Hebrew word · H6557

פֶּ֫רֶץ

feretz

Perez

The common noun pereṣ means a breach or gap in a wall, or a bursting out. As a name it recalls Genesis 38:29: "What a breach you have made for yourself!"

Appears 15 times in 13 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.38.29;

son of: Judah (H3063) and Tamar (H8559);

brother of: Zerah (H2226I);

half-brother of: Er (H6147), Onan (H0209) and Shelah (H7956);

father of: Hezron (H2696H) and Hamul (H2538)

§ Perez or Pharez = "breach"

twin son with Zarah of Judah by Tamar and ancestor of two families of Judah, the Hezronites and Hamulites; from the Hezronites came the royal line of David and Christ

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 1 Chronicles 2:5

Range of meaning

The common noun pereṣ means a breach or gap in a wall, or a bursting out. As a name it recalls Genesis 38:29: "What a breach you have made for yourself!"

Against the English

The KJV's "Pharez" follows the older Greek and Latin spelling (Phares). Modern versions use "Perez," which is closer to the Hebrew. It is the same man either way.

Used elsewhere in the period

Genesis 38:27–30 tells the birth story. Ruth 4:12 uses him in a blessing: "may your house be like the house of Perez." In Ruth 4:18–22 the genealogy of David starts with him. Matthew 1:3 and Luke 3:33 name him (Phares) in Jesus' genealogy.

From the study of Genesis 46:12

Range of meaning

"Breach, gap, breaking out". From paratz, "to break through, burst out". The verb is also used for an increase that bursts its limits (Gen 28:14 'you will spread out'; Gen 30:30, 43).

Against the English

English versions simply transliterate the name ('Perez', KJV 'Pharez'), so the meaning 'breakthrough' is invisible.

Used elsewhere in the period

Genesis 38:29: 'What a breach you have made for yourself!' Ruth 4:12 blesses Boaz's house to be 'like the house of Perez', and Ruth 4:18–22 traces Perez to David. Perez also appears in 1 Chronicles 2:4–5 and Matthew 1:3.

From the study of Numbers 26:20

Range of meaning

As a common noun: 'breach, gap, breaking-out', as in a breach in a wall (from the verb parats, 'to break through'). As a name: Judah's son by Tamar.

Against the English

KJV 'Pharez' and 'Pharzites' follow the Greek and Latin spellings (Phares). Modern versions use 'Perez' and 'Perezites'. The KJV spelling hides the Hebrew wordplay.

Used elsewhere in the period

Genesis 38:29: 'What a breach you have broken through for yourself!' The name recurs as a blessing in Ruth 4:12 ('may your house be like the house of Perez') and at the head of David's genealogy (Ruth 4:18–22; 1 Chr 2:4–15).

Where it appears

Genesis · 3

  1. Genesis 38:29 פָּֽרֶץ׃ Perez

    But when he pulled his hand back and his brother came out, she said, “You have broken out first!” So he was named Perez.

  2. Genesis 46:12 וָפֶ֣רֶץ פֶ֖רֶץ and Perez, Perez

    The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.

    Here: Tamar's twin who 'broke out' ahead of his brother at birth. The name means "breach, bursting through" (Gen 38:29). He is the ancestor of David's line (Ruth 4:18–22).

Numbers · 2

  1. Numbers 26:20 לְפֶ֕רֶץ of Perez

    These were the descendants of Judah by their clans: The Shelanite clan from Shelah, the Perezite clan from Perez, and the Zerahite clan from Zerah.

    Here: Perez was the elder twin born to Judah by Tamar. His name means 'breach, breaking-out' (Gen 38:29).

  2. Numbers 26:21 פֶ֔רֶץ Perez

    And these were the descendants of Perez: the Hezronite clan from Hezron and the Hamulite clan from Hamul.

Ruth · 3

  1. Ruth 4:12 פֶּ֔רֶץ Perez

    And may your house become like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring the LORD will give you by this young woman.”

  2. Ruth 4:18 פָּ֔רֶץ פֶּ֖רֶץ Perez

    Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron,

1 Chronicles · 5

  1. 1 Chronicles 2:4 פֶּ֣רֶץ Perez

    Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law, bore to him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.

  2. 1 Chronicles 2:5 פֶ֖רֶץ Perez

    The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.

    Here: The first of the twins Tamar bore to Judah (v. 4). He was named for the way he "broke out" ahead of his brother at birth (Genesis 38:29). His line is the one the Chronicler follows toward David.

  3. 1 Chronicles 4:1 פֶּ֧רֶץ Perez

    The descendants of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.

  4. 1 Chronicles 9:4 פֶ֖רֶץ Perez

    Uthai son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, a descendant of Perez son of Judah.

  5. 1 Chronicles 27:3 פֶ֗רֶץ Perez

    He was a descendant of Perez and chief of all the army commanders for the first month.

Nehemiah · 2

  1. Nehemiah 11:4 פָֽרֶץ׃ Perez

    while some of the descendants of Judah and Benjamin settled in Jerusalem.) From the descendants of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, a descendant of Perez;

  2. Nehemiah 11:6 פֶ֕רֶץ Perez

    The descendants of Perez who settled in Jerusalem totaled 468 men of valor.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.