38:20 Then Judah had his friend Hirah 1 the Adullamite take a young goat to get back from the woman the items he had given in pledge, 2 but Hirah 3 could not find her.
38:24 After three months Judah was told, 4 “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution, 5 and as a result she has become pregnant.” 6 Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” 38:25 While they were bringing her out, she sent word 7 to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” 8 Then she said, “Identify 9 the one to whom the seal, cord, and staff belong.”
1 tn Heb “sent by the hand of his friend.” Here the name of the friend (“Hirah”) has been included in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Heb “to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand.”
3 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Judah’s friend Hirah the Adullamite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Heb “it was told to Judah, saying.”
5 tn Or “has been sexually promiscuous.” The verb may refer here to loose or promiscuous activity, not necessarily prostitution.
6 tn Heb “and also look, she is with child by prostitution.”
7 tn Heb “she was being brought out and she sent.” The juxtaposition of two clauses, both of which place the subject before the predicate, indicates synchronic action.
8 tn Heb “who these to him.”
9 tn Or “ recognize; note.” This same Hebrew verb (נָכַר, nakhar) is used at the beginning of v. 26, where it is translated “recognized.”