The BibleGospel Companion

Perez

פֶּ֫רֶץ · pe.rets · H6557Φάρες · Phares · G53291 other spelling“divided; division of Uzza, or of strength” Hitchcock's 186915 mentions in 7 books, most in 1 Chronicles (5)

Who he was

Perez was the son of Judah and Tamar, born in unusual circumstances described in Genesis 38. He was the twin brother of Zerah and was named Perez (meaning "breach" or "breaking forth") because he broke out first during the delivery (Genesis 38:29). Perez became the ancestor of a prominent clan within the tribe of Judah (Numbers 26:20–21). He is mentioned in the genealogy of King David (Rut.4.12,18; 1 Chronicles 2:4–5) and is an ancestor of several notable figures, including Hezron, Caleb, and Nahshon (1Ch.2.5,9,10). The descendants of Perez were among those who settled in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile (Neh.11.4,6). Most significantly, Perez is listed in the genealogies of Jesus Christ in both Matthew 1:3 and Luke 3:33, highlighting his important role in the lineage of the Messiah.

Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0

Family

FatherJudahMotherTamarSiblingsEr, Onan, Shelah, ZerahChildrenHezron, Hamul
Family relations: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0

Every mention

15 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)
GenesisChapter 38: 1 mentionChapter 46: 1 mention2 mentions
Genesis 38:29As he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out, and she said, “Why have you made a breach for yourself?” Therefore his name was called Perez.Genesis 46:12The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
NumbersChapter 26: 2 mentions2 mentions
Numbers 26:20The sons of Judah after their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.Numbers 26:21The sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.
RuthChapter 4: 2 mentions2 mentions
Ruth 4:12Let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the offspring which Yahweh will give you by this young woman.”Ruth 4:18Now this is the history of the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron,
1 ChroniclesChapter 2: 2 mentionsChapter 4: 1 mentionChapter 9: 1 mentionChapter 27: 1 mention5 mentions
1 Chronicles 2:4Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Perez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.1 Chronicles 2:5The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.1 Chronicles 4:1The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.1 Chronicles 9:4Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the children of Perez the son of Judah.1 Chronicles 27:3He was of the children of Perez, the chief of all the captains of the army for the first month.
NehemiahChapter 11: 2 mentions2 mentions
Nehemiah 11:4Some of the children of Judah and of the children of Benjamin lived in Jerusalem. Of the children of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of…Nehemiah 11:6All the sons of Perez who lived in Jerusalem were four hundred sixty-eight valiant men.
MatthewChapter 1: 1 mention1 mention
Matthew 1:3Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram.
LukeChapter 3: 1 mention1 mention
Luke 3:33the son of Amminadab, the son of Aram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

What the dictionary says

=Pharez,, breach, the son of Judah (Neh. 11:4).

Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
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Sources