Genesis 37:23
in Genesis 37So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him;
KJV
And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;
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This verse in Genesis 37
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAccordingly, even at that time, the cross that was to come was prefigured in sign; and at the same time that he was stripped of his tunic, that is, of the flesh he took on, he was stripped of the handsome diversity of colors that represented the virtues. Therefore his tunic, that is, his flesh, was stained with blood, but not his divinity; and his enemies were able to take from him his covering of flesh but not his immortal life.
This site's exposition
they stripped him of his robe
on Genesis 37:23-24
The robe goes first, the one mark of the father's love. Then they throw Joseph into a pit that the writer stops to describe, empty and with no water. Joseph loses a second garment to Potiphar's wife at Genesis 39:12, and both times the garment is the evidence.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Clement of RomeClement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapters 3-4 · Written before 99.
proposed
Every kind of honour and happiness was bestowed upon you, and then was fulfilled that which is written, "My beloved ate and drank, and was enlarged and became fat, and kicked." [Deuteronomy 32:15] Hence flowed emulation and envy, strife and sedition, persecution and disorder, war and captivity. So the worthless rose up against the honoured, those of no reputation against such as were renowned, the foolish against the wise, the young against those advanced in years.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren,....
"Now, Joseph, where is the fine coat?" Thus our Lord Jesus was stripped of his seamless coat, and thus his suffering saints have first been industriously divested of their privileges and honours, and then made the off-scouring of all things.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
they stripped Joseph out of his coat . . . of many colors--Imagine him advancing in all the unsuspecting openness of brotherly affection. How astonished and terrified must he have been at the cold reception, the ferocious aspect, the rough usage of his unnatural assailants! A vivid picture of his state of agony and despair was afterwards drawn by themselves (compare Ge 42:21).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
They stripped Joseph out of his coat - This probably was done that, if ever found, he might not be discerned to be a person of distinction, and consequently, no inquiry made concerning him.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיְהִ֕י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־ | kaasher- | just when | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בָּ֥א | ba' | he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| יוֹסֵ֖ף | yosef | Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֶחָ֑יו | ʾechav | brothers his | H251 → | 630 times |
| וַיַּפְשִׁ֤יטוּ | vaiyafshitu | and they stripped | H6584 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יוֹסֵף֙ | yosef | Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כֻּתָּנְתּ֔וֹ | kutaneto | long garment his | H3801 → | 29 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כְּתֹ֥נֶת | ketonet | [the] long garment of | H3801 → | 29 times |
| הַפַּסִּ֖ים | hapasim | the palms and soles | H6446 → | 5 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָלָֽיו׃ | ʾalav | [was] on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
וַֽיְהִ֕יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־just when
kaasher-H834 →5497 times
בָּ֥אhe came
ba'H935 →2568 times
יוֹסֵ֖ףJoseph
yosefH3130 →213 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֶחָ֑יוbrothers his
ʾechavH251 →630 times
וַיַּפְשִׁ֤יטוּand they stripped
vaiyafshituH6584 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יוֹסֵף֙Joseph
yosefH3130 →213 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כֻּתָּנְתּ֔וֹlong garment his
kutanetoH3801 →29 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כְּתֹ֥נֶת[the] long garment of
ketonetH3801 →29 times
הַפַּסִּ֖יםthe palms and soles
hapasimH6446 →5 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עָלָֽיו׃[was] on him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 22:18They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.
it leads to
- Matthew 27:35
When they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments by casting lots.
- Luke 23:34
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.
- John 19:23–24
When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided His garments into four parts, one for each soldier, with the tunic remaining. It was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
- Mark 15:24
And they crucified Him. They also divided His garments by casting lots to decide what each of them would take.
- Matthew 27:35
Through
Matthew 27:28They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.
it leads to
- Mark 15:17
They dressed Him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and set it on His head.
- John 19:2–5
The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns, set it on His head, and dressed Him in a purple robe.
- Luke 23:11
And even Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Him. Dressing Him in a fine robe, they sent Him back to Pilate.
- Mark 15:17
Through
Genesis 42:21Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress…
it leads to
- Hosea 5:15
Then I will return to My place until they admit their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”
- Hosea 5:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, On Joseph the Patriarch; Clement of Rome, Clement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapters 3-4; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.