public and open place (Calvin), in the parting of the ways, in bivio itineris (Vulgate), in the opening (or breaking forth) of the two fountains (Aben Ezra, Rosenmüller) - which is by (or upon) the way to Timnath; - "close to the site of Thamna, now Tibneh, three miles to the east, on an ancient road coming from Adullam, the very road by which the patriarch Judah would have come from Adullam to Timnah, is a ruin called Allin, or Anita, or Ainim" ('Palestine Exploration,' quoted by Inglis) - for she saw that Shelah was grown (he was probably not much younger than either of his brothers who had died), and she was not given unto him to wife - literally, for a wife.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
she removed
וַתָּסַר֩ (wat·tā·sar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5493: To turn aside

her widow’s
אַלְמְנוּתָ֜הּ (’al·mə·nū·ṯāh)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 491: A widow, widowhood

garments,
בִּגְדֵ֨י (biḡ·ḏê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 899: A covering, clothing, treachery, pillage

covered her face
וַתִּתְעַלָּ֔ף (wat·tiṯ·‘al·lāp̄)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5968: To veil, cover, to be languid

with a veil
בַּצָּעִיף֙ (baṣ·ṣā·‘îp̄)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6809: A wrapper, shawl, or veil

to disguise herself,
וַתְּכַ֤ס (wat·tə·ḵas)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3680: To plump, fill up hollows, to cover

and sat
וַתֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ (wat·tê·šeḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

at the entrance
בְּפֶ֣תַח (bə·p̄e·ṯaḥ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6607: An opening, door, entrance way

to Enaim,
עֵינַ֔יִם (‘ê·na·yim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

which
אֲשֶׁ֖ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

is on
מֵֽעָלֶ֗יהָ (mê·‘ā·le·hā)
Preposition-m | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the way
דֶּ֣רֶךְ (de·reḵ)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

to Timnah.
תִּמְנָ֑תָה (tim·nā·ṯāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8553: Timnah -- 'territory', two cities in Judah

For
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

she saw
רָאֲתָה֙ (rā·’ă·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

that
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

although Shelah
שֵׁלָ֔ה (šê·lāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7956: Shelah -- a son of Judah

had grown up,
גָדַ֣ל (ḡā·ḏal)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1431: To grow up, become great

she
וְהִ֕וא (wə·hi·w)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

had not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

been given
נִתְּנָ֥ה (nit·tə·nāh)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

to him
ל֖וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 0: 0

as a wife.
לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ (lə·’iš·šāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female


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OT Law: Genesis 38:14 She took off of her the garments (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 38:13
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