Bible Figure
Zerah
biblical character
Zerah was the twin son of Judah and Tamar whose brother Perez unexpectedly emerged first at their birth.
Biography
Genesis 38 recounts Tamar conceiving twins by Judah. During delivery, one child put out his hand and the midwife tied a scarlet thread around it, saying he had come out first. He withdrew his hand, however, and his brother Perez was born before him; the child with the scarlet thread was then named Zerah. Zerah became ancestor of the Zerahite clans of Judah. He is listed in later genealogies, including Matthew's genealogy of Jesus alongside Perez.
Biblical Significance
Zerah's birth forms part of the remarkable Judah-Tamar narrative and highlights the recurring Genesis motif in which expected birth order is overturned. His descendants remained an important clan within Judah.