Son of Judah. His name comes from a Hebrew word meaning "he who bursts forth." It refers to how he unexpectedly came first from Tamar's womb before his twin brother, Zerah (Genesis 38:29). He fathered two sons, Hezron and Hamul, and became the ancestral head of the Perezite family (Genesis 46:12; Numbers 26:20–21; 1 Chronicles 2:4–5; 4:1). The King James Version and the Apocrypha translate the name as Pharez, Phares, and Pharzite.
Through the children of his son Hezron, he became the ancestor of David and Jesus Christ (Ruth 4:18–22; Matthew 1:3; Luke 3:33). This clan was respected in the tribe of Judah. They were blessed by the men of Bethlehem (Ruth 4:12). A descendant named Jashobeam commanded David’s captains for the first month of each year (1 Chronicles 27:2–3). Upon the return from captivity in Babylon, 468 Perezites were chosen to live in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 9:4; Nehemiah 11:4–6).