Genesis 38:28 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

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.

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

When she was giving birth, one baby stuck out his hand first. The midwife took a red thread and tied it around his hand, saying, 'This one came out first.'

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

The midwife marked the first baby's hand with red thread to identify which twin was born first, which was important for inheritance rights.

📚 Historical Context

This describes the birth of Judah's twin grandsons, Perez and Zerah, born to Tamar. In ancient times, the firstborn son received special inheritance rights and family leadership, so it was crucial to identify which twin emerged first. Midwives used various methods to mark the firstborn during complicated births.

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