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 dwelled in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan. 2These are the genealogies of Jacob. When Joseph was 17 years old (he was a youth), he was shepherding the flocks with his brothers—with the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons because he was the son of his old age. So he had made him a long-sleeved tunic. 4When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak to him in shalom. 5Then Joseph dreamed a dream and told his brothers—and 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

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 and has given everything into His hand.
• John 13:22The disciples began looking at each other, perplexed—who was He talking about?
• Genesis 44:20So we said to my lord, ‘We have a father who is old, a child born to him of his old age is young. Now his brother is dead, so he is the only one of his mother’s children left, and his father loves him.’
• Genesis 37:23So as soon as Joseph came up to his brothers they stripped Joseph of his tunic (the long sleeved tunic that he had on).
• Judges 5:30‘Are they not finding, dividing the spoil? A maiden, maidens for every warrior! To Sisera a spoil of dyed garments— a spoil of dyed garments of embroidery, double-dyed garments of embroidery for the necks of every spoiler!’
• 2 Samuel 13:18Now she had on her a long-sleeved garment for with such robes the king’s virgin daughters used to be dressed. When his attendant took her outside and bolted the door after her,
• Psalms 45:13A daughter of Tyre comes with a gift. The richest people will court your favor.”
• Ezekiel 16:16You took your garments, made high places decked out with various colors and fornicated on them—this should not happen, it should not be!

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