Levirate Law in Genesis

Levirate laws’ first mention in the Old Testament was in Genesis 38 concerning Judah and Tamar, Tamar had married one of Judah’s sons and then God killed that son, so Tamar then married her bereft husband’s brother, as was her right. The new husband was also smited by God, so naturally Tamar requested Judah’s last son, which gave Judah cause for pause. Judah was afraid that the woman may be cursed, so he maintained authority over her as she was supposed to be perpetuating heirs. However, Judah withheld his third son in the interest of saving him, but at the expense of defrauding her. Tamar then skipped a step in the Levirate Law process, when she slept with Judah and got pregnant. She did this by posing as a prostitute, apparently she knew Judah had an appetite for desert prostitutes, and she ensnared him into fathering her child. (Because Judah was an honorable man he left some of his belongings to assure her of payment)… When Judah found out she was pregnant he ordered that she be brought up on charges, but when she revealed that he was the father (by showing him his stuff) he referred to her as “more righteous than he,” and had the charges dropped. Through this strange process, Tamar was given justice, and Judah owed her no more, specifically his other son.