Son of his old age— We find Benjamin too was particularly beloved by Jacob; but he was not yet grown up to give proofs of superior piety and virtue, as Joseph had done. Jacob was about ninety years old, when Joseph was born. Onkelos renders it, because he was a wise son to him, taking old age for the prudence of old age. Josephus assigns the same reason; and several of the versions concur.
A coat of many colours— As a token of his affection and superior regard to Joseph, Jacob caused to be made for him a robe of stuff of different colours, which was formerly worn by persons of the first distinction only, and which the father gave his son as a mark of pre-eminence. An ingenious French author (who has written a dissertation on this subject) observes, that "though it is not expressly said, yet we may gather from the circumstances attending this robe, that Jacob, in giving it to his son, exempted him from the employments in which his brethren were occupied; and, accordingly, we do not see him, after this gift, keep sheep with his brethren: he staid at home to comfort his father, as Benjamin did afterwards; but with this difference, the one only succeeded the other. The patriarchs bore an equality with kings, who only in early times wore this kind of robe: they made treaties with kings, enjoyed the same honours with them, and gave those honours to such of their sons as they thought fit to distinguish."