Perez
malePatriarchalMeaning: “Breach; bursting forth”
A son of Judah and Tamar, twin of Zerah, whose dramatic birth gave him his name; an ancestor of Boaz, David, and Jesus Christ.
Biography
Perez (called Pharez in the Old Testament and Phares in the New) was a son of Judah by Tamar and the twin brother of Zerah. Though born of a difficult and irregular union, he became a key link in the royal and messianic line.
A surprising birth
At his birth, his twin's hand emerged first with a scarlet thread tied to it, but Perez "broke forth" ahead of him — prompting the midwife's words that named him: "How hast thou broken forth?" (Genesis 38:29).
In the line of promise
Perez became the head of a leading clan of Judah. The genealogy at the end of Ruth traces the royal line directly through him — "Pharez begat Hezron… Jesse begat David" (Ruth 4:18–22) — and Matthew names him in the ancestry of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:3). The townsfolk of Bethlehem even blessed Boaz's house to be "like the house of Pharez" (Ruth 4:12).
Life Timeline
Born to Judah and Tamar, "breaking forth" before his twin
On the Bible timeline
Perez belongs to the The Patriarchs era (c. 2100 – 1800 BC).
- c. 2091 BCThe Call of Abraham
- c. 1898 BCJoseph Sold into Egypt
Family Tree
Drag to pan · use + / − to zoom · tap the + on a relative to expand a generation · click anyone to open their page
Themes & lessons from Perez
Biblical themes that run through the passages where Perez appears.
People they appear with
Scripture Appearances
5 verses in 3 booksGenesis2 verses
Genesis 38:29
And 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. How hast: or, Wherefore hast thou made this breach against thee? Pharez: that is A breach
Genesis 46:12
And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.
Ruth2 verses
Matthew1 verse
Matthew 1:3
And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
Frequently asked about Perez
Who was Perez in the Bible?
A son of Judah and Tamar, twin of Zerah, whose dramatic birth gave him his name; an ancestor of Boaz, David, and Jesus Christ.
What does the name Perez mean?
The name Perez means “Breach; bursting forth”.
Who were Perez's parents?
Perez was the child of Judah, Tamar.
Where does Perez appear in the Bible?
Perez is mentioned 5 times across 3 books: Genesis, Ruth, Matthew.
What can we learn from Perez?
The story of Perez touches on themes of pharez, genealogy, genealogies, heir — explore each to study the lessons drawn from Perez's life.
Sermon Mate
Teaching on Perez?
Organize your sermon notes, link Scripture passages, and build your outline in Sermon Mate — the workspace for ministry leaders.
Open Sermon Mate →