Genesis 38:30 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.

NIV: Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah.

NASB: Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named Zerah.

CSB: Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread tied to his hand, came out, and was named Zerah.

NLT: Then the baby with the scarlet string on his wrist was born, and he was named Zerah.

KJV: And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.

NKJV: Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called Zerah.

Tamar's twins are being born. In what must have been an abnormal and awkward delivery, one boy extended out a hand. The quick-witted midwife tied a red thread around his wrist to show he was technically the firstborn. Unexpectedly, however, that baby drew his hand back in and his brother was fully delivered before his delivery could be completed.

The boy without the thread was named Perez, meaning "break through." Technically, he is the "younger" of the two. Now the baby with the thread is born. He is named Zerah, meaning "shining" or "brightness."

Thus, Judah's family expands by two. Tamar (Genesis 38:14–20) finally has the children Judah's two oldest sons did not provide. God will continue the pattern of emphasizing His choice over birth order (Genesis 25:23) in these children, as well. In the future, it will be the younger Perez, not the older Zerah, who carries on the main legacy of Judah.

Genesis 38:27–30 records the birth of Judah's twin sons, scandalously conceived through his own daughter-in-law, Tamar. Just as with Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:22–23), there is rivalry between twins.

Jacob's son Judah marries a Canaanite woman and has three sons. His first son marries a woman called Tamar but is put to death by God for an unnamed sin. Judah follows tradition and marries Er's widow to the next oldest brother. Onan takes advantage of the situation for sex, but deliberately refuses to give her children. God puts him to death as well. When Judah abandons Tamar, she disguises herself as a prostitute and has sex with him. Found to be pregnant, she proves Judah is the father, and he admits his guilt. She then gives birth to twin boys.

Genesis 38 departs from the story of Joseph (Genesis 37:26–28) to describe what happens when Judah moves away from his family at Hebron and marries a Canaanite woman. Two of his three sons are put to death by God, each while married to the same woman. When Judah abandons her, she works a scheme to trick him into having sex with her. Confronted with proof that he is the father in her scandalous pregnancy, she is allowed to live and gives birth to Judah's twin boys. The following chapter returns to a focus on Joseph and his rise within Egyptian society (Genesis 39:1).

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 11/21/2024 10:13:16 AM