Coat of many colours

In the Hebrew Bible, the coat of many colors (Hebrew: כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים‎‎‎ kəṯōneṯ passîm) is the name for the garment that Joseph owned, which was given to him by his father, Jacob.

According to the 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:

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 Tamar, daughter of David, in 2 Samuel 13:18-19. This is the relevant comparison. Joseph lived among the tents with the women, rather than going out to the fields and hunting with his brothers. As it was with Tamar, the "coat of many colors" was, essentially, a dress (which his brothers found offensive).

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