Literary Devices – Bereshit 38
Structure
Scholars have suggested a number of different possible structures for this story.
- See The Story of Yehuda and Tamar: Three Structures and Three Readings by Professor Yonatan Grossman who notes three possible structures of the chapter: a five-act dramatic structure based on the chapter’s plot, a four part structure based on the various instances of deceit and secrecy in the unit, and a chiastic structure. Each structure leads the reader to focus on a different theme: Tamar's legacy, futile vs. purposeful deception, and Yehuda's personal redemption.
- See also Yehuda and Tamar: A Story Within A Story? by R. Elchanan Samet for analysis of the chapter’s chiastic structure and its meaning.
Type Scene
Robert Alter has identified a convention of Biblical narrative in which a basic narrative sequence appears multiple times in Tanakh, each time with modifications that serve the needs of the specific unit.
Betrothal at a Well
- One example of such a type scene are narratives in which one meets one’s spouse at a well. In his commentary on Bereshit,1 Alter notes that the meeting of Yehuda and Tamar at Einayim (which may be translated as Two Wells) may be an ironic allusion to this type-scene.
Articles
- For a full analysis of the type-scene of meeting one’s spouse at a well, see Robert Alter’s Biblical Type-Scenes and the Uses of Convention.
Allusions
Yosef's Sale
Several aspects of the story allude to both the story of Yosef's sale in Chapter 37, and the taking of the blessings in Bereshit 27.
- The goat that Tamar uses in her deception of Yehuda is reminiscent of the goat used by both Yaakov to deceive Yitzchak in Bereshit 27 and the goat used by the brothers to deceive Yaakov in Bereshit 37.
- The phrase “וַיִּנָּחֶם יְהוּדָה” (Yehuda was comforted) in Bereshit 38:12 calls to mind Yaakov’s refusal to be comforted (וַיְמָאֵן לְהִתְנַחֵם) after the loss of Yosef (37:35).2
- Finally, Tamar’s imperative to Yehuda in Bereshit 38:25 to recognize (“הַכֶּר נָא”) the items he gave her, echoes the brothers’ command to Yaakov to recognize (“הַכֶּר נָא”) Yosef’s coat (37:32), which in turn calls to mind Yitzchak’s inability to recognize (וְלֹא הִכִּירוֹ) Yaakov’s true identity when he disguised himself as Esav (Bereshit 27:23).
Sources and Articles
- See Bereshit Rabbah 85:9 and 11, which notes the parallels between the story of Yehuda and Tamar and the sale of Yosef.
- See Professor Yonatan Grossman’s article The Story of Yehuda and Tamar: Its Contribution to the Narrative Cycle of Yosef and His Brothers for analysis of of the connections between Chapters 37 and 38.
Key Words
Tanakh Lab demonstrates that the word that appears with greatest frequency in this chapter, as in the previous chapter, is “אח” (brother). This key word underscores the thematic connection between the two chapters, which both concern siblings who seek to undermine their brothers’ survival and continuity.3 [See above for further discussion of the relationship between the chapters.]
Consecutive Verbs
A string of consecutive verbs often implies rapid, energetic action. The phrase ”וַיִּתֶּן־לָ֛הּ וַיָּבֹ֥א אֵלֶ֖יהָ וַתַּ֥הַר לֽוֹ” in 38:18 emphasizes Yehuda’s quick, impetuous actions in his encounter with Tamar. Similarly, his command of “הוֹצִיא֖וּהָ וְתִשָּׂרֵֽף” (verse 24) indicates a lack of thought as he plunges ahead in action.