Twins

Two birth-narratives in Genesis use the same word and the same staging. In each, the mother's pregnancy is announced as twins at the moment of delivery, and in each the second-born ends up displacing — or at least crowding — the first. The umbrella collects both.

Esau and Jacob

The first set is born to Rebekah. "And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, look, there were twins in her womb. And the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment. And they named him Esau. And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had a hold on Esau's heel. And his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them" (Gen 25:24-26). The text fixes the order of birth — Esau first, Jacob second — but immediately notes the trailing hand on Esau's heel, which is the basis for Jacob's name. The twins arrive already entangled in the question of precedence.

Perez and Zerah

The second set is born to Tamar. "And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, look, twins were in her womb. And it came to pass, when she travailed, that one put out a hand: and the midwife took and bound on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first. And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, look, his brother came out: and she said, Why have you made a breach for yourself? Therefore his name was called Perez. And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread on his hand: and his name was called Zerah" (Gen 38:27-30). The order is contested even at the moment of birth: the scarlet thread marks the hand of the one who first appeared, but his brother emerges first, taking the name Perez ("breach"), while the marked twin Zerah is born after. Again the second-born edges out the first, and again the names of the twins are tied to the manner of their birth.