infusion of foreign blood in the southern tribe. The verse suggests
that the first Judahite settlement was at 'Adullam, where the tribe gained
a footing by alliance with a native clan named Ḥîrāh; but Mey. (INS,
435 f.) thinks it presupposes a previous occupation of the region round
Bethlehem, and deals merely with an extension towards the Shephelah.
It is certainly difficult otherwise to account for the verb (
Hebrew characters) (ct. (Hebrew characters), Ju.
14); but were Judah's brethren ever settled at Bethlehem? Gu.'s
emendation, (Hebrew characters), 'freed himself' (see on 2740; cf. Hos. 121), would relieve
the difficulty, but is too bold for a plain prose narrative.
2. A more permanent amalgamation with the Canaanites
is represented by Judah's marriage with or Bath-Shûa' or Bath-Sheva'
(See on v.12). The freedom with which connubium
with the Canaanites is acknowledged (ct. 34. 243) may be a
proof of the antiquity of the source (Ho. Gu.).—5b. in Kĕzîb, etc.] It is plausibly inferred that Kĕzîb (= 'Akzîb, an unknown
locality in the Shephelah, Jos. 1544, Mic. 114) was the
centre of the clan of Shelah; though G makes all three
births happen there.
6-11. Tamar's wrong.—6. Tamar, the Heb. word for date-palm, occurs twice as a female name in David's family (2 Sa. 131 1427). There is therefore little probability that it is here a personification of the city of the same name on the S border of Palestine (Ezk. 4719) (so Steuernagel). A mythological origin is suggested on p. 452 below.—As head of the family, Judah chooses a wife for his first-born (243 344 2121), as he is also responsible for the carrying out of the levirate obligation (8. 11).—7. No crime is alleged against 'Ēr, whose untimely death was probably the only evidence of Yahwe's displeasure with him (Pr. 1027).—'8-10. Onān, on the other hand, is slain because of the revolting manner in which he
2. (Hebrew characters)] G (Hebrew characters). See on v.12.—3. (Hebrew characters)] Better as vv.4. 5 (Hebrew characters) ([E]TJ
Heb. MSS).—5. (Hebrew characters)] G Σηλώμ; comp. the gentilic (Hebrew characters), Nu. 2620.—(Hebrew characters)]
is impossible, and [E] (Hebrew characters) little better. Rd. with G (Hebrew characters).—(Hebrew characters)] [E] (Hebrew characters),
cf. (Hebrew characters), 1 Ch. 422.—(Hebrew characters)] G (Hebrew characters).—Nothing can be made of the strange
renderings of 5b in S and V: (Syriac characters); quo nato parere ultra cessavit (cf. 2935 309).—7. (Hebrew characters)2] G ὁ θεός.—8. (Hebrew characters)] Dt. 255. 7 † ;
denom. from (Hebrew characters), the term. techn. for 'husband's brother' in relation to
the levirate institution.—9. (Hebrew characters)] 'as often as'; G-K. § 159 o.—(Hebrew characters)
(sc. semen)] in the sense of 'spoil,' 'make ineffective' (BDB).—(Hebrew characters) for
(Hebrew characters)] only again Nu. 2021; comp. (Hebrew characters), Ex. 319, Nu. 2213. 14. 16.—10. (Hebrew characters)]
G, pr. (Hebrew characters).
