Bible Person

Zerah

Meaning: same as Zarah · Male · 12 cross references

Zerah, also called Zarah, is the son of Judah and Tamar and the twin brother of Pharez. His line remains visible in genealogies and in the story of Achan, giving him more narrative afterlife than many early ancestral figures. First appears in Gen 38:30.1

AI summary: Zerah matters because the cross references place him at a significant branching point within Judah's family. Though Pharez becomes the more prominent royal line, Zerah's descendants remain visible through wisdom traditions, genealogies, and the Achan episode, where the consequences of sin affect Israel's conquest story. This gives his branch of the family a continuing narrative presence rather than leaving it as a mere list entry. Taken together, the material presents Zerah as an important Judahite ancestor whose line carries both distinction and warning.1