“What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?”
The full verse · Genesis 38:16 · KJV
And he unto her by the , and , Go , I pray thee, let me come unto thee; (for he not that she was his daughter in .) And she , What wilt thou me, that thou mayest come unto me?
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Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionTamar’s question secures a pledge that will serve as undeniable proof of paternity, turning a transaction into the means of obtaining justice for the levirate right Judah had denied her.
The Response
What Scripture recordsJudah promised a young goat from the flock, and when Tamar pressed for a pledge until it came, he gave his signet, cord, and staff, the tokens that would later expose him (Genesis 38:17-18).
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyTamar’s question is the pivot of her stratagem. By asking what Judah will give, she opens the way to demand a pledge, and the pledge she names, his signet, cord, and staff, are precisely the items that identify him beyond dispute. What appears to be a negotiation over price is in fact the securing of evidence. The question, simple on its surface, is the calculated move by which Tamar will later prove her case and force Judah to acknowledge, ‘She hath been more righteous than I.’
God’s purposes can run through painful and morally complicated human situations without endorsing the wrongs in them. Tamar was wronged, denied her rightful place, and resorted to deception to secure justice; Judah failed in his duty and his integrity. Yet from this came a line leading to Christ. The account warns against neglecting our obligations to the vulnerable and shows that God’s grace is not limited by the messiness of human history.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
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