Facts About Tamar: Are They True or False? Quiz

Answer: True

Er, the son of Judah, was Tamar's first husband. Genesis 38:6, in the NIV Bible, simply states "Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar." Verse 7 goes on to state Er was "wicked" so the LORD "put him to death". However, no details are given about Er's wickedness.

Answer: True

After Tamar's first husband died, she became the wife of Onan, the son of Judah and the brother of Er. Genesis 38:8, in the NIV Bible, states: "Then Judah said to Onan, 'Sleep with your brother's wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother'."

Answer: True

After Er died, Judah instructed his other son Onan to sleep with Tamar to "fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother." However, Onan failed to follow instructions and it cost him his life. Genesis 38:9-10, in the NIV Bible, states: "But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. What he did was wicked in the LORD's sight; so the LORD put him to death also."

Answer: False

False. Although she was involved romantically with her father-in-law, there is no mention of Tamar having a third husband. Genesis 38:11 states Judah told Tamar to remain a widow until his son Shelah became of age and she would become his wife. However, verse 14 goes on to state that when Shelah had grown up, she still had not been given to him as his wife.

Incidentally, Simeon was the son of Jacob and Leah and the founder of one of Twelve Tribes of Israel. He was also the brother of Judah, as per the 29th chapter of Genesis.

Answer: False

Hope I didn't catch you sleeping on this one. It was Judah, the father-in-law of Tamar, who thought she was a prostitute and slept with her. The 38th chapter of Genesis reports Judah encountered Tamar along the side of the road and although he had sexual intercourse with her, he did not know it was his daughter-in-law. (According to verse 14, her face was covered with a veil.)

Scripture states after Judah's wife had died, he decided to go to Timnah to shear his sheep. Knowing Judah was heading to Timnah, Scripture states Tamar "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."

As per the 29th chapter of Genesis, Reuben was Judah's brother and their parents were Jacob and Leah.

Answer: True

True. Judah was livid when he found out Tamar was pregnant and wanted her burned to death. He would quickly backtrack, however, when Tamar was able to prove Judah was actually the man who impregnated her. After his two sons died, Judah apparently thought Tamar was a prostitute when he met up with her along the side of a road and as a result of the union, she became pregnant. (Scripture reports her face was covered.) About three months later, when it was reported Tamar was pregnant and proclaimed a prostitute, Judah announced she should be brought out and "burned to death." However, Judah had to do some serious backpedaling when Tamar was able to prove he was actually the man who had impregnated her. (Genesis 38:18 states Judah had given Tamar his "seal and its cord, and the staff in his hand" as a pledge before he slept with her.

When she was about to be put to death, she was able to produce Judah's pledge to her and her life was spared.)

Answer: False

False. She gave birth to twins, Perez and Zerah.

Genesis 38:27-30, in the NIV Bible, tells of the birth of the twins: "When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, 'This one came out first.' But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, 'So this is how you have broken out!' And he was named Perez. Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah."

Answer: False

There is no mention in Scripture of Tamar giving birth to two girls. Scripture states she had two boys -- Perez and Zerah -- and no other children.
Incidentally, this is the second set of twins born in the Old Testament. The first set was Jacob and Esau, who were the sons of Isaac and Rebekah, as per the 25th chapter of Genesis.

Answer: False

False. There are two other women in the Old Testament called Tamar. One was the daughter of David, as per 2 Samuel 13:1-32, and the other was the daughter of Absalom, as per 2 Samuel 14:27.

According to Wikipedia, Tamar means 'date palm' and is the original form of the names Tamara and Tammy. Two rivers in the world also bear the name Tamar. River Tamar is found in England while the Tamar River is in Tasmania, part of Australia.

Answer: True

Tamar's name is indeed part of the genealogy of Christ. Matthew 1:3, in the NIV Bible, states in part, Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar.

Two other women mentioned in Christ's genealogy in Matthew are Rahab and Ruth. In addition, Bathsheba's name appears indirectly in the genealogy. Matthew 1:6, in the NIV Bible, states Jesse was the father of King David and David was the father of Solomon, "whose mother had been Uriah's wife."