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.
Parallel translations
- WEB 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.
- 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 37:32And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no.
- John 3:35The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
- Gen 37:23And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;
- 2 Sam 13:18And she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the king’s daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.
- John 13:22–23Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.
- Gen 44:20–30And we said unto 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 loveth him.
- Ezek 16:16And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.
- Ps 45:13–14The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.
- Judg 5:30Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.