Genesis 37:2
1 Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan.
This 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.
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.
4 When 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.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- This 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.
- KJV
- These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
- WEB
- This is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father.
- ASV
- These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and he was a lad with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father`s wives: and Joseph brought the evil report of them unto their father.
- DARBY
- These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, fed the flock with his brethren; and he was doing service with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought to his father an evil report of them.
- BLB
- These [are] the generations of Jacob: Joseph, a son of seven [and] ten years, was shepherding the flock with his brothers, and the boy was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, wives of his father. And Joseph brought an evil report of them to his father.
- ÅB
- Dette er historien om Jakobs etterkommere. Da Josef var sytten år gammel, gjætte han buskapen sammen med sine brødre; ung som han var, fulgte han med sønnene til Bilha og Silpa, sin fars hustruer; alt det onde som ble sagt om dem, gikk han til deres far med.
- OTB
- Dette er Jakobs slektshistorie. Josef, sytten år gammel, gjette småfeet sammen med sine brødre, sønnene til Bilha og Silpa, hans fars koner. Josef brakte en dårlig rapport om dem til deres far.
- B1930
- Dette er historien om Jakobs ætt. Da Josef var sytten år gammel, gjætte han buskapen sammen med sine brødre; ung som han var, fulgte han med sønnene til Bilha og Silpa, sin fars hustruer; alt det onde som blev sagt om dem, gikk han til deres far med.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Genesis 35:25–26
The sons of Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali.
Read in context1 Samuel 2:22–24
Now Eli was very old, and he heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
Read in contextGenesis 35:22
While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Jacob had twelve sons:
Read in context1 Corinthians 11:18
First of all, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.
Read in contextGenesis 10:1
This is the account of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, who also had sons after the flood.
Read in contextGenesis 30:9
When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.
Read in context1 Corinthians 5:1
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.
Read in contextJohn 7:7
The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me, because I testify that its works are evil.
Read in context