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1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2Sarai said to Abram, “See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my servant. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife. 4He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 5Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong is your fault. I gave my servant into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, she despised me. May Yahweh judge between me and you.”

6But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes.” Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.

7Yahweh’s angel found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur. 8He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where did you come from? Where are you going?”

She said, “I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.”

9Yahweh’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.” 10Yahweh’s angel said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, that they will not be counted for multitude.” 11Yahweh’s angel said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction. 12He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposed to all of his brothers.”

13She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,” for she said, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?” 14Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

15Hagar bore a son for Abram. Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Person

Judah (patriarch)

Lived
1755 BC – ? (approximate)
Father Jacob (Israel)
Mother Leah
Children OnanShelahPharezErZerah
Siblings IssacharDinahLevi (patriarch)ReubenSimeonZebulun
 Biography | Hershel Wayne House

Judah was the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, and one of the twelve sons of Jacob, his name in Hebrew is Yehudah, meaning praise. Judah is one of the more significant figures in the Bible. The important tribe of Judah is named after the patriarch Judah, since King David, and ultimately Jesus the Messiah, came from this tribe.

In the well-known study relating to the selling of Joseph into slavery because of the anger of the brothers against Joseph and their decision to kill him. Judah intercedes and convinces them to sell Joseph to some traders who were passing through, which enabled him to become a leader in Egypt.

In addition to this event regarding Joseph, Judah is also known because of his involvement regarding Tamar. According to custom, when a man died, the woman was to be married to a brother of the brother who died (later known as the levirate law). After two of Judah's sons died, it was custom for the third son then to marry Tamar and bear a child for the deceased son. Tamar attempted to avoid this custom and dressed as a prostitute and tricked Judah to have sex with her, which resulted in her giving birth to two sons, Perez and Zerah, which then continued the line of Judah, from which the Messiah came.

Copyright © 2026 Hershel Wayne House. All rights reserved.
 Biography | Hershel Wayne House

The fourth son of Jacob and Leah was Judah. Afterward, his name was used for the tribe of Israel, which  became the prominent tribe of the Jewish people. Judah, through Shuah, was the father of Er, Onan, and Shelah. The oldest of these sons married Tamar (married to several sons of Judah). Two of his sons (Er and Onan) married Tamar (consistent with Israel's levirate law), and each died. Judah, then, refused to allow Tamar to marry his remaining son. After this Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute and Judah had sexual relations with her, and through Tamar became the father of Perez and Zerah. Later Judah was instrumental in preserving the life of his youngest brother Joseph, when the other brothers, being jealous of Joseph, plotted to kill him. He offered the alternative of selling Joseph to men on the way to Egypt. When Jacob was dying, he gave Judah a special blessing that his tribe would be over the other tribes of Israel (see Gen 29:35; 35:23; 37:26, 27; 38:1-30; 43:3-10; 44:14-34; 46:12, 28; 49:8-12; Exod 1:2; Num 1:7, 26, 27; 26:19-22; 1 Chr 2:1, 3, 4; 4:1; Matt 1:2; Luke 3:33; Heb 7:14).

Copyright © 2026 Hershel Wayne House. All rights reserved.
Person & place data: Theographic Bible Metadata by Robert Rouse (Viz.Bible), CC BY-SA 4.0.