Here are some excerpts from Swedenborg's "Arcana Coelestia" that help explain the inner meaning of this chapter:

AC 4811. The subject treated of in this chapter, in the internal Sense, is the Jewish Church and the genuine church; the Jewish Church is described by Judah, and the genuine church by Tamar.

AC 4812. The sons by Tamar signify the two essentials of the church, namely, faith and love--Perez faith, and Zerah love. Their birth represents that love is actually the firstborn of the church, and faith only apparently so.

4811. Genesis 38

1. And it happened at that time, that Judah went down from his brothers, and turned aside even to a man, an Adullamite; and his name was Hirah.

2. And there Judah saw the daughter of a man, a Canaanite, and his name was Shua; and he took her and came [in] to her.

3. And she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er.

4. And she conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.

5. And yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah; and he was in Kezib as she was giving birth to him.

6. And Judah took a wife (mulier) for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

7. And Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah caused him to die.

8. And Judah said to Onan, Come [in] to your brother's wife (uxor) and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her, and raise up seed for your brother.

9. And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and so it was, when he came [in] to his brother's wife (uxor), that he spilled it on the ground, ¹ so that he should not provide seed for his brother.

10. And what he had done was evil in the eyes of Jehovah; and He caused him to die also.

11. And Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in your father's house, until Shelah my son is grown up; for he said, In case he also dies, like his brothers. And Tamar went and remained in her father's house.

12. And the days were multiplied, and Shua's daughter died, the wife of Judah; and Judah was comforted, and he went up to the shearers of his flock, he and his companion Hirah the Adullamite, to Timnah.

13. And it was pointed out to Tamar, saying, Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his flock.

14. And she took off the clothes of her widowhood from upon her, and covered herself with a veil, and concealed herself, and sat in the gate of the fountains, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.

15. And Judah saw her and supposed that she was a prostitute, because she had covered her face.

16. And he turned aside to her at the wayside, and said, Allow me now to come [in] to you; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What do you give me for coming [in] to me?

17. And he said, I will send a kid of the she-goats from the flock. And she said, If you give a pledge until you send it.

18. And he said, What is the pledge which I am to give you? And she said, Your seal, your cord, and your rod which is in your hand. And he gave them to her, and came [in] to her; and she conceived from him.

19. And she rose up and went, and took off her veil from upon her and put on the clothes of her widowhood.

20. And Judah sent the kid of the she-goats by the hand of his companion the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand; and he did not find her.

21. And he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the harlot in the fountains on the wayside? And they said, There has been no harlot there.

22. And he returned to Judah and said, I did not find her; and also the men of the place said, There has been no harlot there.

23. And Judah said, Let her keep [them]; maybe we shall be put to shame. Behold, I sent this kid, and you did not find her.

24. And so it was about three months later, that it was pointed out to Judah, saying, Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed whoredom, and also, behold, she is pregnant owing to acts of whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her out, and let her be burnt.

25. She was brought out; and she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man to whom these belong I am pregnant. And she said, Acknowledge now to whom these belong, the seal and the cord and the rod.

26. And Judah acknowledged them and said, She is more righteous than I am, seeing that I have not given her to Shelah my son. And he did not know her ever again.

27. And it happened at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb.

28. And it happened as she was giving birth, that one put out a hand; and the midwife took and bound on his hand a twice-dyed thread, saying, This one came out first.

29. And it happened as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out; and she said, Why have you made a breach upon yourself? And he called his name Perez.

30. And afterwards his brother came out, on whose hand was the twice-dyed thread; and he called his name Zerah.

CONTENTS

The internal sense deals in this chapter with the Jewish Church and the genuine Church. The Jewish Church is described by means of Judah, and the genuine Church by Tamar.

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