Genèse 38:16

16 Il l'aborda sur le chemin, et dit: Laisse-moi aller vers toi. Car il ne connut pas que c'était sa belle-fille. Elle dit: Que me donneras-tu pour venir vers moi?

Genèse 38:16 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 38:16

And he turned unto her by the way
Which led to her; he turned out of the way in which he was to that where she sat; and very probably it was at some little distance from the way, and therefore he turned aside to it, his lust towards her being excited at the sight of her; perhaps he left his friend Hirah the Adullamite, and sent him on his way, while he committed the following crime: and said, go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee;
that is, lie with her: for he knew not that she [was] his daughter in law;
or otherwise, it is suggested by the historian, he would not have offered such a thing to her; but though this may excuse him from wilful incest, yet not from fornication; for he took her to be an harlot, and however knew she was not his wife, and whom he ought not to have had any concern with in such a manner: and she said, what wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto
me?
perhaps she said this with a very low voice, that he might not know her by it; and she behaved like an harlot by requiring an hire, on condition of which she consented: she knew Judah though he did not know her, and therefore cannot be excused from wilful incest: some indeed extenuate her crime, by supposing that she, though a Canaanite, was become a proselyte to the true religion by marrying into Judah's family, and had knowledge of the Messiah being to be born of Jacob's line; and therefore was desirous of being the mother or ancestor at least of that great Person, and so took this method; that since she could not have the son for her husband, was desirous of enjoying the father, not for the gratification of her lust, but in hopes of the promised seed; and accordingly she has a place in the genealogy of the Messiah, ( Matthew 1:3 ) .

Genèse 38:16 In-Context

14 Alors elle ôta ses habits de veuve, elle se couvrit d'un voile et s'enveloppa, et elle s'assit à l'entrée d'Enaïm, sur le chemin de Thimna; car elle voyait que Schéla était devenu grand, et qu'elle ne lui était point donnée pour femme.
15 Juda la vit, et la prit pour une prostituée, parce qu'elle avait couvert son visage.
16 Il l'aborda sur le chemin, et dit: Laisse-moi aller vers toi. Car il ne connut pas que c'était sa belle-fille. Elle dit: Que me donneras-tu pour venir vers moi?
17 Il répondit: Je t'enverrai un chevreau de mon troupeau. Elle dit: Me donneras-tu un gage, jusqu'à ce que tu l'envoies?
18 Il répondit: Quel gage te donnerai-je? Elle dit: Ton cachet, ton cordon, et le bâton que tu as à la main. Il les lui donna. Puis il alla vers elle; et elle devint enceinte de lui.
The Louis Segond 1910 is in the public domain.