Judah, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, is a significant figure in biblical history, known for his leadership among the tribes of Israel and his direct lineage to King David and ultimately Jesus Christ. His life, as recorded in the Book of Genesis, provides insight into the customs and familial dynamics of the patriarchal period.

Marriage to Shua's Daughter

Judah's first marriage is recorded in Genesis 38:1-2: "At that time, Judah left his brothers and settled near a man named Hirah, an Adullamite. There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua, and he took her as a wife and slept with her." This union with a Canaanite woman, whose name is not mentioned, reflects a departure from the practice of marrying within the Hebrew lineage, as seen in the marriages of his forefathers. The marriage produced three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah.

The Deaths of Er and Onan

Judah's family life was marked by tragedy and moral complexity. His firstborn, Er, "was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD put him to death" (Genesis 38:7). Following Er's death, Judah instructed his second son, Onan, to fulfill the levirate marriage duty by marrying Er's widow, Tamar, to produce offspring for his deceased brother. Onan's refusal to comply with this duty led to his own death by divine judgment: "What he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put Onan to death as well" (Genesis 38:10).

Judah and Tamar

After the deaths of his first two sons, Judah hesitated to give his youngest son, Shelah, to Tamar, fearing for his life. This led to Tamar's bold and unconventional action to secure her place in the family lineage. Disguising herself as a prostitute, she seduced Judah, resulting in the birth of twins, Perez and Zerah. This incident is pivotal, as Perez becomes an ancestor of King David and the Messiah, underscoring God's sovereignty in using flawed human actions to fulfill divine purposes.

Marriage to a Second Wife

While the biblical text does not explicitly mention Judah taking a second wife, the narrative implies that after the death of his first wife, Judah's life continued with significant events, including his eventual reconciliation with his family and his role in the preservation of the Israelites during the famine in Egypt. The focus on Judah's descendants and his leadership role among his brothers suggests a life marked by growth and redemption.

Judah's account is a testament to the complexities of human relationships and the overarching providence of God in the unfolding of redemptive history. His lineage, despite its imperfections, becomes a channel of blessing for all nations through the coming of the Messiah.Genesis 38:1-6
And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brothers, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
Nave's Topical Index

Book 1 Footnotes:
... charges his sons "to worship the seed of Judah, who should ... as the occasion of their
death; and of Jacob's great grief ... [39] Since Benoni signifies the son of my ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 1 footnotes .htm

Chapter xxvi
... without attempting to derive it from Judah; it may ... thee, what shall I now do for
thee, my son? ... entirely clear when we remember that "Jacob" practically means ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxvi.htm

Genesis
... with the clans of Judah.] [Footnote 2: In one version ... E); and "Jehovah adds to me
another son" (J), Genesis 30 ... a collection the parting words of Jacob may have ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/genesis.htm

The Book of Jubilees
... to Abraham and transmitted by him to his children; and Judah's sin with his ... for Esau
and learns to regard Jacob as his true son and heir; so Jacob in late ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of jubilees.htm

The Testament of Joseph Concerning Sobriety.
... and lo, we have learnt that thou art the son of a ... in beauty, because I was like in
all things to Jacob. ... the commandments of the Lord, and honour Judah and Levi ...
/.../xi the testament of joseph concerning.htm

Chapter xxix
... It seems that Jacob's love for Rachel savoured too much of ... And she again conceived
and bore a son and said: This ... Therefore she called his name Judah (Praised). ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxix.htm

Faustus States his Objections to the Morality of the Law and the ...
... shameful livelihood by her; [784] or how his son Jacob, husband of four wives"two
full sisters ... for the night; [785] or, again, how his son Judah slept with ...
/.../faustus states his objections to.htm

The Twelve Minor Prophets.
... moreover, are spoken of under the name of Jacob and Israel ... chaps.5:1; 6:14), the
word son being used ... reunion and restoration of "the house of Judah" and "the ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxiii the twelve minor.htm

The Perpetual virginity of Blessed Mary.
... Ozias, king of Judah, has an alternative, Azarias. ... Esau, Jacob's brother, was certainly
not there, and Laban, the son of Bethuel, had no brothers although ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/the perpetual virginity of blessed.htm

The First Apology of Justin, the Martyr
... Judah, the father of the Jews, as has been explained; Jesse was his ancestor, according
to the oracle, and he was the son of Jacob and Judah by lineal ...
/.../richardson/early christian fathers/the first apology of justin.htm

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