Zerah

Zerah was a son of Judah by Tamar, Judah's daughter-in-law, and the twin brother of Perez (Genesis 38:27-30; 1 Chronicles 2:4). He appears in the list of the sons of Judah in Genesis 46:12 and is the ancestor of the Zerahite clan of the tribe of Judah (Numbers 26:20). He is a different man from Zerah the Cushite, who fought against King Asa, and the name is also borne by other men in the Old Testament.

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Birth

When the time came for Tamar to give birth, there were twins in her womb. As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it around his wrist, announcing, "This one came out first." But he pulled his hand back and his brother came out, and that brother was named Perez. Then the twin with the scarlet thread around his wrist came out, and he was named Zerah (Genesis 38:27-30). Tamar bore Perez and Zerah to Judah, who had five sons in all (1 Chronicles 2:4).

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Descendants

1 Chronicles 2:6 names five sons of Zerah: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol and Dara. His descendants formed the Zerahite clan, listed with the Shelanite and Perezite clans among the descendants of Judah (Numbers 26:20). Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart, and the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites (Joshua 7:1). When the tribe of Judah came forward clan by clan, the clan of the Zerahites was selected, then the family of Zabdi, and finally Achan (Joshua 7:17-18). Joshua and all Israel took "Achan son of Zerah" with everything he owned to the Valley of Achor (Joshua 7:24), and Joshua 22:20 recalls that Achan son of Zerah brought wrath upon the whole congregation of Israel.

The Zerahites continued after the exile. Among the descendants of Judah who lived in Jerusalem, 1 Chronicles 9:6 lists "From the Zerahites: Jeuel and 690 relatives," and Nehemiah 11:24 records that Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, a descendant of Zerah son of Judah, was the king's agent in every matter concerning the people.