Biblical Parallels Index – Bereshit 38/0

Biblical Parallels Index – Bereshit 38

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Tamar, Lot’s Daughters, and Rut

There are numerous parallels between the stories of Yehuda and Tamar, Lot’s daughters, and Megillat Rut -- all stories of women (who are related to each other) rebuilding families in unconventional ways in the wake of disaster.

Tools

• Tanakh Lab demonstrates that one of the chapters which shares the most linguistic parallels to Bereshit 38 (the story of Yehuda and Tamar) is Bereshit 19 (the story of Lot and his daughters).  To compare the two, see here. Bereshit 19, in turn, has many parallels to the book of Rut. To compare them, see here.

Articles

• See Naomi, Tamar, and Lot’s Daughters: Continuity at All Costs by Dr. Yael Ziegler for analysis of the parallels between these three stories.
• See Rebuilding a Future When Our World Comes Crashing Down by R. Ezra Sivan who explores the parallels between the responses to catastrophe in these three interconnected stories. He notes that the narrative arc of each story is similar, beginning with descent and calamity and ending with a child born from an unconventional redeemer through a process that involves a bed trick and lack of knowledge or recognition.¹  The characters’ moral stature moves in an upward trajectory through the three stories, beginning with the most morally questionable (Lot and his daughters) and culminating in the most noble (Rut, Naomi, and Boaz).
• See Redemption in Megillat Ruth by R. Yaakov Medan for exploration of the three interconnected narratives and their relation to the mission of Mashiach.

Tamar and Rivka

There are a number of parallels between the stories of Tamar and Rivka, including the birth stories of their twin sons:  Peretz and Zerach (Bereshit 38:27-30) and Yaakov and Esav (Bereshit 25:19-26). Peretz pushes his way ahead of his brother, much as Yaakov holds on to Esav's heel, and Zerach’s scarlet thread calls to mind Esav’s redness.

Tools

• Use the Tanakh Lab to compare the two birth stories.

Articles

• See Of Deceptions and Conceptions: Rereading Tamar in Light of Rivkah by Sarah Golubtchik for analysis of the parallels between the two stories.

Yosef and Yehuda

There are a number of parallels and contrasts between the story of Yehuda’s encounter with Tamar and of Yosef’s encounter with Mrs. Potiphar,

Primary Sources

• Ibn EzraBereshit First Commentary 38:1About R. Avraham ibn Ezra notes that the juxtaposition of the two stories (despite their not chronologically following one another) hints to the reader to compare and contrast the two.

Articles

•  See Yosef and Yehuda by R. Michael Hattin for analysis of the parallels and contrasts and the ideas these impart about different models of leadership.

¹ Each relationship is further akin to levirate marriage.