Genèse 37:32

32 Ensuite ils envoyèrent et firent parvenir à leur père la robe de diverses couleurs, en lui faisant dire: Nous avons trouvé ceci; reconnais si c'est la robe de ton fils, ou non.

Genèse 37:32 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 37:32

And they sent the coat of [many] colours
Which was what they dipped in the blood of the kid; this they sent to Jacob in such a condition, by the hand of some messenger; the Targum of Jonathan says, the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah; but more probably some of their servants, whom they instructed what to say to their father when they presented it to him; not caring to appear in person at first, lest they be thrown into such commotion and confusion at their father's distress, as might tend to lead on to a discovery of the whole affair: and they brought [it] to their father, and said, this we have found;
that is, the messengers carried to the father of Joseph's brethren, who were sent with it, and taught to say, that they found it in some field in this condition, but found no man near it, only that by itself, and suspected it might be the coat of his son Joseph, if he had sent him out in it: know now whether it [be] thy son's coat or no;
look upon it, see if any marks can be observed in it, by which it may with any certainty be known whether it his or not.

Genèse 37:32 In-Context

30 Et il retourna vers ses frères, et dit: L'enfant n'y est plus; et moi, moi, où irai-je?
31 Et ils prirent la robe de Joseph, tuèrent un bouc, et trempèrent la robe dans le sang.
32 Ensuite ils envoyèrent et firent parvenir à leur père la robe de diverses couleurs, en lui faisant dire: Nous avons trouvé ceci; reconnais si c'est la robe de ton fils, ou non.
33 Et il la reconnut, et dit: C'est la robe de mon fils; une bête féroce l'a dévoré; certainement Joseph a été mis en pièces.
34 Et Jacob déchira ses vêtements, et mit un sac sur ses reins, et mena deuil sur son fils pendant longtemps.
The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.