Tamar

The name Tamar is carried by three women in Israel's narrative — a Canaanite daughter-in-law of Judah, a daughter of David violated by her half-brother, and a daughter of Absalom — and by a settlement on the southern boundary of Ezekiel's restored land. They are commonly treated under a single heading, and the storylines themselves are linked: the first Tamar's son Perez seeds the line that runs through Ruth to David, whose own daughter Tamar then becomes the occasion of the violence that fractures David's house. Matthew opens the New Testament by naming the first Tamar in the genealogy of the Messiah.

Tamar in the House of Judah

Genesis 38 opens by sending Judah away from his brothers to live among the Canaanites: "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" (Gen 38:1). Judah marries Shua's daughter and fathers three sons. He then takes Tamar as wife for Er the firstborn, but Yahweh kills Er for wickedness (Gen 38:6-7). The duty of the husband's brother — the levirate obligation — falls to the second son: "And Judah said to Onan, Enter your brother's wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her, and raise up seed to your brother" (Gen 38:8). Onan refuses to honor the obligation, "spilled on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother" (Gen 38:9), and is also struck down. Judah then sends Tamar back to her father's house with a promise of his third son Shelah, but he never delivers (Gen 38:11).

When Judah's wife dies and the years pass without Shelah being given to her, Tamar acts. She trades the garments of widowhood for a disguise and waits at a road junction: "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 wasn't given to him as wife" (Gen 38:14). The veil functions both as concealment and as a signal — Judah, not recognizing her, treats her as a prostitute. She extracts as security the three items that uniquely identify him: "Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand" (Gen 38:18). The exchange produces a pregnancy.

Three months later word reaches Judah that Tamar is pregnant by harlotry, and he orders her burned. She sends out the pledge: "By the man, whose these are, I am pregnant: and she said, Discern, I pray you, whose are these, the signet, and the cords, and the staff" (Gen 38:25). Judah's verdict reverses on himself: "She's more righteous than I; since I didn't give her to Shelah my son" (Gen 38:26). The closing scene of the chapter is the birth of twins: "And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, look, twins were in her womb" (Gen 38:27). The hand that emerges first is withdrawn, and the second twin pushes through: "And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, look, his brother came out: and she said, Why have you made a breach for yourself? Therefore his name was called Perez" (Gen 38:29).

The Line of Perez

The breach-child becomes the carrier of the line. The Bethlehem witnesses bless Boaz and Ruth with an explicit appeal to this Tamar: "and let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the seed which Yahweh will give you of this young woman" (Ru 4:12). The Chronicler closes the genealogy of Judah with the same notice: "And Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Perez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five" (1Ch 2:4). Matthew, opening the New Testament, names her — one of only four women in his genealogy: "and Judah begot Perez and Zerah from Tamar; and Perez begot Hezron; and Hezron begot Ram" (Mt 1:3). The New Testament form of her name is Thamar.

Tamar Daughter of David

The second Tamar is introduced as a king's daughter and a sister: "And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her" (2Sa 13:1). Her place in the family register is sealed at the end of the David genealogy: "All these were the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines; and Tamar was their sister" (1Ch 3:9). The narrator's diagnosis of Amnon is one of fixated longing rather than affection: "And Amnon was so vexed that he fell sick because of his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her" (2Sa 13:2).

The plot that follows is constructed by another character. "But Amnon had a companion, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very subtle man" (2Sa 13:3). The advice is to stage a deception: feign illness and ask the king to send Tamar with food. Amnon executes it precisely. "So Amnon lay down, and feigned himself sick: and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, Let my sister Tamar come, I pray you, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand" (2Sa 13:6). David sends her. The text marks her status by what she wears: "And she had a garment of diverse colors on her; for with such robes were the king's daughters who were virgins appareled" (2Sa 13:18).

When the household has been dismissed, Amnon seizes her. Tamar's protest is articulate and legally framed — she names the act depravity, points to the disgrace it will fix on her and on him, and proposes that he ask the king for her: "No, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: don't do this depravity. And I, where shall I carry my shame? And as for you, you will be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray you, speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you" (2Sa 13:12-13). Amnon refuses to hear her: "Nevertheless he would not listen to her voice; but being stronger than she, he forced her, and plowed her" (2Sa 13:14). The reversal is immediate. "Then Amnon hated her with exceedingly great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, Arise, go" (2Sa 13:15). Tamar's second protest — that turning her out is a wrong worse than the first — is also refused, and she is put out and the door bolted (2Sa 13:16-17). Her response is public and visible: "And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of diverse colors that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head, and went her way, crying aloud as she went" (2Sa 13:19). The garment of virginity is destroyed by the one who wore it.

The narrative does not let her be heard again. Absalom, her full brother, intercepts her on the way: "Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now hold your peace, my sister: he is your brother; don't take this thing to heart. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house" (2Sa 13:20). The royal response is silence with weight: "But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry, but he did not grieve the spirit of his son Amnon because he loved him, since he was his firstborn" (2Sa 13:21). Absalom's response is also silence — kept for two years. "And Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar" (2Sa 13:22).

The Vengeance of Absalom

The two-year wait ends at a sheep-shearing feast: "And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheep-shearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king's sons" (2Sa 13:23). The signal is set by wine and command: "And Absalom commanded his attendants, saying, Now watch⁺, when Amnon's heart is merry with wine; and when I say to you⁺, Strike Amnon, then kill him; don't be afraid; haven't I commanded you⁺? Be courageous, and be valiant" (2Sa 13:28). The order is carried out: "And the attendants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and every man got up on his mule, and fled" (2Sa 13:29). The first report to David is that all the king's sons are dead. Jonadab — the same Jonadab — corrects it: "Don't let my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men the king's sons; for Amnon only is dead; for according to the mouth of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar" (2Sa 13:32).

Absalom himself becomes a fugitive. The watchman reports the column on the road: "But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that many people came upon the Horonaim road, from the mountain side on the slope, and the watchman came and informed the king" (2Sa 13:34). His destination is his maternal grandfather's court: "But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai the son of Ammihur, king of Geshur. And [David] mourned for his son every day" (2Sa 13:37). The chapter closes with David's grief shifting toward the surviving son: "And the king's spirit longed to go forth to Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead" (2Sa 13:39).

Absalom's Daughter Tamar

A third Tamar appears one chapter later, named after the violated aunt. She is listed among Absalom's children with a description that echoes the description of his sister: "And to Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a beautiful woman" (2Sa 14:27). The narrator gives her name in the same breath as the Davidic family note that "in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as good-looking as Absalom: from the sole of his foot even to the top of his head there was no blemish in him" (2Sa 14:25). Nothing else is said of her in the narrative.

Tamar on the Southern Boundary

Ezekiel's vision of the restored land uses a place named Tamar as the southern marker. The first reference fixes the southern line: "And the south side southward will be from Tamar as far as the waters of Meriboth-kadesh, to the brook [of Egypt], to the great sea. This is the south side southward" (Eze 47:19). The second, in the tribal allotments, repeats it from the angle of Gad: "And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border will be even from Tamar, the waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the brook [of Egypt], to the great sea" (Eze 48:28). This Tamar is a city of unknown location; the Bible itself gives nothing further than the boundary function.