| Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 38:1-30 The profligate conduct of Judah and his family. - This chapter gives an account of Judah and his family, and such an account it is, that it seems a wonder that of all Jacob's sons, our Lord should spring out of Judah, Heb 7:14. But God will show that his choice is of grace and not of merit, and that Christ came into the world to save sinners, even the chief. Also, that the worthiness of Christ is of himself, and not from his ancestors. How little reason had the Jews, who were so called from this Judah, to boast as they did, Joh 8:41. What awful examples the Lord proclaims in his punishments, of his utter displeasure at sin! Let us seek grace from God to avoid every appearance of sin. And let that state of humbleness to which Jesus submitted, when he came to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, in appointing such characters as those here recorded, to be his ancestors, endear the Redeemer to our hearts.
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 2. - And Judah saw there the daughter of a certain (literally, of a man, a) Canaanite, - not of a merchant (Onkelos), but of an inhabitant of the land of Canaan - whose name was Shuah; - "Wealth," "Riches," "Cry for Help" (Gesenius). This was not the name of Judah's wife (LXX.), but of her father - (vide ver. 12) - and he took her, - i.e. married her (viz. Genesis 6:2; Genesis 24:67) - and went in unto her.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite,.... Onkelos and Jonathan, and so Jarchi and Ben Gersom, interpret it a "merchant", to take off the disgrace of his falling in love with, and marrying a Canaanitish woman, which was forbidden by his ancestors Abraham and Isaac, and which his father avoided: whose name was Shuah; not the name of the woman he married, but the name of her father, as appears from Genesis 38:12; and who very probably was a man of note in the country: and he took her; to be his wife, with her and her father's consent, not by force: and went in unto her; cohabited with her as his wife.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary2. And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite—Like Esau [Ge 26:34], this son of Jacob, casting off the restraints of religion, married into a Canaanite family; and it is not surprising that the family which sprang from such an unsuitable connection should be infamous for bold and unblushing wickedness.
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