Verse 26 introduces the solution to the conflict and is the climax of the story.

Then Judah acknowledged them: that is, “Judah looked at them and recognized that they were his.” See Good News Translation.

She is more righteous than I: righteous here refers to being right in respect to keeping the law of the levirate marriage. This is clearly shown in the next sentence. Tamar had made a heroic effort to satisfy the obligation of bearing children for her dead husband. Judah, on the other hand, had withheld his last son from her, and so was in the wrong. In other words, Tamar had respected or honored the law of the levirate, whereas Judah had not. Bible en français courant gives a good rendering that makes clear Judah’s meaning: “She has respected the law better that I have.” We may also translate “She has done the right thing and I have done wrong.”

Inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah: in this way Judah states what it was that he did wrong. We may translate, for example, “because I did not give her to my son Shelah in marriage” or “because I failed to have my son Shelah marry her.”

And he did not lie with her again: he is Judah and her is Tamar. Lie with her is literally “know her,” as in 4.1. It is not actually stated in the text, but in some languages it is expected that the story will say at this point that Judah did not proceed with the punishment. One translation, for example, finishes this episode by saying “Judah let her go free. They didn’t kill her; and Judah did not sleep with her again.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .