创世记——第三十八章

约拿

创世记第三十八章： 38:1 那时，犹大离开他弟兄下去，到一个亚杜兰人名叫希拉的家里去。 38:2 犹大在那里看见一个迦南人名叫书亚的女儿，就娶她为妻，与她同房， 38:3 她就怀孕生了儿子，犹大给他起名叫珥。 38:4 她又怀孕生了儿子，母亲给他起名叫俄南。 38:5 她复又生了儿子，给他起名叫示拉。她生示拉的时候，犹大正在基悉。 38:6 犹大为长子珥娶妻，名叫她玛。 38:7 犹大的长子珥在耶和华眼中看为恶，耶和华就叫他死了。 38:8 犹大对俄南说：“你当与你哥哥的妻子同房，向她尽你为弟的本分，为你哥哥生子立后。” 38:9 俄南知道生子不归自己，所以同房的时候，便遗在地，免得给他哥哥留后。 38:10 俄南所做的在耶和华眼中看为恶，耶和华也就叫他死了。 38:11 犹大心里说：“恐怕示拉也死，像他两个哥哥一样”，就对他儿妇她玛说：“你去，在你父亲家里守寡，等我儿子示拉长大。”她玛就回去住在她父亲家里。 38:12 过了许久，犹大的妻子书亚的女儿死了，犹大得了安慰，就和他朋友亚杜兰人希拉上亭拿去，到他剪羊毛的人那里。 38:13 有人告诉她玛说：“你的公公上亭拿剪羊毛去了。” 38:14 她玛见示拉已经长大，还没有娶她为妻，就脱了她作寡妇的衣裳，用帕子蒙着脸，又遮住身体，坐在亭拿路上的伊拿印城门口。 38:15 犹大看见她，以为是妓女，因为她蒙着脸。 38:16 犹大就转到她那里去说：“来吧！让我与你同寝。”他原不知道是他的儿妇。她玛说：“你要与我同寝，把什么给我呢？” 38:17 犹大说：“我从羊群里取一只山羊羔，打发人送来给你。”她玛说：“在未送以先，你愿意给我一个当头吗？” 38:18 他说：“我给你什么当头呢？”她玛说：“你的印，你的带子和你手里的杖。” 38:19 犹大就给了她，与她同寝，她就从犹大怀了孕。她玛起来走了，除去帕子，仍旧穿上作寡妇的衣裳。 38:20 犹大托他朋友亚杜兰人送一只山羊羔去，要从那女人手里取回当头来，却找不着她， 38:21 就问那地方的人说：“伊拿印路旁的妓女在哪里？”他们说：“这里并没有妓女。” 38:22 他回去见犹大说：“我没有找着她，并且那地方的人说：‘这里没有妓女。’” 38:23 犹大说：“我把这山羊羔送去了，你竟找不着她，任凭她拿去吧，免得我们被羞辱。” 38:24 约过了三个月，有人告诉犹大说：“你的儿妇她玛作了妓女，且因行淫有了身孕。”犹大说：“拉出她来，把她烧了！” 38:25 她玛被拉出来的时候，便打发人去见她公公，对他说：“这些东西是谁的，我就是从谁怀的孕。请你认一认，这印和带子并杖都是谁的？” 38:26 犹大承认说：“她比我更有义，因为我没有将她给我的儿子示拉。”从此犹大不再与她同寝了。　 38:27 她玛将要生产，不料，她腹里是一对双生。 38:28 到生产的时候，一个孩子伸出一只手来，收生婆拿红线拴在他手上说：“这是头生的。” 38:29 随后这孩子把手收回去，他哥哥生出来了。收生婆说：“你为什么抢着来呢？”因此给他起名叫法勒斯。 38:30 后来，他兄弟那手上有红线的也生出来，就给他起名叫谢拉。

约拿

2．犹太和他玛（三八）

　　三八1～11 这一章清楚记载了犹大不道德的品行，跟约瑟的德行成强烈的对比。犹大引致家庭里彼此争竞、尔虞我诈。下一章则记载约瑟的正直和智慧，反映出他的敬虔品性。因为他的忠心，神大大地赐福给他和他的家，是他所不能想像的。

　　只要我们记得主耶稣是犹大的后裔（路三33），犹大与他玛污秽的罪就更显出神的恩典了。记载在马太福音第一章的族谱里有五个妇人，他玛是其中之一；当中三人犯了不道德的罪——他玛、喇合（5节）和拔示巴（6节）。另外两个是外邦人路得（5节）和神拣选的童女马利亚（16节）。宾克为这道德败环的故事给予深切的意义：

　　“创世记第三十七章结尾描述雅各的儿子把弟弟约瑟卖给米甸人，结果辗转把他卖到埃及。这说明一个预表，以色列人拒绝基督，基督就进到外邦人当中。自犹太领袖把他们的弥赛亚送到彼拉多手中，他们全国就不再与基督有任何关连，而神也舍他们而去，来到外邦人中间。因此，先前提及的预表在这阶段出现重大的转移。这时，约瑟被视为落在外邦人手中。但我们读到约瑟在埃及的遭遇之前；预表真体的约瑟还未来到地上，圣灵已替我们巧妙地勾画出犹太人的历史。”

　　本章打断了约瑟的故事，绝非偶然。约瑟家族成员的蒙羞行为与约瑟成强烈对比，约瑟的行为就如照在黑暗世界的明灯。

　　犹大犯的首个错误就是娶了迦南女子书亚的女儿。她替犹太生了三个儿子——珥、俄南和示拉。珥娶了迦南女子他玛为妻，耶和华看他为恶，就叫他死了，所行何恶却没有记载。根据当时的习俗，兄弟或近亲要迎娶这名寡妇，为那去世的人传宗接代。俄南不肯这样做，因为头生的孩子最终成为珥的合法继承（立后）人，不是俄南自己的合法儿子。“便遗在地”就是“射精在地上”，用意在避免使之怀孕。然而他的罪在自私自利，而不是在性事上。这并非一次单一的行为，希伯来文显示这是坚持的拒绝。这次拒绝影响基督合法继承大卫王位的族谱（因为犹大的长子珥──她玛的丈夫──没有儿子，所以无人传宗接代、承受产业，与神立约之福也不能延续下去）。耶和华真不喜悦，就叫俄南死了。神叫俄南死，是因为他不肯尽对哥哥珥和寡嫂她玛当尽的本分──给他们留后。犹大见势就叫他玛先回父家，直至他的三子示拉长至适婚年龄。其实这是个转移视线的策略，他根本不想示拉娶他玛。他已失去两个爱子，他玛被视为“不祥的女人”。

　　三八 12～23 示拉长大了，犹大仍没有为他安排娶他玛，于是她决定设下陷阱陷害他。她打扮成妓女，坐在往亭拿的路上。犹大要往那儿会合替他剪羊毛的人。然后，他进去与他玛发生越轨的行为，原不知她就是他自己的儿妇。他们协议从羊群里取一只山羊羔作这事的报酬，在山羊羔没有送来之前，那“妓女”取了犹大的印、带子和手里的枝作为抵押。带子可能是悬吊印环的绳子。但当犹大把山羊羔送去给她，准备取回典押品来的时候，却找不着那“妓女”了。

　　为什么在这里圣经没有谴责他玛的做法？原来在迦南地的异教风俗中，作妓女是一件平常的事。事奉迦南女神的公众庙妓，是迦南宗教的崇拜对象，她们比一般的妓女更受人尊重。一般妓女有时行淫被捉会被惩罚，但是迦南宗教鼓励人与庙妓行淫，好使农作物和牛羊多产。她玛为了继承丈夫的谱系、成为犹大长子谱系之母而引诱犹大；犹大则欲火攻心而嫖妓，他们两个都不义。

　　犹大为什么对自己去嫖妓直认不讳，却要把作妓女的儿妇处死呢？要明白这种矛盾，我们就要知道当时迦南妇女在社会上的地位。妇女最重要的功能是生儿育女，为家族传宗接代。为了确保儿女是丈夫所生的，人们都期望新妇是处女，作妻子的亦不可红杏出墙、不守妇道。如果妻子犯了淫乱之罪，就要被处死。不过，有些妇女没有家庭，她们可能作庙妓，靠拜偶像之人的奉献来维持生活；或者作一般的妓女，受寻芳客的供给。她们所生的儿女不列在任何人的家谱中，因此和她们发生关系的人，也就没有跟任何家族人的亲属犯奸淫。

　　犹大觉得招妓度宿是无伤大雅之事，更何况他乐意付费。可是，他却要处死她玛，因为如果她是作妓女而怀孕，所生的孙儿就不属于他的血统。犹大显然从来没有想到道德的问题，他所关心的只是保存家族的血脉。但是她玛而不是犹大，主动地使这个家族有合法的后嗣，这真是一种极大的讽剌。她引诱犹大的行为却比犹大所做的更合乎律法的精神，因为他没有叫他的小儿子示拉娶她为妻。

　　这件事绝不是说神不计较人作妓女。其实，在整部圣经中，行淫都是严重的罪行。论到此事中的德行，可取之处只是尽上对家族本分的忠心，这也是重要的。其次，犹大与她玛是耶稣基督在肉身上的直系祖先（参太1:1-6）。

　　三八24～26 过了三个月，他玛被控作了妓女，因为她身为寡妇，竟有了身孕。犹大下令要烧死她（古时的家长有权处死家人）。此时，她交出典押品，并宣告典押品的主人正是所怀婴孩的父亲。典押品正好证明犹大确实曾与她发生性行为。韦华德生动地描述这一幕：“犹大的同伴传话，他的媳妇他玛作了妓女。他的裁决既快捷又决断：把她烧了！他毫不犹豫，也不用协议。他说出这句令人震惊的话的时候，声线会否有点颤抖呢？我们不得而知。以色列社会必须摒除如斯荒唐恶毒的陋习。一言既出，日子已定；准备工夫正在进行，火刑柱已立；桩已准备妥当。行列正形成，群众聚集。那妇人正步向那明显可见的结局。然而，她手持信物，典押品也在她那里；她拿着杖和环。仗是犹大的仗，环也是他的环！典押品变成审判他的指控。现在，他的判决会有多重呢？”

　　“她比我更有义”——他玛所用的方法，固然邪恶，但她的动机，却是切望不使死人的名，在以色列中被涂抹，这一点是犹大身上所缺少的。这件事使犹大认识了他的罪恶，因而说了“她比我更有义”的话。

　　三八27～30 他玛将要生产，婴孩伸出一只手来，收生婆拿红线拴在他手上，以为他是头生的。随后，婴孩把手收回去，另一婴孩出来了。她给他起名叫法勒斯（突围），另一个起名叫谢拉。虽然弥赛亚的族系由法勒斯而来。但马太福音一章3节仍有提及这时双生：谢拉是亚干的先祖（书七1）。谭姆士评论说：“神可以使用这杂乱的一团线，编织成他独有的图案，实在令人惊讶！”

　　犹大娶了迦南女子为妻（2节），是神的百姓与出名败坏的一族混在一起的第一步。成千上万的民众行淫邪的敬拜，以色列也被他们感染。神是分别为圣的神，我们与世界亲善的时候，就要付上沉重的代价。

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Genesis 38 Judah and Tamar 1And it came about at that time, that Judah departed from his brothers and visited a certain (A)Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was (B)Shua; and he took her and went in to her. 3So she conceived and bore a son and he named him (C)Er. 4Then she conceived again and bore a son and named him (D)Onan. 5She bore still another son and named him (E)Shelah; and it was at Chezib that she bore him. 6Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7But (F)Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD took his life. 8Then Judah said to Onan, "(G)Go in to your brother's wife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother." 9Onan knew that the (H)offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother's wife, he wasted his seed on the ground in order not to give offspring to his brother. 10But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; so He (I)took his life also. 11Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "(J)Remain a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up"; for he thought, "I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers." So Tamar went and lived in her father's house. 12Now after a considerable time Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at (K)Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13It was told to Tamar, "Behold, your father-in-law is going up to (L)Timnah to shear his sheep." 14So she removed her widow's garments and (M)covered herself with a [a]veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and (N)she had not been given to him as a wife. 15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face. 16So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, "Here now, let me come in to you"; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?" 17He said, therefore, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." She said, moreover, "Will you give a pledge until you send it?" 18He said, "What pledge shall I give you?" And she said, "(O)Your seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand." So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19Then she arose and departed, and removed her veil and put on her widow's garments. 20When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her. 21He asked the men of her place, saying, "Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?" But they said, "There has been no temple prostitute here." 22So he returned to Judah, and said, "I did not find her; and furthermore, the men of the place said, 'There has been no temple prostitute here.'" 23Then Judah said, "Let her keep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her." 24Now it was about three months later that Judah was informed, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also with child by harlotry." Then Judah said, "Bring her out and (P)let her be burned!" 25It was while she was being brought out that she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "I am with child by the man to whom these things belong." And she said, "(Q)Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?" 26Judah recognized them, and said, "(R)She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as (S)I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he did not have relations with her again. 27It came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were (T)twins in her womb. 28Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "This one came out first." 29But it came about as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" So he was named (U)Perez. 30Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named [c](V)Zerah.