Why Is Tamar’s Name Included in Matthew’s Genealogy of Jesus?

A questioner asks, “Why is Tamar’s name included in the genealogy of Matthew?” (Matthew 1:3). That’s an easy question to answer. She was among the ancestors of our Lord. However, it was more common to include male ancestors rather than the female ancestors, though some other notable female ancestors also appear in the family tree (e.g., Rahab, Ruth and a reference to Bathsheba, Matthew 1:5-6). The Gospel Advocate Commentary for the Gospel According to Matthew supposes that Tamar was included due to the unorthodox way in which she was the mother of one of Judah’s sons in Christ’s lineage; the same could be said of Bathsheba. Rahab and Ruth, both Gentiles, represent along with Jewish ancestry the sum of all human races in the lineage of our Savior. The tainted characters of Tamar, Rahab and Bathsheba along with the Gentile background of Ruth in the family tree of Christ did not detract from the effectiveness of His redemptive mission. Rather, Jesus Christ came to save all mankind, though unfortunately most of the world’s population has not responded to God’s free gift of His Son.