A Breach Birth

Later, when it was time for Tamar(1) to give birth, she was carrying twins in her womb!  While she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand, so the midwife grabbed it and tied something scarlet around his hand, observing, “This one came out first.”

As it was, he withdrew his hand, and then his brother was born. Amazed, the midwife(2) cried out loud, “What’s this? A breach birth?” So that boy(3) was named Perez.(4)  Afterwards, his brother came out, and around his hand was the scarlet. So they named him Zerah.(5)
-Gen. 38:29

A breach (or breech) birth is not ideal.  It is when the baby is turned around, in some other way, rather than head-first, in the birth canal.  Things are birthed in our lives, where they or we, get in a breach position.  The 'baby', or what is being birthed, might need to be turned, so that it (more) safely gets born.

I remember an evangelism course, when the teacher told the story of ministering to a man, who had a very long list of reasons why he was too bad to ever become a Christian.  After hearing all this, the first man had an inspired thought to tell the second man that he was like a breach birth, in coming to the Lord, and God wanted him to turn him.

The second man immediately understood the word picture, because he himself was a nurse.  His faith suddenly increased and he connected to God, and was beautifully born again that day.

When we are seeking to see things come forth in our lives, the birthing of them sometimes gets in a breach position.  Things get turned the wrong way and the birthing slows down and can even be dangerous.

When this happens, we need to 'turn the baby'.  You can only find out in prayer, what that means for you or your situation.  God helps things happen and even brings things about and to birth, from scratch; but it is our job to pray.

Sometimes the baby is not 'turnable' and the baby will be born, but in a more difficult fashion.  This happens about 4% of the time, according to the american pregnancy association.  In spiritual things, we are mid-wives, in prayer.

Sometimes there is a flow and things just seem to happen easily.  But at other times, things only happen with special effort on our part (Matt. 17:21, Mark 9:29).  Some things will not come about, unless we go the extra mile in prayer.

Perez was a breach born baby, in scripture, who had an unusual birth, as a twin, with the help of a attentive midwife.  He was born safely and became a forefather of Jesus, son of Mary and Joseph.



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1. 38:27 Lit. her
2. 38:29 Lit. Amazed, she
3. 38:29 Lit. So he
4. 38:29 The Heb. name Perez means breach
5. 38:30 The Heb. name Zerah means rising