Welcome to my Hebrew reading & language series.

Genesis 36:40 - 37:3
source

We finish another chapter today and learn that the reason Esau is called "Edom" is because he was the father of Edom, the father of the Edomites, as they are called.

I split the end of chapter thirty six, rolling into thirty seven this week. I wanted to get out of the genealogy passages and on to Joseph. I was a bit worried when I saw verse two saying, "these are the generations of Jacob..." But then I saw that it began with Joseph, his age, his job, and the start of Joseph's problems with his brothers.

The few words at the beginning of this chapter lay out the foundation for the rest of the dastardly deeds of the eleven that will follow. Joseph was a surveillance service for Israel and the brothers will hate him for that as well as many his other actions. And don't forget about the jealousy over the "coat"...

Ha-Ke-tow-net Kaseem

The last words of our Hebrew reading, depicted above, describe a robe of ornamentations - some manuscripts render it "with long sleeves" - either way, it was a wedge of favoritism that will gravely impact all their lives for decades.

Today's reading

English

These are the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their clans and their dwelling places, by their names: the chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, Magdiel, and Iram; these are the chiefs of Edom (that is, Esau, the father of Edom), according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession.

37

Jacob lived in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan.

These are the generations of Jacob.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.

Hebrew

Next week, this all blows back on Joseph...

Info on each letter starting at the beginning

If you are just starting, my lessons are all here starting at Alef, adding vowels (the dots and lines) as we go. I explain the meaning of each letter and its numerical value. Just go to my blog and scroll to the bottom or click here

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Thanks for reading.

Shabbat Shalom