Place Old Testament
Enaim
Also known as Enaim =ESV, NIV; openly, open place =KJV
Enaim, the place where Tamar sat and posed as a prostitute to deceive Judah. Mentioned in 2 verses across 1 book, first at Genesis 38:14.
Why it matters. Enaim, place where Tamar posed as a prostitute
- Primary passages
- Location
- 31.784, 34.910 (approximate, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Enaim
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.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 2 verses across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.