Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar). Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Ram.
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.
- KJV And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
- 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.
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 46:12The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
- Gen 38:29–30As he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out, and she said, “Why have you made a breach for yourself?” Therefore his name was called Perez.
- Gen 38:24–27About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the prostitute. Moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution.” Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.”
- 1 Chr 4:1The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.
- Ruth 4:18–22Now this is the history of the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron,
- Num 26:20–21The sons of Judah after their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.
- Luke 3:33the son of Amminadab, the son of Aram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
- 1 Chr 2:1–15These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,
- Gen 38:6Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
- 1 Chr 9:6Of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel and their brothers, six hundred ninety.
- Gen 38:11Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, until Shelah, my son, is grown up”; for he said, “Lest he also die, like his brothers.” Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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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