Genesis 38:28
And it came to passe when shee trauailed, that the one put out his hand, and the midwife tooke and bound vpon his hand a skarlet threed, saying, This came out first. Genesis 38:28 (KJV)
Genesis 38 recounts the story of Judah and his daughter‑in‑law Tamar. In this verse Tamar is giving birth to twins; the first child extends his hand toward the outside of the womb but then withdraws it, and his brother is born first. The midwife, noting this unusual circumstance, ties a scarlet thread around the hand of the child who first reached out, declaring that he was the first to attempt to come out.
Judah had three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. Er married Tamar, but he was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and God put him to death. According to the custom of levirate marriage the next brother, Onan, was then expected to father a child with Tamar to continue the family line. Onan acted deceitfully, spilling his seed to avoid providing offspring, and God also put him to death. After the deaths of two of her husbands Tamar remained childless and vulnerable. Judah promised Tamar that she would marry his youngest son, Shelah, once he grew older, but Judah did not fulfill this promise. Recognizing that she was being neglected, Tamar took matters into her own hands, disguising herself as a prostitute and waiting for Judah by the roadside. Judah, unaware of her identity, slept with her and she became pregnant.
When her pregnancy became known Judah pronounced judgment on Tamar, not realizing that he was the father. Tamar then presented the seal, cord, and staff that Judah had given her as pledges, proving his paternity. Judah acknowledged his wrongdoing and declared that Tamar was more righteous than he was.
The child born first is named Perez, an ancestor of King David and, according to the genealogy recorded in Matthew 1:3, an ancestor of Jesus Christ. The scarlet thread serves as a sign of the child’s initial attempt to be born first, as indicated by the midwife’s declaration “This came out first.” Scarlet is often associated with royalty and authority, and scarlet material does appear in various Old Testament passages associated with ceremonial use (for example, the curtains of the tabernacle in Exodus 26:1). The New Testament records that a scarlet robe was placed on Jesus during his mock trial (Matthew 27:28), though any connection between the scarlet thread in Genesis 38:28 and later messianic events is a matter of theological interpretation rather than a stated scriptural fact. This verse underscores the themes of lineage, birthright, and God’s sovereign purposes in fulfilling His promises.
