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 colors.
Parallel translations
- 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.
- BSB 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.
- 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.
- NASB Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a multicolored tunic.
- NLT Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons and gave him a special coat. This parental favoritism set the stage for family strife.
Overview
Jacob's special love for Joseph, the son of his beloved Rachel and of his old age, was marked by a distinctive richly ornamented coat. This favoritism, however well-meant, repeated the family's pattern of partiality and provoked deep jealousy. The coat becomes a key symbol in the narrative, recalling how God's chosen ones are often singled out, and pointing to Christ, the uniquely beloved Son of the Father.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Gen 37:32They took the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, “We have found this. Examine it, now, whether it is your son’s coat or not.”
- John 3:35The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.
- Gen 37:23When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him;
- 2 Sam 13:18She had a garment of various colors on her; for the king’s daughters who were virgins dressed in such robes. Then his servant brought her out and bolted the door after her.
- John 13:22–23The disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom he spoke.
- Gen 44:20–30We said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.’
- Ezek 16:16You took some of your garments, and made for yourselves high places decked with various colors, and played the prostitute on them. This shall not come, neither shall it be.
- Ps 45:13–14The princess inside is all glorious. Her clothing is interwoven with gold.
- Judg 5:30‘Have they not found, have they not divided the plunder? A lady, two ladies to every man; to Sisera a plunder of dyed garments, a plunder of dyed garments embroidered, of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the plunder?’
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 37:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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