John Gill Commentary Genesis 37

And Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger ,
&c.] And this stands opposed to, and is distinguished from the case and circumstances of Esau and his posterity, expressed in the preceding chapter, who dwelt in the land of their possession, not as strangers and sojourners (as Jacob and his seed), but as lords and proprietors. These words may therefore be introduced and read in connection with the former history: "but Jacob dwelt" ^F1. This verse would better conclude the preceding chapter than begin a new one.

The Targum of Jonathan paraphrases the words, "and Jacob dwelt quietly," or peaceably, in tranquillity and safety. His brother Esau having gone from him into another country, he remained where his father lived and died, and in the country that by his blessing belonged to him.

in the land of Canaan ,
and particularly in Hebron, where Isaac and Abraham before him had dwelt.

FOOTNOTES:

• F1: (bvyw) "at habitavit", Schmidt.

These [are] the generations of Jacob
But no genealogy following, some interpret this of events or of things which befell Jacob, and his family, particularly with respect to his son Joseph, as Aben Ezra and Ben Melech take the sense of the word to be from (Proverbs 27:1); but the words may refer to what goes before in the latter end of chapter 35, where an account is given of Jacob's sons, with regard to which it is here said, "these are the generations of Jacob"; the whole of chapter 36, which contains the genealogy of Esau, being a parenthesis, or at least an interruption of the above account, the history of Jacob and his posterity is here reassumed and carried on:

Joseph [being] seventeen years old, was feeding his flock with his
brethren ;
or "in the flock" ^F2 ; he was with them in the pastures, where the flocks were fed, not so much to assist them in it, as to be taught by them how to feed, they being older than he:

and the lad [was] with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of
Zilpah, his father's wives :
his secondary wives or concubines, called his wives, because their children shared in the inheritance. These sons of theirs were Dan and Naphtali, the sons of Bilhah; and Gad and Asher, the sons of Zilpah; with these Jacob rather chose Joseph should be, than with the sons of Leah; and especially that he should be with the sons of Bilhah, who was the handmaid of Rachel, Joseph's mother, and she being dead, it might be thought that Bilhah and her sons would have the most respect for Joseph:

and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report ;
for not being able to bear with their evil deeds, and yet not having authority enough, being a junior, to reprove, correct, and check them, he reported them to his father: what the things were reported is not said, perhaps their quarrels among themselves, their contempt of Joseph, their neglect of their flocks Some of the Jewish writers make them to be abominable acts of uncleanness ^F4 , others eating of the member of a creature alive, particularly the flesh of the tails of lambs while living ^F5 .

FOOTNOTES:

• F2: (Naub) "in pecudibus", Montanus; "in grege", Vatablus.
• F4: Bereshit Rabba, sect. 84. fol. 73. 1. Jarchi in loc.
• F5: Targum Jon. in loc. Pirke Eliezer, c. 38.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children
He was the firstborn of his beloved Rachel, and a lovely youth, of a beautiful aspect, very promising, prudent and pious: the reason given in the text follows,

because he [was] the son of his old age ;
being ninety one years of age when he was born; and the youngest children are generally most beloved, and especially such as are born to their parents when in years. Benjamin indeed was younger than Joseph, and is described in like manner, (Genesis 44:20) ; and for this reason one would think had the greatest claim to his father's affections; wherefore some give a different sense of this phrase, and render it, the "son" or disciple of "elders", "senators", i.e. a wise and prudent man: and indeed, if being the son of his old age was the reason of his affection, Benjamin had the best claim to it, being the youngest, and born to him when he was still older; and this sense is countenanced by Onkelos, who renders it, because he was a wise son to him: and so the reason why he loved him more than the rest was, because of his senile wisdom; though a child in years, he was old in wisdom and knowledge.

Abendana observes, that it was a custom with old men to take one of their little children to be with them continually, and attend upon them, and minister to them, and lean upon their arm; and such an one was called the son of their old age, because he ministered to them in their old age:

and he made him a coat of [many] colours ;
that is, had one made for him, which was interwoven with threads of divers colours, or painted, or embroidered with divers figures, or made with different pieces of various colours: according to Jerom ^F6 , it was a garment which reached down to the ankles, and was distinguished with great variety by the hands of the artificer, or which had long sleeves reaching to the hands; and so the Jewish writers ^F7 say it was called "passim", because it reached to the palms of the hands:

this might be an emblem of the various virtues which early appeared in him; or rather of the several graces of the Spirit of God implanted in him, and of the raiment of needlework, the righteousness of Christ, with which he was clothed, (Psalms 45:14) ; and of the various providences which Jacob, under a spirit of prophecy, foresaw he would be attended with.

FOOTNOTES:

• F6: Trad. Heb. in Gen. fol. 72. A.
• F7: Bereshit Rabba, ut supra. (sect. 84. fol 73.1.)

And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more
than all his brethren
Which they perceived by various things in his behaviour to him, by his words, his looks, his gestures, and particularly by the coat he had made him, which distinguished him from the rest:

they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him ;
they not only inwardly hated him, but they could not conceal their hatred, but betrayed it by their speech unto him; they could not speak to him on any occasion, but in a cross, surly, ill natured manner; they could not salute him, or give him the common salutation, Peace be to thee, as Aben Ezra suggests.

And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told [it] his brethren ,
&c.] As a dream, in the simplicity of his heart; not understanding it, or imagining there was any meaning in it; he told it not with any design to affront them, but as an amusement, and for their diversion, there being something in it odd and ridiculous, as he himself might think:

and they hated him yet the more ;
not only because he had carried an ill report of them to his father, and because he loved him more than they, but still more because of this dream; the meaning of which they at once understood, though he did not, which yet they supposed he did, and that he told them it in a boasting manner, and to irritate them.