Genesis 38 20

Genesis 38:20 kjv

And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.

Genesis 38:20 nkjv

And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand, but he did not find her.

Genesis 38:20 niv

Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her.

Genesis 38:20 esv

When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her.

Genesis 38:20 nlt

Later Judah asked his friend Hirah the Adullamite to take the young goat to the woman and to pick up the things he had given her as his guarantee. But Hirah couldn't find her.

Genesis 38 verses

Genesis 38 20 meaning

This verse details Judah's unsuccessful attempt to retrieve his personal items, given as a pledge, from Tamar, who was disguised as a harlot. He dispatches a close companion with the agreed-upon payment—a young goat—but his friend cannot locate the woman, initiating a chain of events that will expose Judah's duplicity and reveal Tamar's strategic intent to secure her legitimate rights and the continuation of the family lineage.

Genesis 38 20 Context

Verse Context: Gen 38:20 immediately follows Judah's sexual encounter with Tamar, whom he mistook for a common or cultic prostitute. Judah had promised to send her a young goat as payment and had given her his signet, cord, and staff as a temporary pledge. This verse narrates his attempt to fulfill that payment and retrieve his highly personal items.

Chapter Context (Gen 38): This chapter functions as an interruption to the main Joseph narrative. It recounts Judah's moral failings: marrying a Canaanite, losing two sons (Er and Onan) whom the Lord killed, and failing to provide Tamar, his daughter-in-law, with her rightful levirate husband (Shelah). Tamar's subsequent strategic deception ensures her right to lineage and family continuation. The chapter underscores the profound contrast between Judah's moral compromises and Joseph's unwavering integrity, while simultaneously highlighting divine providence in securing the promised messianic lineage despite human sin and missteps.

Historical Context: The narrative is set in a patriarchal society where lineage was paramount. Levirate marriage (yibbum) was a critical social institution, obliging a brother to marry his deceased, childless brother's widow to raise offspring for the deceased (Deut 25:5-10). The practice of using pledges (security deposits) was common in ancient Near Eastern commerce and agreements, giving Judah's personal items significant legal weight. The distinction between common harlots (zonah) and cult prostitutes (qedesha) existed, and Judah's mistaken identification of Tamar adds another layer to his carelessness and potential legal exposure. Goats were standard livestock, used as payment or for sustenance.

Genesis 38 20 Word analysis

• And he sent (וַיִּשְׁלָח - wa-yišlaḥ): The Hebrew verb "shalach" (שָׁלַח), "to send," appears as a consecutive perfect, emphasizing Judah's deliberate act. It reveals his intention to resolve the transaction and recover his pledge, though not his willingness to face the woman himself. This delegation indicates Judah's desire for detachment from the potentially embarrassing affair.

• the kid (אֶת־גְּדִ֣י הָעִזִּים - ʾet-gədî hāʿizzim): Literally, "a kid of the goats." A young goat was a common and valuable commodity, suitable as payment in the pastoral economy of the time. It represents Judah fulfilling his financial promise, albeit belatedly.

• by the hand of his friend (בְּיַד־רֵעֵ֗הוּ - bə-yad-rēʿēhū): Literally, "by the hand of his companion." The Hebrew word re'a (רֵעַ) signifies a friend or intimate acquaintance. Judah sending a trusted friend instead of a servant or going himself highlights his desire to discreetly finalize the deal while avoiding personal re-engagement with the woman. This reflects his casual irresponsibility or embarrassment about the encounter.

• to receive (לָקַ֤חַת - lāqaḥat): This infinitive verb, from "laqach" (לָקַח), "to take" or "to receive," states the explicit purpose of sending the friend: the retrieval of the pledge. The entire effort revolved around getting back his personal items.

• his pledge (הָעֵרָב֙ - hāʿērāb): The Hebrew term erav (עֵרָב) denotes security or a guarantee. These were Judah's personal effects—his signet ring (emblematic of identity and authority), his cord, and his staff (symbols of office or personal mark)—which made them highly distinctive. Their retention by Tamar would later be crucial for proving her case against Judah.

• from the woman (מִיַּ֣ד הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה - mîyaḏ hāʾiššāh): "The woman" refers to Tamar, but to Judah and his friend, she is merely the anonymous prostitute. This phrasing sustains the dramatic irony of the narrative, where the reader knows Tamar's identity and Judah remains ignorant.

• but he found her not (וְלֹ֖א מְצָאָֽהּ׃ - wə-lōʾ məṣāʾāh): The negative particle lo (לֹא) with the verb matsa (מָצָא), "to find." This key phrase signifies the immediate failure of Judah's mission. Tamar's calculated disappearance, ensuring the retention of the pledge, drives the subsequent plot developments, leading to Judah's public humiliation and confession. It points to Tamar's cunning and control of the situation.

• "he sent the kid by the hand of his friend, to receive his pledge": This phrase underlines Judah's casual delegation and his focus on retrieving his property rather than acknowledging any deeper moral obligation. His indirectness and reliance on a friend underscore his reluctance to face the consequence of his actions directly.

• "to receive his pledge from the woman: but he found her not": The direct statement of purpose immediately contrasted by its failure. This narrative device builds tension, setting up the critical role of the unreturned pledge as the catalyst for the ensuing drama and revelation of Judah's deeper failures. The "not finding her" signifies the pre-planned, deliberate absence engineered by Tamar.

Genesis 38 20 Bonus section

• The detail of Judah sending a "friend" (Hebrew: re'a) rather than a "servant" implies Judah wanted to avoid giving specific instructions to a subordinate about such a sensitive, potentially scandalous matter, yet he also wanted to avoid going himself.
• The phrase "he found her not" directly leads to Judah's friend inquiring among the locals (v. 21-22), an inquiry that brings further public embarrassment upon Judah later in the narrative and highlights the local community's denial of having such "cult prostitutes" in their area.
• Tamar's action of not returning the pledge demonstrates her legal shrewdness and determination to secure her rights, showcasing her as a pro-active character within a system that often left women vulnerable. The retention of Judah's identifiable items underscores her intent to leverage them as proof, knowing his eventual abandonment of his promised payment and levirate obligation.

Genesis 38 20 Commentary

Genesis 38:20 concisely depicts Judah's failed attempt to rectify a rash action, showcasing his irresponsibility and lack of foresight. By dispatching a friend instead of going himself, Judah betrays his desire for anonymity and distance from the consequences of his illicit encounter. His focus on recovering his pledge, vital personal effects, highlights his self-interest, remaining oblivious to Tamar's deliberate strategy. The friend's inability to locate the woman is not an accident but Tamar's shrewd move to retain the proof necessary to expose Judah. This seemingly minor incident is pivotal; the irretrievable pledge transforms from a mere contractual detail into incriminating evidence, exposing Judah's moral compromise and greater neglect of his duty to Tamar under levirate law. The verse ultimately contributes to a narrative where divine purpose is achieved, even through human failure and unconventional means, ensuring the continuation of the lineage from which the Messiah would come.