Genesis 37:2

Genesis 37:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
• New International Version (NIV)This is the account of Jacob’s family line. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father.
• New King James Version (NKJV)This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father.

Context of Genesis 37:2

1Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan. This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them. 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors. 4When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

Genesis 37:2 word by word

אֵ֣לֶּה׀ תֹּלְד֣וֹת יַעֲקֹ֗ב יוֹסֵ֞ף בֶּן־שְׁבַֽע־עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה שָׁנָה֙ הָיָ֨ה רֹעֶ֤ה אֶת־אֶחָיו֙ בַּצֹּ֔אן וְה֣וּא נַ֗עַר אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י בִלְהָ֛ה וְאֶת־בְּנֵ֥י זִלְפָּ֖ה נְשֵׁ֣י אָבִ֑יו וַיָּבֵ֥א יוֹסֵ֛ף אֶת־דִּבָּתָ֥ם רָעָ֖ה אֶל־אֲבִיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

• Thisאֵ֫לֶּה'êlleh · theseH428
• is the accountתּוֹלֵדוֹתtôledâh tôledâh · generationH8435
• of Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
• When Josephיוֹסֵףyôsêph · JosephH3130
• seventeenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• seventeenעָשָׂר‛âώâr · tenH6240
• yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• oldבֵּןbên · son: agedH1121
• he wasהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• tendingרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
• the flockצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
• the flockהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
• withאֵת'êth · withH854
• his brothersאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• ·נַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• of his father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
• wivesאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• Bilhahבִּלְהָהbilhâh · BilhahH1090
• Bilhahבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• and Zilpahזִלְפָּהzilpâh · ZilpahH2153
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• a badרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: harmfulH7451
• reportדִּבָּהdibbâh · slanderH1681
• about themאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413

Cross-references for Genesis 37:2

• Genesis 2:4This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made them.
• Genesis 5:1This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in His own likeness.
• Genesis 6:9This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.
• Genesis 10:1This is the account of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, who also had sons after the flood.
• Genesis 30:4So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife, and he slept with her,
• Genesis 35:22While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Jacob had twelve sons:
• 1 Samuel 2:22Now Eli was very old, and he heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
• John 7:7The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me, because I testify that its works are evil.
• 1 Corinthians 1:11My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.
• 1 Corinthians 5:1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.
• 1 Corinthians 11:18First of all, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.

Commentaries on Genesis 37:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2These are the generations - תלדות toledoth, the history of the lives and actions of Jacob and his sons; for in this general sense the original must be taken, as in the whole of the ensuing history there is no particular account of any genealogical succession. Yet the words may be understood as referring to the tables or genealogical lists in the preceding chapter; and if so, the original must be understood in its common acceptation. The lad was with the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-36Verses 1-36 - Joseph Was Sold into Egypt 17. דתין dotayı̂n Dothain, “two wells?” (Gesenius) 25. נכאת neko't “tragacanth” or goat‘s-thorn gum, yielded by the “astragalus gummifer”, a native of Mount Lebanon. צרי tsērı̂y “opobalsamum,” the resin of the balsam tree, growing in Gilead, and having healing qualities. לט loṭ ͂ lēdon “ledum, ladanum,” in the Septuagint ́ staktē The former is a gum produced from the cistus rose. The latter is a gum resembling…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2The story of Joseph and his brothers is a distinct section in Genesis. It has a different tone and focus from the earlier parts. The story follows one connected series of events, with Joseph at the center. Repeated themes structure the entire story of Joseph. These themes are similar to those in wisdom books like Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Daniel. Similar events that happen more than once shape the whole story. Its themes are like those in wisdom books…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. generations--leading occurrences, in the domestic history of Jacob, as shown in the narrative about to be commenced. Joseph ... was feeding the flock--literally, "Joseph being seventeen years old was a shepherd over the flock"--he a lad, with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. Oversight or superintendence is evidently implied. This post of chief shepherd in the party might be assigned him either from his being the son of a principal wife or from his own…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 37:2

• Bilhah
• Concubinage
• Talebearer
• Zilpah

In the dictionaries

• Bilhah
• Jacob
• Zilpah
• Jacob, Israel
• Coat
• Conceal
• Deceitfully
• Devour
• Doubt
• Evil

Commentaries on Genesis 37

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings