Genesis 38:29

38:29 But then he drew back his hand, and his brother came out before him. ¹  She said, “How you have broken out of the womb!” ²  So he was named Perez. ³ 

Genesis 41:15

41:15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, ⁴  and there is no one who can interpret ⁵  it. But I have heard about you, that ⁶  you can interpret dreams.” ⁷ 

Genesis 16:5

16:5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! ⁸  I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you, ⁹  but when she realized ¹⁰  that she was pregnant, she despised me. ¹¹  May the Lord judge between you and me!” ¹² 

[38:29]  ¹ tn Heb “Look, his brother came out.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through the midwife’s eyes. The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:29]  ² tn Heb “How you have made a breach for yourself!” The Hebrew verb translated “make a breach” frequently occurs, as here, with a cognate accusative. The event provided the meaningful name Perez, “he who breaks through.”

[38:29]  ³ sn The name Perez means “he who breaks through,” referring to Perez reaching out his hand at birth before his brother was born. The naming signified the completion of Tamar’s struggle and also depicted the destiny of the tribe of Perez who later became dominant (Gen 46:12 and Num 26:20). Judah and his brothers had sold Joseph into slavery, thinking they could thwart God’s plan that the elder brothers should serve the younger. God demonstrated that principle through these births in Judah’s own family, affirming that the elder will serve the younger, and that Joseph’s leadership could not so easily be set aside. See J. Goldin, “The Youngest Son; or, Where Does Genesis 38 Belong?” JBL 96 (1977): 27-44.

[41:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[41:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “there is no one interpreting.”

[41:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “saying.”

[41:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “you hear a dream to interpret it,” which may mean, “you only have to hear a dream to be able to interpret it.”

[16:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “my wrong is because of you.”

[16:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “I placed my female servant in your bosom.”

[16:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “saw.”

[16:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “I was despised in her eyes.” The passive verb has been translated as active for stylistic reasons. Sarai was made to feel supplanted and worthless by Hagar the servant girl.

[16:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “me and you.”