King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And it came to pass, when she travailed, that [the one] put out [his] hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.
Complete Jewish Bible:
As she was in labor, one of them put out his hand; and the midwife took his hand and tied a scarlet thread on it, saying, "This one came out first."
Berean Standard Bible:
And as she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it around his wrist. “This one came out first,” she announced.
American Standard Version:
And it came to pass, when she travailed, that one put out a hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And it came to pass, when she travailed{H3205}, that the one put out{H5414} his hand{H3027}: and the midwife{H3205} took{H3947} and bound{H7194} upon his hand{H3027} a scarlet thread{H8144}, saying{H559}, This came out{H3318} first{H7223}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Genesis 38:28
1. **Themes:**
- **Divine Providence and Sovereignty:** The incident highlights God's control over events, particularly in determining the lineage of Israel.
- **Birthright and Legitimacy:** The scarlet thread marks the firstborn, emphasizing the importance of birthright and lineage in ancient Israelite society.
- **Human Fallibility:** The narrative shows the complexity of human relationships and the potential for deception, as seen in the broader context of Judah and Tamar's story.
2. **Historical Context:**
- **Setting:** The verse is set within the larger narrative of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob (Israel), and his daughter-in-law Tamar. This takes place during the period when the patriarchs were establishing the families that would become the tribes of Israel.
- **Levirate Marriage:** The custom of levirate marriage is central to the story, where a man is obligated to marry his brother's widow to produce offspring for the deceased brother. Tamar, widowed twice, poses as a prostitute to trick Judah into fulfilling this duty.
- **Twins and Lineage:** Genesis 38:28 describes the birth of Tamar's twins, Perez and Zerah. Perez, despite appearing second, is marked as the firstborn with the scarlet thread, thus securing his place in the lineage that would lead to King David and eventually Jesus Christ (as mentioned in the genealogy in Matthew 1:3).
In summary, Genesis 38:28 reflects themes of divine oversight and the significance of birthright, while also exposing the frailties of human behavior. It occurs within the context of the patriarchal narratives, where the establishment of the tribes of Israel is a central theme, and it underscores the importance of lineage in the ancient Near Eastern context.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H3205
There are 403 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָלַד
Transliteration: yâlad
Pronunciation: yaw-lad'
Description: a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage; bear, beget, birth(-day), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman). - Strong's Number: H5414
There are 1816 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָתַן
Transliteration: nâthan
Pronunciation: naw-than'
Description: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.); add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield. - Strong's Number: H3027
There are 1447 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָד
Transliteration: yâd
Pronunciation: yawd
Description: a primitive word; in distinction from כַּף, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows); a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),; ([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, [idiom] enough, [phrase] fellowship, force, [idiom] from, hand(-staves, -y work), [idiom] he, himself, [idiom] in, labour, [phrase] large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, [idiom] mine, ministry, near, [idiom] of, [idiom] order, ordinance, [idiom] our, parts, pain, power, [idiom] presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, [phrase] swear, terror, [idiom] thee, [idiom] by them, [idiom] themselves, [idiom] thine own, [idiom] thou, through, [idiom] throwing, [phrase] thumb, times, [idiom] to, [idiom] under, [idiom] us, [idiom] wait on, (way-) side, where, [phrase] wide, [idiom] with (him, me, you), work, [phrase] yield, [idiom] yourselves. - Strong's Number: H3947
There are 909 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לָקַח
Transliteration: lâqach
Pronunciation: law-kakh'
Description: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications); accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win. - Strong's Number: H7194
There are 44 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קָשַׁר
Transliteration: qâshar
Pronunciation: kaw-shar'
Description: a primitive root; to tie, physically (gird, confine, compact) or mentally (in love, league); bind (up), (make a) conspire(-acy, -ator), join together, knit, stronger, work (treason). - Strong's Number: H8144
There are 42 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁנִי
Transliteration: shânîy
Pronunciation: shaw-nee'
Description: of uncertain derivation; crimson, properly, the insect or its color, also stuff dyed with it; crimson, scarlet (thread). - Strong's Number: H559
There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָמַר
Transliteration: ʼâmar
Pronunciation: aw-mar'
Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. - Strong's Number: H3318
There are 992 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָצָא
Transliteration: yâtsâʼ
Pronunciation: yaw-tsaw'
Description: a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.; [idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, [idiom] scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, [idiom] still, [idiom] surely, take forth (out), at any time, [idiom] to (and fro), utter. - Strong's Number: H7223
There are 174 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רִאשׁוֹן
Transliteration: riʼshôwn
Pronunciation: ree-shone'
Description: or רִאשֹׁן; from רִאשָׁה; first, in place, time or rank (as adjective or noun); ancestor, (that were) before(-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore(-father) (-most), former (thing), of old time, past.