Enaim, the place where Tamar sat and posed as a prostitute to deceive Judah.
Also known as openly,open place
Enaim is mentioned in the Bible as the place where Tamar, the daughter-in-law of Judah, posed as a prostitute (Gen. 38:14,21). After the death of her husband, Tamar was denied the opportunity to marry Judah's youngest son, Shelah, as was customary. Determined to secure her rights and conceive a child, Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute and sat at the entrance to Enaim. Judah, not recognizing her, slept with her, and she conceived twin sons, Perez and Zerah (Gen. 38:27-30). When Judah later sought to find the supposed prostitute, he was told that there was no cult prostitute in Enaim (Gen. 38:21-22). The events at Enaim highlight the complex social and moral dynamics of the patriarchal period and the importance of securing one's lineage and rights within the family structure.
Approximate location: 31.784, 34.910 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
2 verses in 1 book · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H5879
she removed her widowʼs garments, covered her face with a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that although Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.
He asked the men of that place, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “No shrine prostitute has been here,” they answered.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.