The narrative of Jacob's partiality for his son Joseph is a significant episode in the biblical account of the patriarchs, illustrating the complexities and consequences of parental favoritism. This account is primarily found in the Book of Genesis, chapters 37 through 50, and serves as a profound lesson on the dynamics within a family and the unfolding of God's providential plan.

Background and Context

Jacob, also known as Israel, was the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham. He had twelve sons, who would become the progenitors of the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph was the eleventh son, born to Jacob's favored wife, Rachel. This familial background sets the stage for the favoritism that Jacob displayed towards Joseph.

Expression of Favoritism

Jacob's partiality towards Joseph is explicitly stated in Genesis 37:3: "Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because he had been born to him in his old age, and he made him a robe of many colors." This special garment, often referred to as the "coat of many colors," symbolized Jacob's preferential love and set Joseph apart from his brothers.

Consequences of Favoritism

The favoritism shown by Jacob had significant repercussions within the family. Joseph's brothers became envious and resentful, as noted in Genesis 37:4: "When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him." This animosity was further exacerbated by Joseph's dreams, which foretold his future prominence over his family (Genesis 37:5-11).

The brothers' jealousy culminated in their decision to sell Joseph into slavery, as recorded in Genesis 37:28: "So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt." This act of betrayal set in motion a series of events that would eventually lead to Joseph's rise to power in Egypt and the preservation of his family during a severe famine.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, the account of Jacob's partiality and its consequences underscores the sovereignty of God in using human actions, even those born out of sin and dysfunction, to fulfill His divine purposes. Despite the initial harm caused by favoritism, God used Joseph's circumstances to bring about the survival and eventual reconciliation of Jacob's family.

Lessons for Parents

The account of Jacob and Joseph serves as a cautionary tale for parents, highlighting the potential dangers of favoritism within a family. It emphasizes the importance of impartial love and the need for parents to nurture each child uniquely, without comparison or preference. The narrative encourages parents to seek wisdom and guidance from God in their relationships with their children, fostering an environment of love, respect, and unity.Genesis 33:2
And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph last.
Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 37:3
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.
Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 48:22
Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
Nave's Topical Index

The Trials and visions of Devout Youth
... the father or mother who is weak enough to show partiality in the ... grandeur of the
emblems, and in the inclusion of the parents in the ... It was Jacob who read it. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the trials and visions of.htm

Joseph
... and sends for his poor old father Jacob down into ... that they may say to their parents,
Corban"'I ... gentle, easy to be entreated, without partiality, and without ...
/.../kingsley/the gospel of the pentateuch/sermon vii joseph.htm

Adonijah
... cunning, sees her tendency repeated in her son Jacob, who needed a ... We may also fairly
surmise that his parents were guilty of partiality and indulgence ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/adonijah.htm

The Book of Jubilees
... of practising divination Isaac repents of his partiality for Esau ... as his true son
and heir; so Jacob in late ... devotion by his obedience to his parents, and the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of jubilees.htm

Home-Discipline.
... The history of Jacob and Joseph, as regards both the ... of parental favoritism, is a
warning against such partiality. ... and strife, in which even the parents take a ...
/.../philips/the christian home/chapter xix home-discipline.htm

Scriptural Poems; Being Several Portions of Scripture Digested ...
... of the lion: He took thereof, and eating, on he went, And to his parents did a ... Thus
Jacob's ten sons were to Egypt sent, But Joseph's brother Benjamin ne ...
/.../scriptural poems being several portions.htm

The Child-Life in Nazareth
... a religious atmosphere surrounded the child of Jewish parents. ... God of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, the God ... do all this without showing partiality, without either ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter ix the child-life in.htm

Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire ...
... Amaziah in Judah, were, at first, like their parents, merely the ... His true nature
and title; the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, had called ...
/.../chapter iitiglath-pileser iii and the.htm

Christian Behavior
... And as Jacob said concerning the cruelty of his two sons ... 15 at home, and to requite
their parents:' saith Paul ... 1 Timothy 5:4). And this rule Joseph observed to ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/christian behavior.htm

The Fourth Commandment
... Either superiors, and they are, more private, as parents and masters; or ... As Jacob
got the blessing from his brother, so the Sabbath ... (4) Lay aside partiality. ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 4 the fourth commandment.htm

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