1 Chronicles 2:4 Meaning and Explanation
“And Tamar his daughter in law bore him Pharez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Tamar bears Judah twin sons, Pharez and Zerah, bringing the count of Judah's sons to five.
What Does 1 Chronicles 2:4 Mean?
The chronicler records that Tamar, Judah's daughter-in-law, bore him Pharez and Zerah. Behind this brief line lies a painful story of loss and reckoning, yet here it is told simply as the continuing of the line. With these twins, Judah's sons number five, and the royal seed passes through Pharez.
Out of a tangled and grievous chapter, God brought forth Pharez, an ancestor of David and, in time, of the Messiah. The Gospel of Matthew names Tamar in the genealogy of Jesus, refusing to erase her. Here is the quiet wonder of grace: the Lord does not require a spotless past to write a person into His redemptive story. He gathers up the wounded and the unexpected and makes them bearers of promise.
1 Chronicles 2:4 in the Original Language
Pharez (פֶּרֶץ), 'Perez' -- meaning a breach or breaking forth, from the manner of his birth.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Chronicles 2:4
What does 1 Chronicles 2:4 mean?
Tamar bears Judah twin sons, Pharez and Zerah, bringing the count of Judah's sons to five.