Genesis 37

37:3From Sermon 210 · Joseph, Family SystemsJul 27, 2025NRSVue ↗

Again, something that the rabbis noticed about this story is that there are many things about Joseph which are — they didn't use this language, but — genderqueer. There are lots of things about Joseph's story that seem to go against the gender expectations of the day. … But the other thing that they noticed, which is actually in the text, is that this phrase, "an ornamented robe," is used one other time, in 2 Samuel, to describe the particular wear that the daughters of the king, the princesses, would wear. So some rabbis translate this as a princess dress. So Joseph is the favorite and is gifted some sort of dress or wear that doesn't quite fit with the male expectation.

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