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

1And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 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. 3Now 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. 4And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto 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

• the generationsתּוֹלֵדוֹתtôledâh tôledâh · generationH8435
• of Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
• Josephיוֹסֵףyôsêph · JosephH3130
• seventeenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• seventeenעָשָׂר‛âώâr · tenH6240
• yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• oldבֵּןbên · son: agedH1121
• was feedingרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
• the flockצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
• with his brethrenאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• and the ladנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• of Bilhahבִּלְהָהbilhâh · BilhahH1090
• and with the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Zilpahזִלְפָּהzilpâh · ZilpahH2153
• his father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
• wivesאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• their evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: harmfulH7451
• reportדִּבָּהdibbâh · slanderH1681

Cross-references for Genesis 37:2

• Genesis 2:4These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Yhwh God made the earth and the heavens,
• Genesis 5:1This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
• Genesis 6:9These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
• Genesis 10:1Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.
• Genesis 30:4And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.
• Genesis 35:22And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:
• 1 Samuel 2:22Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
• John 7:7The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
• 1 Corinthians 1:11For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
• 1 Corinthians 5:1It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
• 1 Corinthians 11:18For first of all, when ye come together in the Assembly, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly 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