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

1Jacob lived in Canaan, the land where his father had lived. 2This is the report about Jacob and his family. Joseph was Jacob's son. When he was 17 years old, he took care of his father's sheep and goats. He did this together with his brothers. These were the sons of his father's wives, Bilhah and Zilpah. Sometimes Joseph told his father bad things about his brothers. Jacob loved Joseph more than he loved any of his other sons. This was because Joseph was born when Jacob was old. So Jacob made a special coat for Joseph. 4Joseph's brothers knew that Jacob loved him more than he loved them. So they hated Joseph. They could not say anything nice to him. 5One night, Joseph had a dream and he told his brothers about it. When they heard about the dream, Joseph's brothers hated him even more than they did before.

Genesis 37:3 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• lovedאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
• Josephיוֹסֵףyôsêph · JosephH3130
• more than all his childrenבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of his old ageזְקֻנִיםzâqûn · extreme ageH2208
• and he madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• him a coatכֻּתֹּ֫נֶתkethôneth kûttôneth · tunicH3801
• coloursפַּסpas · long-sleevedH6446

Cross-references for Genesis 37:3

• John 3:35The Father loves the Son. He has given his Son authority over all things.
• John 13:22The disciples looked at each other. They did not know which of them Jesus was speaking about.
• Genesis 44:20And we replied, “We have a father who is very old. He has a young son who was born when our father was already old. That son's brother is dead. He is the only son of his mother who still lives. His father loves him.”
• Genesis 37:23So Joseph arrived at where his brothers were. He was wearing his special coat, but they took it off him.
• Judges 5:30“They are taking valuable things from their enemies. They are sharing the things between them. Each soldier will bring one or two women for himself. Sisera's share will be some beautiful cloth. Yes, he is bringing pieces of valuable cloth, and a beautiful necklace for me! That is why he is so late to return home.”
• 2 Samuel 13:18So the servant took her out and then he locked the door. Tamar was wearing a beautiful long dress. All the king's daughters who were not yet married wore beautiful dresses like that.
• Psalms 45:13The king's bride is in the palace, and she looks beautiful! Her dress has gold threads in it.
• Ezekiel 16:16You used some of your clothes to give honour to idols. You made their altars beautiful. You had sex with those men there on your beautiful cloths. Those things should never happen!

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