Reuben to make public acknowledgment of the sin he had
committed against his father, for he had kept it a secret until
then.[90]

Tamar gave birth to twin sons, Perez and Zerah, both
resembling their father in bravery and piety.[91] She called
the first Perez, "mighty," because she said, "Thou didst
show thyself of great power, and it is meet and proper that
thou shouldst be strong, for thou art destined to possess the
kingdom."[92] The second son was called Zerah, because he
appeared from out of the womb before his brother, but he
was forced back again to make way for Perez.[93] These two,
Perez and Zerah. were sent out as spies by Joshua, and the
line that Rahab bound in the window of her house as a
token to the army of the Israelites, she received from Zerah.
It was the scarlet thread that the midwife had bound upon
his hand, to mark him as the child that appeared first and
withdrew.[94]


THE WIVES OF THE SONS OF JACOB

Judah was the first of the sons of Jacob to enter wedlock.
After the sale of Joseph to the Midianites, his brethren had
said to Judah, "If conditions were as before, our father
would provide wives for us now. As it is, he is entirely absorbed
by his grief for Joseph, and we must look about for
wives ourselves. Thou art our chief, and thou shouldst
marry first."