“Genesis 38:27-30”

Monday, March 23, 2020

“It came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb. Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, 'This one came out first.' But it came about as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, 'What a breach you have made for yourself!' So he was named Perez. Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named Zerah.”

---End of Scripture verses---

“It came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb.” (verse 27) Like Judah's grandmother Rebekah, Tamar gave birth to twins. Unlike Rebekah, Tamar was unaware that two sons were seemingly vying for preeminence in her womb until the the moment of delivery. Nahum Sarna suggests that these two new little blessings may have been compensation of sorts from the Lord for the untimely loss of his two oldest sons Er and Onan.

“While she was giving birth, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand...” (verse 28) This was not a typical birth, as indicated by the fact there were unexpected twins, and that the hand of one came out first instead of his head. No other details about Tamar's experience are given, but it appears that this was likely a difficult labor by the unusual way that the two boys entered into the world of light and breath. “The midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, 'This one came out first.'” At least that is what she thought was going to happen, but she was in for a surprise.

“But it came about as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, 'What a breach you have made for yourself!' So he was named Perez. ” (verse 29) The midwife was obviously startled and amazed at the extraordinary event she had witnessed. Perez made an “opening” for himself where one did not exist and “broke forth”, hence his father gave him that name. The Hebrew word for “breach” is “perets”. “This breach be upon thee; if any damage comes either to the mother or to the brother, and so carries in it the nature of an imprecation; or rather, that the memory of so strange an event might be preserved...” (Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible)

“Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named Zerah.” (verse 30) Nahum Sarna suggests that the “Hebrew stem means 'brightness,' which suggests and allusion to the crimson thread.” “A word which probably meant 'the rising of the sun'; but was apparently in popular etymology connected with a word meaning 'scarlet'... In this narrative we may discern a reminiscence of a time in which the clans of Er and Onan disappeared from the tribe of Judah; while those of Perez and Zerah, connected with native Canaanites, became incorporated with it, but were rivals with one another, Zerah, though the more ancient, being obliged to yield to the greater vigour of Perez.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges)

“Such details were recorded because of the importance of the key link in Messiah's line. Perez, the firstborn, was the one through whom Jesus came. It was only an oddity that the firstborn was not Zerah; and perhaps the ancients saw in this a figure of how narrowly the Messianic line was spared the necessity of passing down from the daughter of Shua the Canaanite. 'This incident testifies to the importance and privileges attached to the firstborn.'” (James Burton Coffman)

Please read Genesis 39:1-6 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

Share