Genesis 37:3 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.

◄ Genesis 37:3 ►

New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
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.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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 King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
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.

NASB 1995
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic.

NASB 1977
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic.

Amplified Bible
Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a [distinctive] multicolored tunic.

Christian Standard Bible
Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was a son born to him in his old age, and he made a long-sleeved robe for him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was a son born to him in his old age, and he made a robe of many colors for him.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
Jacob loved Joseph more than he did any of his other sons, because Joseph was born when Jacob was very old. Jacob had even given Joseph a fancy coat

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons because Joseph had been born in Israel's old age. So he made Joseph a special robe with long sleeves.

Good News Translation
Jacob loved Joseph more than all his other sons, because he had been born to him when he was old. He made a long robe with full sleeves for him.

International Standard Version
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his brothers, since he was born to him in his old age, so he had made a richly-embroidered tunic for him.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons because he was a son born to him late in life, and he made a special tunic for him.

New Heart English Bible
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he had been born to him in his old age. And he made a long ornamented robe for him.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a tunic of many colors.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And Israel has loved Joseph more than any of his sons, for he [is] a son of his old age, and has made for him a long coat;

Young's Literal Translation
And Israel hath loved Joseph more than any of his sons, for he is a son of his old age, and hath made for him a long coat;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, for to him he was the son of old age: and he made for him a tunic (reaching to the soles of the feet).

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had conceived him in his old age. And he made him a tunic, woven of many colors.

New American Bible
Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons, for he was the child of his old age; and he had made him a long ornamented tunic.

New Revised Standard Version
Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a long robe with sleeves.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a rich robe with long sleeves.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Israel had loved Yoseph more than all his sons because he was a son of old age to him, and he made for him a coat of long sleeves.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Jacob loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was to him the son of old age; and he made for him a coat of many colours.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Joseph's Dreams
…2This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them. 3Now 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. 4When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Matthew 3:17
And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”

Luke 3:22
and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Romans 8:29
For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

Colossians 1:13
He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,

Hebrews 1:2
But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.

1 John 4:9
This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.

Ephesians 1:6
to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.

Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, / that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, / and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1 Peter 2:4
As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight,

John 5:20
The Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. And to your amazement, He will show Him even greater works than these.

1 John 3:1
Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.

Exodus 33:19
“I will cause all My goodness to pass before you,” the LORD replied, “and I will proclaim My name—the LORD—in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

Deuteronomy 21:15-17
If a man has two wives, one beloved and the other unloved, and both bear him sons, but the unloved wife has the firstborn son, / when that man assigns his inheritance to his sons he must not appoint the son of the beloved wife as the firstborn over the son of the unloved wife. / Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of his unloved wife, by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For that son is the firstfruits of his father’s strength; the right of the firstborn belongs to him.

Treasury of Scripture

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.

loved.

John 3:35
The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

John 13:22,23
Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake…

son.

Genesis 44:20-30
And 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…

a coat.

Genesis 37:23,32
And 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; …

Judges 5:30
Have 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?

2 Samuel 13:18
And 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.

colours.

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Genesis 37

1. Joseph is loved by Jacob, but hated by his brothers.
5. His dreams and the interpretation.
12. Jacob sends him to his brothers, who counsel to slay him.
21. At Reuben's desire they cast him into a pit;
25. and afterwards sell him to the Ishmaelites;
29. while Ruben grieves at not finding him.
31. His coat, covered with blood, is sent to Jacob, who mourns him inordinately.
36. Joseph is brought to Egypt and sold to Potiphar.

Berean Study Bible

Now Israel
The name "Israel" refers to Jacob, who was given this name after wrestling with God (Genesis 32:28). This name signifies his role as the patriarch of the Israelites, God's chosen people. The use of "Israel" here emphasizes the covenantal relationship and the divine promise that flows through Jacob's lineage.

loved Joseph more
The Hebrew word for "loved" is "אָהַב" (ahav), which denotes a deep, affectionate love. This preferential love sets the stage for the familial tensions that follow. It reflects the human tendency to show favoritism, which can lead to discord and division, a recurring theme in the patriarchal narratives.

than his other sons
This phrase highlights the familial dynamics and the potential for jealousy and rivalry. The other sons, feeling less loved, become envious, which foreshadows the conflict that will arise. This favoritism is a reminder of the importance of impartiality and fairness in family relationships.

because he had been born to him in his old age
Joseph's birth in Jacob's old age is significant, as it underscores the special bond between them. In ancient cultures, children born in one's later years were often seen as particularly precious, a blessing and a sign of God's favor. This context helps explain Jacob's deep affection for Joseph.

and he made him a robe of many colors
The "robe of many colors" is a symbol of distinction and favor. The Hebrew term "כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים" (ketonet passim) can also be translated as a "long robe with sleeves," indicating a garment of status. This robe becomes a tangible representation of Jacob's favoritism and a source of envy for Joseph's brothers. It serves as a catalyst for the events that lead to Joseph's eventual journey to Egypt, illustrating how God's providential plans often unfold through human actions and decisions.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) He was the son of his old age.--Jacob was ninety-one when Joseph was born; but at Benjamin's birth he was eight or nine years older; and according to the common belief that Jacob was only twenty years in Padan-aram, the four sons of the handmaids must have been about Joseph's age, and Leah's last two sons even younger. But the epithet is intelligible if Jacob had waited twenty-seven years after his marriage with Rachel, before Joseph was born. There would then be a considerable interval between him and the other sons; and though Rachel had a second son some years afterwards, yet Joseph would continue to be the son long looked for, whose birth had given him so great happiness; whereas his joy at Benjamin's coming was bought at the terrible price of the mother's death.

A coat of many colours.--Two explanations are given of this phrase; the first, that it was a long garment with sleeves or fringes; the other, that it was composed of patchwork of various colours. The latter is the more probable interpretation; for from the tomb at Beni-Hassan we learn that such dresses were worn in Palestine, as a train of captive Jebusites is represented upon it clad in rich robes, the patterns of which seem to have been produced by sewing together small pieces of different colours. So also in India beautiful dresses are made by sewing together strips of crimson, purple, and other colours. (Roberts' Oriental Illustrations, p. 43.) Some have thought that Jacob by this dress marked out Joseph as the future head of the family, in the place of Reuben, supposing it to indicate the priestly office borne by the firstborn; but this is doubtful, and it was Judah to whom Jacob gave the right of primogeniture.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 3. - Now (literally, and) Israel loved Joseph more than all his children (literally, sons), because he was the son of his old age - literally, a son of old age (was) he to him; not a son possessing the wisdom of advanced years (Onkelos), but a son born in his old age (Rosenmüller, Keil, Kalisch, et alii), which was literally true of Joseph, since he was born in his father's ninety-first year. Yet as Joseph was only a year or two younger than the children of Bilhah and Zilpah, and as Benjamin was still later born than he, the application of this epithet to Joseph has been explained on the ground that Benjamin was at this time little more than a child (Keil), and had not much come into notice (Murphy), or perhaps was not born when this portion of the narrative was originally written ('Speaker's Commentary); or that Joseph had obtained the name before Benjamin's birth, and that it had clung to him after that event (Inglis). Josephus ('Ant.,' 2:02, 1) gives another reason for Jacob's partiality which is not inconsistent with the statement in the text, viz., the beauty of his person and the virtue of his mind, διὰ τε τὴν τοῦ σώματος εὐγένειαν καὶ διά ψυχῆς ἀρετής. And he made him a coat of many colors - literally, a coat (kithoneth, from kathan, to cover; vide Genesis 3:21) of ends (Keil, Lange), i.e. a tunic reaching to the ancles, and with sleeves reaching to the wrists, and commonly worn by boys and girls of the upper ranks (Josephus, 'Ant.,' 7:08, 9; 2 Samuel 13:18), or a coat of pieces (Kalisch, T. Lewis, Wordsworth); hence a variegated garment, χιτὼν ποικίλος (LXX.), tunica polymita (Vulgate), a coat of many colors (Murphy, 'Speaker's Commentary'). "Such garments are represented on some of the monuments of Egypt. At Beni-Hassan, for example, there is a magnificent excavation forming the tomb of Pihrai, a military officer of Osirtasen I., in which a train of foreign captives appears, who are supposed to be Jebusites, an inscription over one person in the group reading, "The Chief of the Land of the Jebusites. 'The whole of the captives are clad in parti-colored garments, and the tunic of this individual in particular may be called "a coat of many colors" (Thornlcy Smith, 'Joseph and his Times,' p. 12). It has been supposed that Jacob's object in conferring this distinction on Joseph was to mark him out as the heir to whom the forfeited birthright of Reuben (1 Chronicles 5:1) was to be transferred (Kurtz, Lange, Gerlach, Bush, Wordsworth, 'Speaker's Commentary,' etc.); but the historian only mentions it as a token of affection, such as was customary in those times for princes to bestow upon their subjects, and parents on their children (vide Thornley Smith, 'Joseph and his Times,' p. 11). Roberts says the same thing is still done among the Hindoos, crimson, purple, and other colors being often tastefully sewed together for beautiful or favored children (vide 'Oriental Illustrations,' p. 43).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Now Israel
וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (wə·yiś·rā·’êl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

loved
אָהַ֤ב (’ā·haḇ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 157: To have affection f

Joseph
יוֹסֵף֙ (yō·w·sêp̄)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3130: Joseph -- 'he increases', a son of Jacob, also the name of several Israelites

more than
מִכָּל־ (mik·kāl)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

his other sons,
בָּנָ֔יו (bā·nāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

because
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

Joseph
ה֖וּא (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

had been born to him
בֶן־ (ḇen-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

in his old age;
זְקֻנִ֥ים (zə·qu·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2208: Old age

so he made
וְעָ֥שָׂה (wə·‘ā·śāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

him
ל֖וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

a robe
כְּתֹ֥נֶת (kə·ṯō·neṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3801: A shirt

of many colors.
פַּסִּֽים׃ (pas·sîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6446: Flat (of the hand or foot)

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OT Law: Genesis 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all (Gen. Ge Gn)