Perez

Perez was a son of Judah by Tamar, born in dramatic circumstances when he thrust his hand out first and then his twin brother Zerah preceded him—leading to the exclamation 'What a breach you have made for yourself!' from which his name is derived (Genesis 38:29). He became the founder of the most important clan within Judah, the Perezites, whose ranks included Hezron and Ram and the line that led to Boaz, Jesse, and King David (Ruth 4:18–22). The messianic significance of Perez's line is confirmed by his appearance in the genealogies of both Matthew (1:3) and Luke (3:33).