Genesis 37:4

Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved Joseph more than them. So they hated Joseph, and they couldn’t talk in a friendly way to him.

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

In Context

3Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph was born when Jacob was an old man. So Jacob gave Joseph a special coat.

5One night, Joseph had a dream. The next day, he told his brothers about his dream, and they hated him even more.

Read all of Genesis 37

Cross References

Genesis 27:41Esau was really angry, because Jacob tricked their father, and their father made Jacob the next leader for their family. So Esau hated Jacob. And Esau said to himself, “My father is going to die soon. When he dies, we will all cry for a time, and then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

Genesis 37:11Joseph’s brothers were really angry with him about those dreams, and they hated him even more. But Joseph’s father kept on thinking about those things that Joseph said.

Genesis 49:23Joseph’s enemies hated him, they attacked him and made trouble for him.

1 Samuel 17:28David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard them talking, and he was angry with David. He said to him, “Why did you come here? What about those few little sheep? Who is watching them today? You are doing wrong. Why do you try to make yourself big? I know what you are like. You just came here for fun, to see the fighting.”

John 7:3Jesus’s brothers didn’t believe that he was the special man that God sent, so they gave him a hard time. They said to him, “You want people to think you are great, right? Well, show everyone what you can do. Don’t hide what you are doing. You have to leave Galilee and come south to Jerusalem city, in Judea, so you can show your followers more of those powerful things you do.”

Matthew Henry on Genesis 37:2-5

The History of Joseph. ( b. c. 1729.) 1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 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. 3 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. 4… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

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