Genesis 38:29

29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez.^[a]

Genesis 38:29 in Other Translations

29 And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.

29 But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" Therefore his name was called Perez.

29 But then he pulled back his hand, and out came his brother! “What!” the midwife exclaimed. “How did you break out first?” So he was named Perez.

29 But then he pulled it back and his brother came out. She said, "Oh! A breakout!" So she named him Perez (Breakout).

29 But then he pulled his hand back, and his brother came out. Then she said, "You have broken out [first]!" So he was named Perez.

Genesis 38:29 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 38:29

And it came to pass as he drew back his hand
Into the "uterus" again; that, behold, his brother came out;
out of his mother's womb, and so was properly born first: and she said;
either Tamar, or rather, her midwife: how hast thou broken forth?
it was astonishing to her how it could be, having never met with the like in her practice before; she could not imagine how it was possible for him to come forth first, when his brother lay in the way of him, and nearest the birth, as appeared by his putting out his hand: [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, she imposed a name on him that should continue it: therefore his name was called Pharez:
or "therefore he called" {k}; Judah called his name Pharez, agreeably to what the midwife had related. From him, in a line of succession, sprang the Messiah, the Pharez or breaker, ( Micah 2:13 ) ; for the sake of which the whole history of this chapter seems to be recorded, ( Matthew 1:3 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 (arqyw) "vocavit", Pagninus, Montanus; "ideoque vocavit", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Schmidt.

Genesis 38:29 In-Context

27 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.

28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.”

29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez.

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

Cross References

• 1. Genesis 25:26
• 2. Genesis 46:12; Numbers 26:20,21; Ruth 4:12,18; 2 Samuel 5:20; 2 Samuel 6:8; 1 Chronicles 2:4; 1 Chronicles 9:4; Isaiah 28:21; Matthew 1:3

Footnotes

• [a]. "Perez" means "breaking out."