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Genesis 38:15

Made Simple — Modern English Translation

Translated by Verse Made Simple Editorial
KJV ORIGINAL
When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE

When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

This verse shows how Judah mistook his daughter-in-law Tamar for a prostitute because she was wearing a face covering, which was apparently how such women dressed in that culture.

📚 Historical Context

This occurs during Tamar's desperate plan to get justice from Judah, who had failed to give her his youngest son in marriage as promised after his other sons died. In ancient Near Eastern culture, prostitutes often covered their faces or wore veils as part of their trade, which is why Judah made this assumption when he encountered the disguised Tamar.

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Translation & Methodology Sources

The original manuscript text provided is based on the King James Version (KJV), which is in the public domain. Our modern English simplifications are generated via proprietary philological synthesis, cross-referenced against Strong's Exhaustive Concordance and the Textus Receptus to ensure unwavering theological and etymological precision.

Read our full translation methodology →