KJV King James Version
And it came to pass, when she travailed, that [the one] put out [his] hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Genesis 38:28
And it came to pass, when she travailed, that [the one] put out [his] hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
And as she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it around his wrist. “This one came out first,” she announced.
WEB World English Bible
When she travailed, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This came out first.”
ASV American Standard Version
And it came to pass, when she travailed, that one put out a hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
and it cometh to pass in her bearing, that one giveth out a hand, and the midwife taketh and bindeth on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, ‘This hath come out first.’
Surrounding context — Genesis 38
25 When she [was] brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these [are, am] I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose [are] these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.
26 And Judah acknowledged [them], and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.
27 And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins [were] in her womb.
28 And it came to pass, when she travailed, that [the one] put out [his] hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.
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.
30 And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
וַיְהִ֥יH1961 · ha.yahto beבְלִדְתָּ֖הּH3205 · ya.ladto begetוַיִּתֶּן־H5414 · na.tanto give: giveיָ֑דH3027 · yadhandוַתִּקַּ֣חH3947 · la.qachto take: takeהַמְיַלֶּ֗דֶתH3205 · ya.ladto begetוַתִּקְשֹׁ֨רH7194 · qa.sharto conspireעַל־H5921 · aluponיָד֤וֹH3027 · yadhandשָׁנִי֙H8144 · sha.niscarletלֵאמֹ֔רH559 · a.marto sayזֶ֖הH2088 · zehthisיָצָ֥אH3318 · ya.tsato come out: comeרִאשֹׁנָֽה׃H7223 · ri.shonfirst
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Compare classic commentaries on Genesis 38:28
Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.
Compare commentaries →