Genesis 21:30

21:30 He replied, “You must take these seven ewe lambs from my hand as legal proof ¹  that I dug this well.” ² 

Genesis 38:30

38:30 Afterward his brother came out – the one who had the scarlet thread on his hand – and he was named Zerah. ³ 

Genesis 39:13

39:13 When she saw that he had left his outer garment in her hand and had run outside,

Genesis 40:21

40:21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his former position ⁴  so that he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand,

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¹ tn Heb “that it be for me for a witness.”

² sn This well. Since the king wanted a treaty to share in Abraham’s good fortune, Abraham used the treaty to secure ownership of and protection for the well he dug. It would be useless to make a treaty to live in this territory if he had no rights to the water. Abraham consented to the treaty, but added his rider to it.

³ sn Perhaps the child was named Zerah because of the scarlet thread. Though the Hebrew word used for “scarlet thread” in v. 28 is not related to the name Zerah, there is a related root in Babylonian and western Aramaic that means “scarlet” or “scarlet thread.” In Hebrew the name appears to be derived from a root meaning “to shine.” The name could have originally meant something like “shining one” or “God has shined.” Zerah became the head of a tribe (Num 26:20) from whom Achan descended (Josh 7:1).

⁴ tn Heb “his cupbearing.”