27 When the time came for her to deliver, she discovered she was carrying twins. 28 While she was in labor, one of them put out a hand; and the midwife tied a scarlet thread on it, so she would know which one came out first. 29 But just then he drew his hand back into the womb, and his brother came out first. The midwife had never seen anything quite like this. Midwife: What a breach you’ve made here, little one! So the child was named Perez. 30 His brother followed, the one with the scarlet thread on his hand. He was named Zerah. -- The Voice tranlsation
Genesis 38:1 - 30
ESV - 1 It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her.
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Although Zerah's hand emerged from the womb first, my understanding is that Perez would have been considered the firstborn because he was the first to emerge COMPLETELY from the womb. This would have been indicated by the name given to him (meaning "breach"), pertaining to the fact that he had made a breach for himself (that is, figuratively "broken in line") ahead of his brother.
I believe it was Perez, too, because he came out of the womb first, entirely, and I base my answer on Numbers 26:20.
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