Tamar and Ruth

There are 5 named women in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Two of them were gentiles… Rahab and Ruth. And two of them were women of Levirate marriage… Tamar and Ruth.

One of the gentile women, Rahab, had a son who married the other gentile woman… Boaz. Boaz married Ruth and Ruth became the daughter-in-law of Rahab.

So the intersecting point between being a gentile and a levirate wife in the lineage of Jesus Christ was Ruth.

Boaz’ mother was a gentile and Boaz’ wife was a gentile.

Consider the similarities and differences between Tamar and Ruth.

- Tamar’s father-in-law, Judah, had two sons killed by God because they were evil.

- Ruth’s father-in-law, Elimilech, also had two sons who died. The text doesn’t state that God killed them but that idea has to be considered because of the obvious parallel with Judah’s sons.

- Judah considered Tamar to be cursed and the cause of his son’s deaths.

- Judah started with three sons, lost two of them then gained two more. He finished with three sons.

- Tamar’s un-named mother-in-law died but Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi lived and reared Obed. Naomi was named because of her obvious righteousness.

- Tamar’s father-in-law, Judah, lived but Ruth’s father-in-law, Elimiech, died.

- Tamar seduced her father-in-law to have sex with her. There is no record that they ever married. Tamar’s twin sons were sired unrighteously but in spite of that her son Perez and his household became famous.

- Ruth carefully and righteously followed Naomi’s instructions to “court” Boaz and the text says they were married and had a son conceived out of righteousness named Obed.

- The people of Bethlehem blessed Ruth and recognized the parallels between her and Tamar.

- The people told Naomi that she was blessed to have Ruth and that Ruth had been better to her than seven sons. Poor Tamar never received such acclaim.

- Tamar and Ruth were both famous but one was better than the other.