Judah

Family: Joseph's Family · Role: one of Joseph's brethren · First appears: Joseph Hated By His Brethren

Judah was one of Joseph’s brethren. After Joseph’s coat was brought to Jacob, he comforted his grieving father, though he too wept. The brothers later deprived Judah of his dignity as their king and excluded him from their fellowship. At Adullam he married Bath-shua, and his two oldest sons died; his wife died shortly afterward. He also planned to marry Tamar to Shelah, but when she became pregnant by Judah, he publicly acknowledged her innocence and confessed that he was the father.

When Joseph imprisoned the brothers in Egypt after they failed to bring Benjamin, Judah returned with them and joined the plea to protect his youngest brother. Jacob granted Judah’s request to take Benjamin to Egypt, accepting his promise to bring him back safely, and entrusted him with a letter for Egypt’s ruler. After the cup was found, Judah prepared to use force to rescue Benjamin from slavery; he broke open the chamber door and confronted Joseph with his brothers.

After Joseph revealed himself and reassured his brothers that he held no vengeance against them, Judah burned the idol-decorated wagons. Jacob sent Judah ahead to Goshen to prepare a dwelling and a study house for the family. Later, Jacob declared that kingship belonged to Judah and blessed his line with enduring rule and teachers of the law. In his testament, Judah said, “Wine led me astray,” and recounted his actions with Bath-shua and Tamar; he said he abstained from wine, flesh, and pleasure as penance into old age, and died at 119.