Interesting Facts

• Er hated his wife Tamar and refused to consummate their marriage.
• The reason for his hatred was his desire to marry within his mother’s Canaanite kin, a preference his father Judah did not allow.
• Er outwardly destroyed his seed when he was with Tamar.
• His actions were deemed evil in the sight of the Lord, leading to his death by divine intervention.
• Despite his death occurring before the family’s descent into Egypt, he is listed among Jacob’s sons who came to Egypt.

Genealogy

• Er was the firstborn son of Judah.
• His mother’s identity is not explicitly stated in relation to Er, but the text mentions his desire to marry from his mother’s kin who were Canaanites.
• He married Tamar, a daughter of Aram.
• He had no offspring due to his refusal to lie with Tamar or his practice of outwardly destroying his seed.
• His brothers were Onan and Shelah, also sons of Judah (mentioned in the context of Judah’s instructions regarding Tamar after Er’s death in Genesis 38:8, which is referenced by Jubilees 41:2, though not explicitly stated in these excerpts). Perez and Zerah were born to Tamar after Er’s death, through Judah.

Historical Context

The narrative of Er takes place while Jacob and his sons were still residing in the land of Canaan, before their eventual migration to Egypt due to the famine. The importance placed on lineage and the raising of seed for a brother, as seen in the subsequent events involving Onan and Tamar (though Onan is not the focus of this analysis), highlights the patriarchal and family-centric societal norms of the time. The conflict between Er’s desire for a Canaanite wife and Judah’s disapproval suggests potential tensions or differing views within the family regarding marriage outside their immediate lineage, although the specific reasons for Judah’s disapproval are not detailed. The direct intervention of the Lord in Er’s death indicates a belief in divine oversight and judgment of individual actions, particularly those relating to procreation and familial obligations.

Narrative

Er’s personal story is brief but significant. He is introduced as Judah’s firstborn son who marries Tamar. However, his refusal to consummate the marriage, driven by his desire for a different union within his mother’s Canaanite relatives (which Judah opposed), sets him apart. The text explicitly states that Er hated Tamar and would not lie with her. Furthermore, it notes his practice of outwardly destroying his seed, signifying a deliberate avoidance of fulfilling his marital duty to procreate. This action is condemned as evil in the sight of the Lord, resulting in Er’s death at the hand of divine judgment. Er’s story serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the importance of marriage and procreation within the early Israelite tradition and the consequences of defying divine will as perceived in the narrative. His death necessitates further actions by his father Judah to ensure the continuation of his lineage through Tamar, as seen with the command given to Onan. Despite his demise in Canaan, Er is later listed among those who came to Egypt with Jacob, likely as a genealogical record of the initial members of the Israelite family who would eventually reside there. The mention that Er and Onan did not lie with Tamar later serves to explain why Judah’s subsequent union with her did not constitute incest in the same way it might have if his sons had fulfilled their marital obligations.