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Now IsraelוְיִשְׂרָאֵלlovedאָהַבJosephאֶת יוֹסֵףmore than allמִכָּלhis sons,בָּנָיוbecauseכִּיheהוּאwas the sonבֶןof his old age;זְקֻנִים לוֹand he madeוְעָשָׂהhimלוֹa longפַּסִּיםrobe.כְּתֹנֶת
Genesis 37:3
Study it in the app“Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a long robe.”
Jacob's favoritism toward Joseph stirs his brothers' hatredParents and Children
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 37:3, word by word
- Now Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael
Israel
Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.
Where else “yisrael” appears- lovedאָהַבahav
love
To care for someone from the heart and seek their good.
Where else “ahav” appears- Josephיוֹסֵףyosef
Joseph
Joseph, a name borne by several Israelites, above all the son of Jacob and Rachel, sold into Egypt, who became ruler there and saved his family; his sons Ephraim and Manasseh became tribes. The name means "may he add".
Where else “yosef” appears- his sonsבָּנָיbanay
son
The male born of a father and mother; in the plural, also sons and daughters.
Where else “banay” appears- of his old ageזְקֻנִיםzekunim
old age
Old age.
Where else “zekunim” appears- and he madeעָשָׂהasa
make
To build or create something.
Where else “asa” appears- a longפַּסִּיםpasim
long robe
A word of uncertain meaning describing a special tunic: long, reaching to the hands and feet, or of many colors.
Where else “pasim” appears- robeכְּתֹנֶתketonet
tunic, robe
Tunic, robe: a long garment covering the body.
Where else “ketonet” appears
Translation note
The word that describes the robe (passim) is of uncertain sense: a long robe, with sleeves, or of many colors. In any case it was a special garment, a sign of favor (also 2 Samuel 13:18).
The context
2These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a young man with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought bad reports about them to their father.
3 · This verse (above)
4His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him and could not speak to him in peace.
To study Genesis 37 in a group
1. What it says
What did the brothers do to Joseph, and what did they tell Jacob (vv. 23-33)?
2. What it means
What reasons did the brothers have for hating Joseph (vv. 3-4, 8)?
3. How I live it
How do you handle envy when someone receives more attention than you?