Genesis 38:30
in Genesis 38Then his brother came out with the scarlet thread around his wrist, and he was named Zerah.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zerah.
KJV
And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.
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This verse in Genesis 38
Commentary
5 notes on this verse(Verse 30.) After this, his brother came out, who had the scarlet thread in his hand, and his name was called Zara. This name means 'east'. Therefore, either because he appeared first, or because many righteous people were born from him, as it is written in the book of Chronicles (1 Chronicles 2 and following), he was called Zara, that is, 'east'.
This site's exposition
You have broken out first
on Genesis 38:29-30
He pulls his hand back, his brother comes out first, and she names him Perez, a breach. The other comes out with the scarlet thread on his wrist, and he is named Zerah. The younger goes ahead of the elder. Ruth 4:18 traces David's line from Perez, and Matthew 1:3 names Perez and Zerah of Tamar.
This site's exposition
he was named Zerah
The twin with the scarlet thread on his wrist is named Zerah, rising, the Hebrew verb for the sun coming up. Achan of the tribe of Judah descends from him at Joshua 7:1, and so do the wise men Ethan and Heman at 1 Chronicles 2:6. Achan took the devoted things at Jericho.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And afterward came out his brother that had the scarlet thread upon his hand,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
His name was called Zarah - זרה Zarach, risen or sprung up, applied to the sun, rising and diffusing his light. “He had this name,” says Ainsworth, “because he should have risen, i. e., have been born first, but for the breach which his brother made.” There are several subjects in this chapter on which it may not be unprofitable to spend a few additional moments. 1. The insertion of this chapter is a farther proof of the impartiality of the sacred writer.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַחַר֙ | veachar | and after | H310 → | 715 times |
| יָצָ֣א | yatza' | he came out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אָחִ֔יו | ʾachiv | brother his | H251 → | 630 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [was] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יָד֖וֹ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| הַשָּׁנִ֑י | hashani | the scarlet thread | H8144 → | |
| וַיִּקְרָ֥א | vaiyikra' | and someone called | H7121 → | 733 times |
| שְׁמ֖וֹ | shemo | name his | H8034 → | 864 times |
| זָֽרַח׃ ס | zarach | Zerah | H2226 → | 21 times |
וְאַחַר֙and after
veacharH310 →715 times
יָצָ֣אhe came out
yatza'H3318 →1067 times
אָחִ֔יוbrother his
ʾachivH251 →630 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עַל־[was] on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יָד֖וֹhand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
הַשָּׁנִ֑יthe scarlet thread
hashaniH8144 →
וַיִּקְרָ֥אand someone called
vaiyikra'H7121 →733 times
שְׁמ֖וֹname his
shemoH8034 →864 times
זָֽרַח׃ סZerah
zarachH2226 →21 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Chronicles 2:4Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law, bore to him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.
it leads to
- Matthew 1:3
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram.
- Genesis 38:13–30
When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,”
- Numbers 26:20–21
These were the descendants of Judah by their clans: The Shelanite clan from Shelah, the Perezite clan from Perez, and the Zerahite clan from Zerah.
- Matthew 1:3
Through
Matthew 1:3Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram.
it leads to
- Genesis 38:29–30
But when he pulled his hand back and his brother came out, she said, “You have broken out first!” So he was named Perez.
- Genesis 38:24–27
About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and now she is pregnant.” “Bring her out!” Judah replied. “Let her be burned to death!”
- Genesis 46:12
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.
- 1 Chronicles 4:1
The descendants of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.
- Ruth 4:18–22
Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron,
- Genesis 38:29–30
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
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About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jerome, Hebrew Questions on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament.