Three women by this name, which means 'date palm,' are mentioned in the Old Testament.
1. The wife of Er, firstborn son of Judah, and mother of Perez and Zerah (Gen38). When her first husband died for his wickedness, she was married to his brother Onan, who also died for his wickedness in refusing to sire a son for his dead brother was custom dictated. Fearing what might happen to his last son, Judah kept her from his last son Shelah. With no way out to fulfilling her responsibility of producing a son for her husband, she disguised herself and mistaken for a prostitute, was asked by Judah to sleep with him. When she became pregnant and was about to be burned for adultery, Judah was identified as the father. Judah realized his own guilt and praised her for being more righteous than he. She produced two children, Perez and Zerah, the former becoming the ancestors of the Davidic line of kings.
Open Family Tree ☰ (Generation 2)
2. Daughter of David by Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshuri, and sister of Absalom (2 Sam 13:1). Her beauty caught the fancy of her hafl-brother, Amnon, who "became frustrated to the point of illness on account of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her" (v2). Counseled by his shrewd cousin, he asked his father to have Tamar come care for him while he was sick, and took advantage of the circumstances to rape her. Afterwards he expelled her from his presence and she took refuge, "a desolate woman" (v20),S with her brother Absalom. Absalom brooded with anger and hatred for two years before he hatched a plot and had Amnon murdered (vv28-29). Then he fled and was not reconciled to his father for a long while.
Open Family Tree ☰ (Generation 13)
3. Only daughter of Absalom, son of David (2 Sam 14:27). She may have been so named because of his sister Tamar who was raped by his half-brother, Amnon. Besides the fact that "she became a beautiful woman" we know nothing about her.
Open Family Tree ☰ (Generation 14)
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