Genesis 37:3 (WEB)
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.
As quoted in the map (KJV)
Genesis 37:3 (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.
Key words
- אָהַב אֶת־יוֹסֵף מִכָּל־בָּנָיוahav et-Yosef mikkol-banav · Hebrew
- 'Israel loved Joseph more than all his children' — the beloved son, because he was the firstborn of the beloved wife.
- כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּיםketonet passim · Hebrew
- 'a coat of many colours' — the sign of favour that provokes the brothers' hatred.
Why it matters
Jacob loves Joseph above all his sons and gives him the special coat. Pitre opens his Joseph–Jesus chart here: Joseph is the beloved son of his father, as Jesus is the beloved Son of God (Matthew 3:17). He adds that the whole story hinges on Joseph being Rachel's firstborn — Jacob favours him because he is the first son of the wife he loved, and the ten older brothers resent him for it (pp 140, 143–144).