Genesis 37:3

Genesis 37:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
• New International Version (NIV)Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors.

Context of Genesis 37:3

1Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan. 2This 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. Now 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. 5Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.

Genesis 37:3 word by word

וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אָהַ֤ב אֶת־יוֹסֵף֙ מִכָּל־בָּנָ֔יו כִּֽי־בֶן־זְקֻנִ֥ים ה֖וּא ל֑וֹ וְעָ֥שָׂה ל֖וֹ כְּתֹ֥נֶת פַּסִּֽים׃Read the interlinear

• Now Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• lovedאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• Josephיוֹסֵףyôsêph · JosephH3130
• more thanכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• his other sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
• Josephהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
• in his old ageזְקֻנִיםzâqûn · extreme ageH2208
• so he madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• a robeכֻּתֹּ֫נֶתkethôneth kûttôneth · tunicH3801
• of many colorsפַּסpas · long-sleevedH6446

Cross-references for Genesis 37:3

• John 3:35The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hands.
• John 13:22The disciples looked at one another, perplexed as to which of them He meant.
• Genesis 44:20And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’
• Genesis 37:23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—
• Judges 5:30‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil— a girl or two for each warrior, a plunder of dyed garments for Sisera, the spoil of embroidered garments for the neck of the looter?’
• 2 Samuel 13:18So Amnon’s attendant threw her out and bolted the door behind her. Now Tamar was wearing a robe of many colors, because this is what the king’s virgin daughters wore.
• Psalms 45:13All glorious is the princess in her chamber; her gown is embroidered with gold.
• Ezekiel 16:16You took some of your garments and made colorful high places for yourself, and on them you prostituted yourself. Such things should not have happened; never should they have occurred!

Commentaries on Genesis 37:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3A coat of many colors - פסים כתנת kethoneth passim, a coat made up of stripes of differently colored cloth. Similar to this was the toga praetexta of the Roman youth, which was white, striped or fringed with purple; this they wore till they were seventeen years of age, when they changed it for the toga virilis, or toga pura, which was all white. Such vestures as clothing of distinction are worn all over Persia, India, and China to the present day. It is…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. 3Israel (or Jacob): See also 37:13. Israel loved Joseph more than his other children. Joseph was born when Israel was old. He was the first son of Israel's favorite wife, Rachel. Israel gave Joseph a beautiful robe to show he planned to give him the largest share of the inheritance.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. son of his old age--Benjamin being younger, was more the son of his old age and consequently on that ground might have been expected to be the favorite. Literally rendered, it is "son of old age to him"--Hebrew phrase, for "a wise son"--one who possessed observation and wisdom above his years--an old head on young shoulders. made him a coat of many colors--formed in those early days by sewing together patches of colored cloth, and considered a dress of…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 37:3

• Children
• Favoritism
• Jacob
• Joseph
• Parents

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Child
• Coat
• Conceal
• Deceitfully
• Devour
• Doubt
• Dress

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