Genesis 37 · Verse 2

Genesis 37:2

These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
Genesis 37:2, King James Version

Genesis 37:2 in other translations

BSBThis is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them.
WEBThis is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father.
ASVThese are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and he was a lad with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought the evil report of them unto their father.
YLTThese are births of Jacob: Joseph, a son of seventeen years, hath been enjoying himself with his brethren among the flock, (and he is a youth,) with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and Joseph bringeth in an account of their evil unto their father.
DARBYThese are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, fed the flock with his brethren; and he was doing service with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought to his father an evil report of them.
BBEThese are the generations of Jacob: Joseph, a boy seventeen years old, was looking after the flock, together with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph gave their father a bad account of them.
WebsterThese are the generations of Jacob. Joseph being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought to his father their evil report.

What does Genesis 37:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. generations--leading occurrences, in the domestic history of Jacob, as shown in the narrative about to be commenced. Joseph ... was feeding the flock--literally, "Joseph being seventeen years old was a shepherd over the flock"--he a lad, with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. Oversight or superintendence is evidently implied. This post of chief shepherd in the party might be assigned him either from his being the son of a principal wife or from his own superior qualities of character; and if invested with this office, he acted not as a gossiping telltale, but as a "faithful steward" in reporting the scandalous conduct of his brethren.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 These are the generations - תלדות toledoth, the history of the lives and actions of Jacob and his sons; for in this general sense the original must be taken, as in the whole of the ensuing history there is no particular account of any genealogical succession. Yet the words may be understood as referring to the tables or genealogical lists in the preceding chapter; and if so, the original must be understood in its common acceptation. The lad was with the sons of Bilhah - It is supposed that our word lad comes from the Hebrew ילד yeled, a child, a son; and that lass is a contraction of ladess, the female of lad, a girl, a young woman. Some have supposed that King James desired the translators to insert this word; but this must be a mistake, as the word occurs in this place in Edmund Becke's Bible, printed in 1549; and still earlier in that of Coverdale, printed in 1535. Brought unto his father their evil report - Conjecture has been busily employed to find out what this evil report might be; but it is needless to inquire what it was, as on this head the sacred text is perfectly silent. All the use we can make of this information is, that it was one cause of increasing his brothers' hatred to him, which was first excited by his father's partiality, and secondly by his own dreams.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 37:1-4

In Joseph's history we see something of Christ, who was first humbled and then exalted. It also shows the lot of Christians, who must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom. It is a history that has none like it, for displaying the various workings of the human mind, both good and bad, and the singular providence of God in making use of them for fulfilling his purposes. Though Joseph was his father's…

Read the full comment on Genesis 37:1-4 →

Genesis 37:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אֵ֣לֶּה\׀'E.lehtheseH428
תֹּלְד֣וֹתto.le.Dot[are] [the] accounts ofH8435
יַעֲקֹ֗בya.'a.KoJacobH3290
יוֹסֵ֞ףyo.SefJosephH3130
בֶּן\־ben-[was] a son ofH1121
שְׁבַֽע\־she.va'-seven-H7651
עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה'es.RehteenH6240
שָׁנָה֙sha.Nahyear[s]H8141
הָיָ֨הha.Yahhe wasH1961
רֹעֶ֤הro.'EhshepherdingH7462
אֶת\־'et-withH854
אֶחָיו֙'e.Chavbrothers hisH251
בַּצֹּ֔אןba.Tzon<in> the flockH6629
וְה֣וּאve.Hu'and heH1931
נַ֗עַרNa.'ar[was] a youthH5288
אֶת\־'et-withH854
בְּנֵ֥יbe.Nei[the] sons ofH1121
בִלְהָ֛הvil.HahBilhahH1090
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand withH854
בְּנֵ֥יbe.Nei[the] sons ofH1121
זִלְפָּ֖הzil.PahZilpahH2153
נְשֵׁ֣יne.Shei[the] wives ofH802
אָבִ֑יו'a.Vivfather hisH1
וַיָּבֵ֥אvai.ya.Ve'and he broughtH935
יוֹסֵ֛ףyo.SefJosephH3130
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
דִּבָּתָ֥םdi.ba.Tamreport theirH1681
רָעָ֖הra.'AhbadH7451
אֶל\־'el-toH413
אֲבִיהֶֽם\׃'a.vi.Hemfather theirH1

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 37:2

  • Genesis 35:25-26

    And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali: And the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padan–aram.

  • 1 Samuel 2:22-24

    Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord’s people to transgress.

  • Genesis 35:22

    And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

  • 1 Corinthians 11:18

    For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

  • Genesis 10:1

    Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

  • Genesis 30:9

    When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.

  • 1 Corinthians 5:1

    It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.

  • John 7:7

    The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

  • 1 Corinthians 1:11

    For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

  • Genesis 30:4

    And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.

  • Genesis 2:4

    These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,

  • Genesis 6:9

    These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the generations.{Toledoth,} the history, narrative, or account of the lives and actions of Jacob and his sons; for in this general sense the original must be taken, as in the whole ensuing history there is no genealogy of Jacob's family.
2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1
wives.
30:4,9; 35:22,25,26
evil report.
1Sa 2:22-24; Joh 7:7; 1Co 1:11; 5:1; 11:18

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 37:1

    And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

  • Genesis 37:2

    These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

  • 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 colours.

Read all of Genesis 37

Genesis 37:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Estas fueron las generaciones de Jacob. José, siendo de edad de diez y siete años apacentaba las ovejas con sus hermanos; y el joven estaba con los hijos de Bilha, y con los hijos de Zilpa, mujeres de su padre: y noticiaba José á su padre la mala fama de ellos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ce sont ici les générations de Jacob: Joseph, âgé de 17 ans, paissait le menu bétail avec ses frères, et, encore jeune garçon, il était avec les fils de Bilha et les fils de Zilpa, femmes de son père; et Joseph rapporta à leur père leur mauvaise renommée.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Dies ist die Geschichte Jakobs: Joseph, siebzehn Jahre alt, weidete die Herde mit seinen Brüdern; und er war als Knabe bei den Söhnen Bilhas und bei den Söhnen Silpas, der Weiber seines Vaters. Und Joseph hinterbrachte ihrem Vater die üble Nachrede von ihnen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et hæ sunt generationes ejus: Joseph cum sedecim esset annorum, pascebat gregem cum fratribus suis adhuc puer: et erat cum filiis Balæ et Zelphæ uxorum patris sui: accusavitque fratres suos apud patrem crimine pessimo.