Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 37:3/אבן עזרא על בראשית ל״ז:ג׳

אכי בן זקונים הוא. כמשמעו כי הולידו והוא בן תשעים ואחת שנה, גם כן אחיו בנימין קראו "וילד זקונים" (בראשית מד כ), ואחר אלה שניהם לא נולד לו:

1BECAUSE HE WAS THE SON OF HIS OLD AGE. This is to be taken literally since Joseph was born to Jacob when the latter was ninety-one years old.⁷., 47:9) and Joseph 39. Thus Jacob was 91 years older than Joseph (Cherez). I.E. notes that ben zekunim is to be taken literally, viz., son of old age, because the Midrash and Onkelos interpret it to mean a wise son. Cf. Bereshit Rabbah 84:8 and Rashi. Also, Benjamin, his brother, is referred to by Scripture as a child of his⁸ old age (Gen. 44:20). After Joseph and Benjamin no other children were born to Jacob.⁹

2A COAT OF MANY COLORS. Ketonet passim means an embroidered coat.¹⁰. 38 reads: a coat made of embroidered parts. Some texts omit embroidered coat. According to I.E. passim means parts. The coat was made up of embroidered parts (strips) each of which was of a different color (Filwarg). For an alternate interpretation see Cherez.

גפסים. כמו "פַס יְדָא" (דניאל ה ה) בלשון ארמית:

3[MANY COLORS.] The word passim (many colors) is similar to the Aramaic word pas (part) in part of (pas) a hand (Dan. 5:5).