Genesis 37:3-4

37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons ¹  because he was a son born to him late in life, ²  and he made a special ³  tunic for him. 37:4 When Joseph’s ⁴  brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, ⁵  they hated Joseph ⁶  and were not able to speak to him kindly. ⁷ 

[37:3]  ¹ tn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information vital to the story. It explains in part the brothers’ animosity toward Joseph.

[37:3]  ² tn Heb “a son of old age was he to him.” This expression means “a son born to him when he [i.e., Jacob] was old.”

[37:3]  ³ tn It is not clear what this tunic was like, because the meaning of the Hebrew word that describes it is uncertain. The idea that it was a coat of many colors comes from the Greek translation of the OT. An examination of cognate terms in Semitic suggests it was either a coat or tunic with long sleeves (cf. NEB, NRSV), or a tunic that was richly embroidered (cf. NIV). It set Joseph apart as the favored one.

[37:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “of his brothers.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “them.”

[37:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “speak to him for peace.”