“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 colors.” Genesis 37:3. The question of why Jacob gave a coat of many colors is one with many aspects to consider. A study of the parental mistakes of Bible characters could be in itself a considerable study. As examples of parental shortcomings, Samson was a product of overly indulgent parents. Eli, the high priest of Shiloh, refused to discipline his lecherous sons Hophni and Phinehas. Abraham rashly acted upon his wife’s ill-conceived plan by fathering an illegitimate son. (It is worth noting the lineage of Abraham’s two sons continue their struggle to this day.)

1. In the Bible, which of his sons did
Jacob love most?
“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.” Genesis 37:3.
The question of why Jacob gave a coat of many colors is one with
many aspects to consider. A study of the parental mistakes of Bible
characters could be in itself a considerable study. As examples of
parental shortcomings, Samson was a product of overly indulgent
parents. Eli, the high priest of Shiloh, refused to discipline his
lecherous sons Hophni and Phinehas. Abraham rashly acted upon his
wife’s ill-conceived plan by fathering an illegitimate son. (It is worth
noting the lineage of Abraham’s two sons continue their struggle to
this day.)
But it was Isaac, the son of Abraham, who committed the parental sin
of sins. He and his wife, Rebekah, divided their family by showing
favoritism between their sons. Isaac preferred the older son, Esau,
while Rebekah loved the younger son, Jacob.
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2. Ultimately, the bad blood that existed between Esau and Jacob
festered into a full-blown hatred between their offspring, the Edomites
and the Israelites. Much of modern-day Israel’s troubles can be traced
to the child-rearing mistakes made by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
As to the coat of many colors itself, the most common outer garment
of this type was nothing more than a long cloth with a hole in its
middle. After draping the long cloth over the shoulders, a rope or a
belt was fastened around the waist. This particular coat was especially
valued because sleeves were sewn into the garment. The real issue, of
course, has nothing to do with colors or sleeves. Jacob presented the
special coat to Joseph as a sign that Joseph was esteemed above his
brothers. The coat signified Joseph as being Jacob’s choice as the
future head of the clan—an honor normally bestowed upon the
firstborn son.
Jacob (Israel) had been reared by parents who each had their favorites.
The favoritism that had spoiled the tranquility of his childhood home
was about to wreck his family, too. One might think that Jacob would
have learned of the dangers of favoritism, but this was not the case,
Jacob proved to be a stubborn, impetuous man and a very poor father.
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3. Although he had eleven other sons, Jacob’s favor rested upon the
second-youngest son, Joseph. Jacob loved Joseph more than all the
other boys. This overt favoritism created a dangerous schism among
the brothers. The older boys hated Joseph. They hated Joseph because
he received his father’s undivided attention and affection. The older
sons resented Joseph, and this open contempt created a common bond
that eventually resulted in a family mutiny and Joseph’s hostile
banishment into Egyptian slavery.
Joseph’s character was far above that of Jacob’s other sons; he was the
finest among those born to Jacob. In many ways, his attributes parallel
those of Jesus the Christ. It is interesting to consider that no fault or sin
of Joseph is mentioned in Scripture. (The only other Old Testament
person to receive such a favorable review is the prophet Daniel.)
Joseph’s life was one of character, courage, conviction, and
commitment. In one way, it is understandable that Jacob favored
Joseph above the others; nevertheless, Jacob’s lopsided affections
resulted in much family grief and tragedy.
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