And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
Parallel translations
- WEB Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram.
- BSB Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram.
- NKJV Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.
- NASB Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, and Hezron fathered Ram.
- NLT Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar). Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Ram.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The genealogy names Tamar, a woman with a troubled history, in the royal line. It signals that God's grace works through flawed and unexpected people.
Overview
Tamar's inclusion (Genesis 38) is striking, since her sons came through a scandalous episode with Judah. Matthew highlights such women to show God's purposes advancing despite human sin and the inclusion of outsiders in the Messiah's line. This foreshadows the gospel that Jesus came to save sinners, not the self-righteous.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Gen 46:12And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zarah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.
- Gen 38:29–30And 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.
- Gen 38:24–27And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
- 1 Chr 4:1The sons of Judah; Pharez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal.
- Ruth 4:18–22Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
- Num 26:20–21And the sons of Judah after their families were; of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites: of Pharez, the family of the Pharzites: of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.
- Luke 3:33Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
- 1 Chr 2:1–15These are the sons of Israel; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun,
- Gen 38:6And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.
- 1 Chr 9:6And of the sons of Zerah; Jeuel, and their brethren, six hundred and ninety.
- Gen 38:11Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Pastoral
On the genealogy and the name Immanuel.
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 1:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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