"may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman." (Ruth 4:12)
A strange blessing to give a couple considering Judah and Tamar were as far from the perfect couple as you could imagine. However, perhaps this was important to the author of Ruth as the story bares some striking similarities to the story in Genesis 38. In addition the story ends with "the generations of Perez" giving a genealogy beginning with Perez and ending with David.
After some reflection I think I may go so far as to say that Ruth is the recounting of what the faithful people of God act like in contrast to the cautionary tale of Judah and Tamar. Here are some of the similarities I spotted.
| Gen 38 | Ruth |
| Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite | Elimelech moved away from his people to Moab |
| Judah and his son marry a Canaanite | Mahlon and Chilion marry Moabites |
| Judah's two sons die | Elimelech and his two sons die |
| Judah and Onan act unfaithfully as kinsman-redeemer | Boaz acts faithfully as kinsman-redeemer, the un-named redeemer of Ruth 4 does not act faithfully |
| Tamar faithfully seeks to continue the line | Ruth faithfully seeks to continue the line |
| Tamar offers herself as a prostitute to Judah | Ruth seeks to seduce Boaz in a way which could almost be considered entrapment |
| Judah dishonourable and seduced by Tamar | Boaz is honourable in his conduct to Ruth |
| Tamar is included in the people of Israel and is an ancestor of Boaz, David and Jesus | Ruth is included in the people of Israel and is an ancestor of David and Jesus |
However, as I find Genesis 38 one of the more puzzling bits of Scripture perhaps I haven't helped myself understand Ruth any better.
Great Chart! Perhaps I can provide some more light near the end.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right, Ruth and Tamar have much in common.
Seems that things get confusindown the line. You correctly observe that Tamar is RIGHTEOUS (Judah's very word) in her desire to continue the line/family. Juday fails his duty. But then you assume that Tamar Seduces Judah?? No. Recall that Judah is required to give himself, if his sons refuse. She is taking what by law is hers. And Judah recognizes this, and can not be angry.
So?
Tamar makes claim to Judah. And she becomes pregnant.
Well, back to the Ruth illustration: In a sense she is making a proposal to Boaz. She isn't entrapping his, because Boaz is righteous, the opposite of Judah.
One last observation. The threshing floor she goees to is key. She doesn't go to his bedroom, she doesn't visit his house. She goes *(at harvest time, when there will be hundreds of people all around. Out in the open. This is not a sexual advance, it is done around people he knows well. Yes, it is still provacative, but it isn't whorish.
And one more point: THe righteousness of Boaz is the point here. HE does NOT take advantage because, he is righteous.
that is great.