Tamar

n.
In the Bible, the daughter-in-law of Judah. After the death of her first two husbands, who were his sons, she seduced him in disguise when, in spite of the requirements of levirate law, he did not allow her to marry his youngest surviving son.

("date palm")

Name of place and people.

1. The daughter-in-law of Judah, originally married to his eldest son, Er (Gen 38:6). When Er died childless, the second son Onan was told to impregnate his late brother's wife in order to raise issue for the departed. His evasion of the duty was punished by death. Tamar returned to her father's house but remained tied to her late husband's family and under the jurisdiction of its head, the patriarch Judah (Gen 38:7-11). When the third son, Shelah, reached maturity without marrying her, she took it into her own hands to secure an heir for her late husband. Masquerading as a prostitute, she offered her services to an unwitting Judah, taking his personal insignia – a seal, cord and staff – for a pledge against future payment. When she became pregnant as a result of their intercourse, Judah, unaware that he was the father, exercised his legal right by ordering her to be burnt for breaking the filial ties to which she was still subject. At that, she produced the insignia and he revoked his decision, conceding that justice was on her side rather than on his for she had remained attached to the family while he neither released her nor gave her to his remaining son. Tamar's reward was the birth of twins, Perez and Zerah (Gen 38:12-30). Perez, in his turn, became the head of a Judahite family which later produced Boaz, King David's paternal great-grandfather (Ruth 4:18-22; I Chr 2:4-5, 9-11).

The levirate customs described in Genesis chapter 38 are close if not identical to those prescribed in Deuteronomy, but differ from those in Ruth chapter 4 (which likewise reflect upon David's genealogy). Whatever the details, these customs all address the identical problems of land inheritance within the family and perpetuation of the dead person's line by means of a son the childless widow conceives through a brother or relative.

2. Daughter of King David and sister of Absalom (II Sam 13:1; I Chr 3:9). Her half-brother Amnon – then David's heir-apparent – fell in love with her. Employing trickery and coercion he achieved sexual intercourse with her, subsequently tiring of her and sending her away. Tamar appealed to her brother Absalom, who avenged her violated virginity by killing Amnon.

3. The daughter of Absalom and granddaughter of King David; she was reputed to be beautiful (II Sam 14:27) like her aunt and namesake, Tamar (II Sam chap. 13).

4. A place on the southern border of the Holy Land, mentioned in the description of Ezekiel (47:19): "The south side, toward the South, shall be from Tamar to the waters of Meribah by Kadesh, along the brook to the Great Sea". Tamar has been identified by some with Hazezon-Tamar and also with the city of palm trees (Judg 1:16). Various identifications have been suggested. The most likely identification of Tamar is Ein Husb (Mezad Hazevah) situated on an important crossroad in the Arabah, on the north-south road leading to the Gulf of Elath and on the east-west road coming from Mempsis.

5. See TADMOR

Concordance
TAMAR 1: Gen 38:6, 11,13, 24. Ruth 4:12. I Chr 2:4. Matt 1:3
TAMAR 2: II Sam 13:1-2,4-8, 10, 19-20,22, 32. I Chr 3:9
TAMAR 3: II Sam 14:27
TAMAR 4: Ezek 47:19; 48:28

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