Genesis 38:28

28 and in that birth of the children, one put forth the hand, in which hand the midwife bound a red thread, and said, This shall go out before. (and during the birth of the children, one put out his hand, and the midwife tied a red thread on his wrist, and said, This one shall go 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 And when the gifts were known, Judah said, She is more just than I, for I gave not her to Shelah, my son; nevertheless Judah knew her no more fleshly. (And when the gifts were seen, Judah said, She is more in the right than I am, for I did not give her to my son Shelah; but Judah did not know her fleshly any more.)

27 Soothly when the childbearing nighed, two children appeared in the womb,

28 and in that birth of the children, one put forth the hand, in which hand the midwife bound a red thread, and said, This shall go out before. (and during the birth of the children, one put out his hand, and the midwife tied a red thread on his wrist, and said, This one shall go out first.)

29 Soothly while he withdrew the hand, the tother went out, and the woman said, Why, was the skin in which the child lay in the womb parted for thee? And for this cause she called his name Pharez. (But then he withdrew his hand, and the other one came out first, and the woman said to him, Was the skin in which the children lay in the womb, broken for thee to come out first? And for this reason she named him Perez, that is, Breaking out.)

30 Afterward his brother went out, in whose hand was the red thread, whom she called Zarah. (And afterward his brother came out, with the red thread tied about his wrist, and she called him Zarah, that is, Redness.)