1. Name and Meaning
• Name: Perez (Hebrew: פֶּרֶץ, Péreṣ)
• Meaning: “Breach” or “breaking through,” from the Hebrew root pāraṣ, meaning “to burst forth” or “to break out”; reflects the unusual circumstances of his birth (Genesis 38:29)

2. Genealogical Placement and Lineage Role
• Position: Twenty-fourth generation from Adam; fourteenth generation after the flood in the Messianic line
• Father: Judah – patriarch of the royal tribe
• Son: Hezron – continues the covenantal lineage toward David and Christ
• Lineage Role: Forefather within the tribe of Judah whose birth, though irregular, was sovereignly used to advance the Messianic promise

3. Life Summary and Historical Setting
• Born of an unusual union between Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar, who posed as a prostitute to fulfil levirate justice (Genesis 38)
• Perez was born first, unexpectedly breaking through ahead of his twin Zerah, and was thus given the rights of the firstborn
• His descendants became prominent clan leaders in Judah and appear throughout biblical genealogies
• His line continues through Hezron to King David

4. Theological and Christological Significance
• Demonstrates God’s sovereign grace in using morally complicated situations for redemptive ends
• Despite the irregularity of his birth, Perez was chosen as the bearer of the Messianic line—highlighting the theme of divine election over human expectation
• Included in both Matthew’s and Luke’s genealogies of Christ (Matthew 1:3; Luke 3:33)
• Typifies the “unexpected breakthrough” of God’s plan—breaking into flawed human stories to bring forth redemption

5. Legacy and Interpretive Reflections
• Mentioned in the blessing over Ruth and Boaz (Ruth 4:12) as a symbol of fruitful lineage and continuity
• His name and birth story reflect themes of divine reversal and grace
• Honoured in later Jewish tradition for his role in the ancestry of David and the Messiah
• Represents how God’s purposes are not hindered by human brokenness

6. Summary Insight
• Perez, born of scandal yet chosen by God, embodies the redemptive breakthrough of grace that characterises the Messianic line—culminating in Jesus Christ.

7. Biblical References
• Genesis 38:27–30
• Ruth 4:12, 18
• 1 Chronicles 2:4–5
• Matthew 1:3
• Luke 3:33