A PROSTITUTE — the plain, ordinary word (from zanah, to be unfaithful, to whore), used both literally and, all through the prophets, as the standing metaphor for Israel's unfaithfulness. It is what the narrator says Judah took Tamar to be (38:15) — and pointedly NOT the word his friend Hirah uses in public two verses later; see qedeshah. KJV 'harlot' for both, which loses the difference entirely. ⚠ Deuteronomy 23:19 (already on these pages) sets the plain word beside the consecrated one: the verse before forbids the qedeshah, and this one forbids bringing the wage of a zonah into the house of Jehovah for any vow. The law knows both women and uses the two words in consecutive verses. → first discussed at Gen 38:15