Genesis 38:28

28 As the babies were being born, one of them stuck out his hand. So the woman who was helping Tamar took a bright red thread. The woman tied it on the baby's wrist. She said, "This one came out first."

Genesis 38:28 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 38:28

And it came to pass when she travailed
Her birth throes came strong and quick upon her: that [the one] put out [his] hand;
which showed that she was like to have a difficult and dangerous time of it; that the birth was not like to be according to the usual and natural order, which may be considered as a correction for her sin: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying,
this came out first;
she tied this to his wrist, that she might know whose hand it was, and so which was the firstborn; which, to know was a matter of consequence, since to the firstborn there were some special and peculiar privileges.

Genesis 38:28 In-Context

26 Judah recognized them. He said, "She's a better person than I am. I should have given her to my son Shelah, but I didn't." Judah never had sex with Tamar again.

27 The time came for Tamar to have her baby. There were twin boys inside her.

28 As the babies were being born, one of them stuck out his hand. So the woman who was helping Tamar took a bright red thread. The woman tied it on the baby's wrist. She said, "This one came out first."

29 But he pulled his hand back, and his brother came out first instead. She said, "Just look at how you have broken out!" So he was called Perez.

30 Then his brother, who had the red thread on his wrist, came out. So he was named Zerah.