What Was "Joseph's Coat of Many Colors" Really Like?

3. What Was "Joseph's Coat of Many Colors" Really Like?

Question: I have heard that Joseph's coat of many colors referred to in Genesis 37:1-36 was not that at all. I know this is not a really important question.

Answer: This phrase appears in Genesis 37:3; Genesis 37:23; Genesis 37:32. The Hebrew here is "pac" and means "spread out, a coat spread out, i.e. a large coat". Probably something that resembled our overcoat. There is a Hebrew word, "piqmah" which means "variation of colors', but it does not appear here; neither does the Hebrew "tala" meaning "spotted with colors".