Tamar: One Woman, Two Stories, One Symbol

At first glance, the Bible presents us with two Tamars—one in Genesis 38, the other in 2 Samuel 13. Yet, when understood symbolically, these are not two separate women but one archetypal figure: the sacred, receptive imagination.

In Genesis 38:13–30, Tamar takes bold and intentional action to find her lover—disguising herself to meet him and bring forth breakthrough. This reflects the feminine aspect of imagination that actively seeks union with the beloved, not passively waiting but moving with faith and purpose. She embodies the woman in the Song of Solomon who searches for her love, longing for sacred union with patience and determination.

In 2 Samuel 13:1–22, Tamar again represents this receptive and yearning imagination not yet married and in described in a sister aspect. This aligns deeply with the imagery in the Song of Solomon, where the woman’s tender search for her beloved symbolises the sacred seeking for union.

However, Tamar’s quest for union is violently interrupted. Instead of the mutual, loving embrace celebrated in the Song of Solomon, her imagination is forcibly violated by untransformed desire in the form of Amnon. The sacred receptivity that seeks love is met with force, reflecting the distortion that occurs when desire is driven by ego and impatience rather than reverence and alignment.

Though these narratives differ in form, they share the same symbol: Tamar—the woman whose creative power is defined by her seeking and yearning for union with her love. Her story reveals the condition of imagination itself—either honoured and fulfilled in sacred union or wounded and desolate when violated.

Tamar is not two separate figures but one spiritual reality appearing twice, illustrating the profound inner drama of imagination—its active pursuit of love and the consequences when that longing is misunderstood or misused.