Joseph Coat of Many Colors Coloring Pages — Free Printable

Joseph coloring pages — the coat of many colors and the journey to Egypt

Joseph's story spans Genesis 37 and 39-50 — fourteen chapters, the longest single-character narrative in the Pentateuch. The dreamer-son favored by his father, sold into slavery by his brothers, rising in Egypt to become Pharaoh's second-in-command, and finally reconciling with the brothers who betrayed him. It's a story arc Sunday school teachers return to every year because the themes — jealousy, betrayal, perseverance, forgiveness, providence — land at every age.

This Joseph section holds every page on the site depicting Joseph son of Jacob, from the coat-of-many-colors scene through his reconciliation with his brothers and the eventual settlement of Israel in Goshen.

The major Joseph scenes

The favorite son

• Joseph's coat of many colors (Genesis 37:3) — the most iconic Joseph scene — the long-sleeved or many-colored robe
• Joseph's dreams (Genesis 37:5-11) — the sheaves bowing, the sun and moon and stars
• The brothers' jealousy (Genesis 37:12-18) — the conspiracy at Dothan

Sold into slavery

• Joseph thrown into the pit (Genesis 37:19-24) — the cistern
• Joseph sold to the Ishmaelites (Genesis 37:25-28) — twenty pieces of silver
• The brothers deceive Jacob (Genesis 37:29-35) — the bloodied coat

In Egypt — slavery and prison

• Joseph in Potiphar's house (Genesis 39:1-6) — the rise to chief steward
• Potiphar's wife and the false accusation (Genesis 39:7-20) — adult-tier content
• Joseph in prison (Genesis 39:21-23) — the steward over the prisoners
• The cupbearer and the baker's dreams (Genesis 40) — Joseph's interpretive gift

Pharaoh's dreams and Joseph's rise

• Pharaoh's dreams (Genesis 41:1-13) — the seven fat cows and seven thin cows
• Joseph before Pharaoh (Genesis 41:14-37) — interpretation and the strategic plan
• Joseph made vizier of Egypt (Genesis 41:38-46) — Pharaoh's ring, the gold chain, the chariot
• The seven years of plenty and famine (Genesis 41:47-57) — storage and distribution

The brothers return

• The first journey to Egypt (Genesis 42) — the brothers bow before Joseph (their dream fulfilled)
• The silver cup and Benjamin (Genesis 43-44) — the test
• Joseph reveals himself (Genesis 45) — "I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt" — the climactic scene
• The brothers' fear and Joseph's forgiveness (Genesis 45:4-15)

The family settles in Egypt

• Jacob comes to Egypt (Genesis 46) — the reunion
• Settlement in Goshen (Genesis 47)
• Jacob's blessing of Joseph's sons (Genesis 48) — Ephraim and Manasseh
• The death of Jacob (Genesis 49-50:14) — and the brothers' fear
• Joseph's forgiveness restated (Genesis 50:15-21) — "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good"
• The death of Joseph (Genesis 50:22-26) — at age 110

Why Joseph works for Sunday school

After running multiple Joseph units, three observations:

1. The narrative arc is the strongest in Genesis

Genesis 37, 39-50 reads almost like a short novel. Setup, conflict, complication, climax, resolution. It's the most novelistically-structured Old Testament narrative, and that structure makes it deeply memorable for kids.

2. The reconciliation scene is unforgettable

"I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt" (Genesis 45:4) is one of the most emotionally charged moments in scripture. Kids who have ever been betrayed (and most have, in small ways) feel the weight of this scene.

3. The providence theme is teachable

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good" (Genesis 50:20) is the theological summary Joseph himself gives. This becomes the central teaching: God can work even through betrayal and suffering for redemptive purposes. For older kids and adults, this is one of the clearest doctrinal expressions of providence in the Bible.

Sunday school workflow for Joseph

A 6-week Joseph unit (one of the most teacher-loved units):

Week 1 — The dreamer

• Read Genesis 37:1-11
• Color the coat-and-dreams scene
• Discussion: "Joseph's dreams were a special gift. What gifts has God given you?"

Week 2 — The pit and the journey

• Read Genesis 37:12-36
• Color the pit scene (age-appropriate, not graphic)
• Discussion: "Joseph's brothers treated him cruelly. How do we treat people who annoy us?"

Week 3 — Potiphar's house and prison

• Read Genesis 39 (age-appropriate, focused on the rise and the false accusation in broad strokes)
• Color Joseph-as-steward and Joseph-in-prison
• Discussion: "Joseph kept doing his best even when things were unfair. Can you think of a time you kept trying when something was unfair?"

Week 4 — Pharaoh's dreams

• Read Genesis 41
• Color the dream-interpretation scene and Pharaoh's-chariot scene
• Discussion: "God used Joseph's prison time to prepare him. How can hard times prepare us?"

Week 5 — The brothers come

• Read Genesis 42-44 (age-appropriate summary)
• Color the bowing-brothers scene
• Discussion: "The brothers didn't recognize Joseph. Has someone changed so much that you didn't recognize them?"

Week 6 — Forgiveness

• Read Genesis 45 and 50:15-21
• Color the reunion and the family-in-Goshen scenes
• Discussion: "Joseph forgave his brothers even though they treated him terribly. Who do you need to forgive?"
• Connection: Joseph as a type of Christ — betrayed by his brothers, rising to save the world

This 6-week Joseph unit is one of the strongest character units in the Old Testament — taught well, it shapes how kids think about forgiveness for years afterward.

Editorial standards for Joseph content

Standard editorial policy applies. Three Joseph-specific notes:

The Potiphar's wife scene

Genesis 39:7-20 involves Potiphar's wife attempting to seduce Joseph. This is depicted age-sensitively:

• Preschool: not included
• Kids 5-10: referenced briefly ("Potiphar's wife told a lie about Joseph") without visualization
• Teens 11-14: narrative told with the moral focus on Joseph's integrity ("How do we run from temptation?")
• Adults: full narrative with adult companion notes on the typological reading (Joseph as model of faithful integrity under unjust accusation)

Iconographic conventions

Joseph is depicted with consistent conventions:

• Young man in early pages (age 17 in Genesis 37)
• Middle-aged Egyptian vizier in later pages — Egyptian-style clothing, the gold chain of office
• The colorful coat (controversial in modern scholarship — ketonet passim may mean "long-sleeved" rather than "many-colored" — we use the traditional many-colored depiction in line with established iconographic convention)
• Egyptian setting in the second half of the narrative — pyramids, palm trees, Nile background

Joseph and Jesus typology

For older kids, teens, and adults, the parallels between Joseph and Jesus are striking:

• Beloved son of the father
• Betrayed by his brothers/siblings
• Sold for silver
• Falsely accused
• "Killed" (presumed dead) and "risen" (revealed alive)
• Saves his people in a time of famine/death
• Forgives those who betrayed him

These typological connections enrich the adult-tier treatment.

What's coming next for Joseph content

Publishing priorities:

• The full 14-chapter Joseph narrative as a teen Bible study workbook
• Joseph as type of Christ — adult contemplative pages
• Joseph's family in Egypt — Ephraim, Manasseh, the twelve tribes
• The musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat — companion coloring pages for theatre programs

If you're teaching a Joseph unit, email us.

Related Bible characters and themes

• All Bible characters — Old Testament patriarchs
• Abraham — Joseph's great-grandfather
• Moses — led Israel out of the Egypt Joseph brought them to
• Old Testament hub — full Pentateuch coverage
• Forgiveness theme — Joseph's defining act
• Sunday school coloring pages — Joseph 6-week curriculum

— Sarah Mitchell, Christian Education Editor