In fact, hidden beneath the text of Genesis, we find many other twins, and while admittedly not all were righteous, most of them were. Thus, twins are not necessarily split between good and evil. 5 However, unlike Jacob and Esau, both Zerach and Peretz were righteous. 4 This is not unlike Jacob holding onto the “heel of Esau” when they were born, and later purchasing the firstborn rights from him.
There are some parallels: Zerach stuck out his arm first, but Peretz “jumped” out of the womb first, earning the title of firstborn. The only other set of twins mentioned explicitly in the Torah is Peretz and Zerach, sons born to Judah and Tamar. Peretz and Zerach: The Bible’s Other Twins
Some say that Jacob and Esau are the origins of the “evil twin” legends found in various cultures, where one twin will turn out righteous and the other evil. As the verse sums it up, “Esau was a man who understood hunting, a man of the field, whereas Jacob was an innocent man, dwelling in tents.” 3Īs the biblical narrative unfolds, elucidated by the various commentaries, Esau turns out to be a deceiving murderer and idol worshiper who tries to kill his twin brother. The first, and perhaps the most famous, twins in the Bible are Jacob and Esau. 2 Jacob and Esau: The Quintessential Twins Although the Torah doesn’t spell out any special characteristics of twins, some rabbis say that twins are generally slightly weaker than others 1 and have a predilection towards words of truth.