Coat of many colors

This article is about the garment in the Bible. For the Dolly Parton album, see Coat of Many Colors.

Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat.

In the Hebrew Bible, the coat of many colors (Hebrew: כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים‎ kethoneth passim) is the name for the garment that Joseph owned. The translation and the actual nature of the garment is subject to dispute.

It is possible that the idea of the coat being "of many colors" may mean that it was in fact a patchwork coat of different materials which may have been of different colors or merely different shades of a single color.

The problem of translation

Further information: Biblical clothing

According to the Authorized King James Version, Genesis 37:3 reads:

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.

The Hebrew phrase kethoneth passim is translated here as coat of many colors, but some have suggested that the phrase may merely mean a "coat with long sleeves" or a "long coat with stripes."

The Septuagint translation of the passage uses the word ποικίλος poikilos, which indicates "many colored"; the Jewish Publication Society of America Version also employs the phrase "coat of many colors". On the other hand, the Revised Standard Version translates kethoneth passim as "a long robe with sleeves" while the New International Version notes the translation difficulties in a footnote, and translates it as "a richly ornamented robe".

Aryeh Kaplan, in The Living Torah gives a range of possible explanations:

Kethoneth passim in Hebrew. It was a royal garment; 2 Samuel 13:18 (cf. Ralbag ad loc.). The word passim can be translated as 'colorful' (Radak; Septuagint), embroidered (Ibn Ezra; Bachya; Ramban on Exodus 28:2), striped (Ibn Janach; Radak, Sherashim), or with pictures (Targum Yonathan). It can also denote a long garment, coming down to the palms of the hands (Rashbam; Ibn Ezra; Baaley Tosafoth; Bereshith Rabbah 84), and the feet (Lekach Tov). Alternatively, the word denotes the material out of which the coat was made, which was fine wool (Rashi) or silk (Ibn Janach). Hence, kethoneth passim, may be translated as 'a full-sleeved robe,' 'a coat of many colors,' 'a coat reaching to his feet,' 'an ornamented tunic,' 'a silk robe,' or 'a fine woolen cloak.'

James Swanson suggests that the phrase indicates a "tunic or robe unique in design for showing special favor or relationship" and that "either the robe was very long-sleeved and extending to the feet, or a richly-ornamented tunic either of special color design or gold threading, both ornamental and not suitable for working."

The phrase is used one other time in the Hebrew scriptures, to describe the garment worn by David's daughter Tamar in 2 Samuel 13:18-19.

The story as related in Genesis

Joseph cast into the pit.

Joseph's father Jacob (also Israel, in Hebrew Bible) favored him and gave Joseph the coat as a gift; as a result, he was envied by his brothers, who saw the special coat as an indication that Joseph would assume family leadership. His brothers' suspicion grew when Joseph told them of his two dreams (Genesis 37:11) in which all the brothers bowed down to him. The narrative tells that his brothers plotted against him when he was 17, and would have killed him had not the eldest brother Reuben interposed. He persuaded them instead to throw Joseph into a pit and secretly planned to rescue him later. However, while Reuben was absent, the others planned to sell him to a company of Ishmaelite merchants. When the passing Midianites arrived, the brothers dragged Joseph up and sold him to the merchants for 20 pieces of silver. The brothers then dipped Joseph's coat in goat blood and showed it to their father, saying that Joseph had been torn apart by wild beasts. Joseph was sold to a rich merchant named Potiphar. Joseph was successful in his job as a slave and was Potiphar's favourite servant, however, Joseph was seduced by Potiphar's wife and when Potiphar discovered they had commited indecent acts he sent Joseph to prison.

In prison Joseph was told the dreams of two inmates. Joseph interpreted the dreams and decided, based on them, the two inmate's fates (which later proved to come true). Word spread around Egypt of Joseph's special talents and Joseph was ordered to be sent free from Jail by the Pharoah, as the Pharoah kept having peculiar dreams. Joseph was treated very well by the Pharoah and interpreted his dreams correctly, predicting that a great famine was going to come to Egypt. The Pharoah put Joseph in charge of planning how to prepare for the famine and Joseph was made the second most important man in the whole of Egypt.

Meanwhile, Jacob and Joseph's many brothers were suffering terribly from the famine. The youngest son Benjamin decided it would be a good idea to go to the Pharoah and ask for food, so all the brothers set off leaving Jacob and his wives at home. The Pharoah had food in plenty as, due to Joseph's interpretations, he had prepared for the famine and stocked up on food. On their arrival at the palace, they were introduced to the second most important man in Egypt, Joseph. Joseph recognised his brothers immediately but the brothers, unassuming and believing Joseph was dead, did not recognise Joseph. They begged and grovelled at his feet asking for food. Joseph was stunned and realised that this scene of his brothers grovelling to him was the scene he had predicted in his dream many years ago.

Having realised that his brothers didnt recognise him, Joseph decided to test his brothers. He planted a golden cup in bag belonging to the youngest brother, Benjamin. Joseph then gave the brothers all the food they needed and told them to be on their way, but before they left, pretended to discover the golden cup in Benjamin's bag. Joseph was then furious and ordered for Benjamin to be sent to jail, it was Joseph's aim to see how his brothers would react to this. The brothers immediaely begged and pleaded with Joseph and told him that there must be a mistake, that Benjamin was a loving boy and would never steal, Joseph was only mildly impressed by this reaction. Then Judas ordered that he be taken instead of Benjamin and that he was to blame. He demanded Benjamin was innocent and made up a story about how he took the cup. This act filled Joseph's heart with love for his brothers and he came to the conclusion that they had changed and were now good people who loved their family. On deciding this, Joseph revealed himself as their long lost brother and assured them that nothing would happen to Benjamin. The brothers were overjoyed to see him and all cried on remembering their dreadful deed. Joseph then asked the Pharoah if he could leave his services and return home with his family. The Pharoah was grateful for all Joseph had done and sent Joseph home with plenty of gold and food. When arriving home to Jacob, Joseph explained what had happened and all were forgiven. Joseph was awarded with his coat of many colours and the family lived in peace for the rest of their years.

Joseph's coat, by Diego Velázquez (1630), depicts Joseph's brothers bringing the coat to their father Jacob and asking him to identify it.

Recent scholarship, especially among literary critics, has noted how the exhortation to "identify" and the theme of recognition in Genesis 37:32-33 also appears in 38:25-26, in the story of Judah and Tamar. This serves to connect the chapters and unify the narrative. Victor Hamilton calls these "intentional literary parallels," while Robert Alter suggests that the verb "identify" plays "a crucial thematic role in the dénouement of the Joseph story when he confronts his brothers in Egypt, he recognizing them, they failing to recognize him."

The envy of his brothers may also have stemmed from the fact that Joseph was the son of Rachel, Jacob's first love. However, Joseph's brothers were the sons of Rachel's older sister Leah and the sons of the handmaidens, who were given to Jacob during a time when Rachel could not conceive. There was a battle between Leah and Rachel to compete for Jacob's attention. Jacob had told Joseph, when he was seventeen years old, to go check on his brothers. Joseph would report back to his father of their evil deeds. In addition to this he shares his dreams of them bowing down to him. Their anger towards him only increased.

The story in popular culture

• Popular culture, notably the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, popularized the story. In 1971, Dolly Parton referred to the story in the song "Coat of Many Colors".
• Harlem Shakes' song Sunlight mentions a Coat of Many Colors.
• In Assassin's Creed 2 the data fragments reveal that Joseph's coat was one of the Pieces of Eden, which allowed him to rise to power and may have even given him visions. This however is conflicting with the Biblical story, as Joseph's coat was taken by his brothers when they flung him in the pit, and then sold him as a slave
• The Mountain Goats reference the story in several of their songs, including "Jaipur" and "Love Love Love."
• A reference is made to a coat of a thousand colors in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.
• Also, the story "El Inmortal" by Jorge Luis Borges, contained in 'El Aleph' comparates the metaphor of the coat of many colors with the Histoy of Literature.