Gen 37:2 | NETfull | STEP | This is the account of Jacob. Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, was taking care of the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.

Genesis 37:2

2 This is the account of Jacob.

Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, ^{▼▼ Heb “a son of seventeen years.” The word “son” is in apposition to the name “Joseph.”} was taking care of ^{▼▼ Or “tending”; Heb “shepherding” or “feeding.”} the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster ^{▼▼ Or perhaps “a helper.” The significance of this statement is unclear. It may mean “now the lad was with,” or it may suggest Joseph was like a servant to them.} working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. ^{▼▼ Heb “and he [was] a young man with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, the wives of his father.”} Joseph brought back a bad report about them ^{▼▼ Heb “their bad report.” The pronoun is an objective genitive, specifying that the bad or damaging report was about the brothers.} ^{▼▼ Some interpreters portray Joseph as a tattletale for bringing back a bad report about them [i.e., his brothers], but the entire Joseph story has some of the characteristics of wisdom literature. Joseph is presented in a good light – not because he was perfect, but because the narrative is showing how wisdom rules. In light of that, this section portrays Joseph as faithful to his father in little things, even though unpopular – and so he will eventually be given authority over greater things.} to their father.