Biblical Hebrew Forum

[jimstinehart AT aol.com]

TMR T)MR
 
On three occasions in chapter 38 of Genesis we seeT)MR, where in context the 
meaning is “Tamar said”.  Though we don’t literally see TMR T)MR in thetext, 
as that would be redundant, in effect TMR T)MR is there three times.  T’MR at 
Genesis 38: 16 and Genesis 38: 17 isreferring to what TMR said when she 
(impersonating a prostitute) said that shemust get pledges from her 
customer/father-in-law Judah, and T’MR at Genesis 38:25 is referring to what 
TMR said at the climactic moment when Tamar later saidthat she still has 
Judah’s pledges.  Thuswhat TMR T’MR/she said on those three occasions is how 
Tamar avoids gettingburned alive.  
 
Is this a deliberate pun, where what TMR said, T’MR,is the key to defining 
Tamar’s role in Genesis, with the name TMR being ashortened form of T’MR and 
meaning “she said”? Whereas “date palm tree” is irrelevant to the storyline, 
what “she said”[TMR T)MR] is of critical importance to the storyline at 
Genesis 38: 16, 17,25, because at those three places T’MR is used to indicate 
critical things thatTMR said.  If TMR had not T’MR/said twiceto Judah that 
she needed a pledge, and if TMR had not T’MR/said later to Judahthat she 
still had his pledge, TMR would have been burned alive.
 
Is it possible that the intended Hebrew meaning ofthe name TMR at chapter 38 
of Genesis is a shortened form of T)MR, meaning “shesaid”?  TMR T)MR:  “she 
said” [TMR T)MR] twice that she needed apledge from Judah, and then later 
“she said” [TMR T)MR] that she still hadJudah’s pledge, thereby avoiding 
getting burned alive.  TMR T)MR, three times over, is essential tothe 
storyline of chapter 38 of Genesis, and may be the intended Hebrew meaningof 
the name “Tamar”:  TMR T)MR.
 
Jim Stinehart