Genesis 38:13-15

38:13 Tamar was told, ¹  “Look, your father-in-law is going up ²  to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 38:14 So she removed her widow’s clothes and covered herself with a veil. She wrapped herself and sat at the entrance to Enaim which is on the way to Timnah. (She did this because ³  she saw that she had not been given to Shelah as a wife, even though he had now grown up.) ⁴ 

38:15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute ⁵  because she had covered her face.

[38:13]  ¹ tn Heb “And it was told to Tamar, saying.”

[38:13]  ² tn The active participle indicates the action was in progress or about to begin.

[38:14]  ³ tn The Hebrew text simply has “because,” connecting this sentence to what precedes. For stylistic reasons the words “she did this” are supplied in the translation and a new sentence begun.

[38:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “she saw that Shelah had grown up, but she was not given to him as a wife.”

[38:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “he reckoned her for a prostitute,” which was what Tamar had intended for him to do. She obviously had some idea of his inclinations, or she would not have tried this risky plan.