1 And Dinah H1783 the daughter H1323 of Leah, H3812 which she bare H3205 unto Jacob, H3290 went out H3318 to see H7200 the daughters H1323 of the land. H776
2 And when Shechem H7927 the son H1121 of Hamor H2544 the Hivite, H2340 prince H5387 of the country, H776 saw H7200 her, he took H3947 her, and lay H7901 with her, and defiled her. H6031
3 And his soul H5315 clave H1692 unto Dinah H1783 the daughter H1323 of Jacob, H3290 and he loved H157 the damsel, H5291 and spake H1696 kindly H3820 unto the damsel. H5291
4 And Shechem H7927 spake H559 unto his father H1 Hamor, H2544 saying, H559 Get H3947 me this damsel H3207 to wife. H802
5 And Jacob H3290 heard H8085 that he had defiled H2930 Dinah H1783 his daughter: H1323 now his sons H1121 were with his cattle H4735 in the field: H7704 and Jacob H3290 held his peace H2790 until they were come. H935
6 And Hamor H2544 the father H1 of Shechem H7927 went out H3318 unto Jacob H3290 to commune H1696 with H854 him.
7 And the sons H1121 of Jacob H3290 came H935 out of the field H7704 when they heard H8085 it: and the men H582 were grieved, H6087 and they were very H3966 wroth, H2734 because he had wrought H6213 folly H5039 in Israel H3478 in lying H7901 with Jacob's H3290 daughter; H1323 which thing ought not to be done. H6213
8 And Hamor H2544 communed H1696 with them, saying, H559 The soul H5315 of my son H1121 Shechem H7927 longeth H2836 for your daughter: H1323 I pray you give H5414 her him to wife. H802
9 And make ye marriages H2859 with us, and give H5414 your daughters H1323 unto us, and take H3947 our daughters H1323 unto you.
10 And ye shall dwell H3427 with us: and the land H776 shall be H1961 before you; H6440 dwell H3427 and trade H5503 ye therein, and get you possessions H270 therein.
11 And Shechem H7927 said H559 unto her father H1 and unto her brethren, H251 Let me find H4672 grace H2580 in your eyes, H5869 and what ye shall say H559 unto me I will give. H5414
12 Ask H7235 me never so much H3966 dowry H4119 and gift, H4976 and I will give H5414 according as ye shall say H559 unto me: but give H5414 me the damsel H5291 to wife. H802
13 And the sons H1121 of Jacob H3290 answered H6030 Shechem H7927 and Hamor H2544 his father H1 deceitfully, H4820 and said, H1696 because he had defiled H2930 Dinah H1783 their sister: H269
14 And they said H559 unto them, We cannot H3808 H3201 do H6213 this thing, H1697 to give H5414 our sister H269 to one H376 that is uncircumcised; H6190 for that were a reproach H2781 unto us:
15 But in this H2063 will we consent H225 unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male H2145 of you be circumcised; H4135
16 Then will we give H5414 our daughters H1323 unto you, and we will take H3947 your daughters H1323 to us, and we will dwell H3427 with you, and we will become one H259 people. H5971
17 But if ye will not hearken H8085 unto us, to be circumcised; H4135 then will we take H3947 our daughter, H1323 and we will be gone. H1980
18 And their words H1697 pleased H3190 H5869 Hamor, H2544 and Shechem H7927 Hamor's H2544 son. H1121
19 And the young man H5288 deferred H309 not to do H6213 the thing, H1697 because he had delight H2654 in Jacob's H3290 daughter: H1323 and he was more honourable H3513 than all the house H1004 of his father. H1
20 And Hamor H2544 and Shechem H7927 his son H1121 came H935 unto the gate H8179 of their city, H5892 and communed H1696 with the men H582 of their city, H5892 saying, H559
21 These men H582 are peaceable H8003 with H854 us; therefore let them dwell H3427 in the land, H776 and trade H5503 therein; for the land, H776 behold, it is large H7342 enough H3027 for them; H6440 let us take H3947 their daughters H1323 to us for wives, H802 and let us give H5414 them our daughters. H1323
22 Only herein H2063 will the men H582 consent H225 unto us for to dwell H3427 with us, to be one H259 people, H5971 if every male H2145 among us be circumcised, H4135 as they are circumcised. H4135
23 Shall not their cattle H4735 and their substance H7075 and every beast H929 of theirs be ours? only let us consent H225 unto them, and they will dwell H3427 with us.
24 And unto Hamor H2544 and unto Shechem H7927 his son H1121 hearkened H8085 all that went out H3318 of the gate H8179 of his city; H5892 and every male H2145 was circumcised, H4135 all that went out H3318 of the gate H8179 of his city. H5892
25 And it came to pass on the third H7992 day, H3117 when they were sore, H3510 that two H8147 of the sons H1121 of Jacob, H3290 Simeon H8095 and Levi, H3878 Dinah's H1783 brethren, H251 took H3947 each man H376 his sword, H2719 and came H935 upon the city H5892 boldly, H983 and slew H2026 all the males. H2145
26 And they slew H2026 Hamor H2544 and Shechem H7927 his son H1121 with the edge H6310 of the sword, H2719 and took H3947 Dinah H1783 out H3947 of Shechem's H7927 house, H1004 and went out. H3318
27 The sons H1121 of Jacob H3290 came H935 upon the slain, H2491 and spoiled H962 the city, H5892 because they had defiled H2930 their sister. H269
28 They took H3947 their sheep, H6629 and their oxen, H1241 and their asses, H2543 and that which was in the city, H5892 and that which was in the field, H7704
29 And all their wealth, H2428 and all their little ones, H2945 and their wives H802 took they captive, H7617 and spoiled H962 even all that was in the house. H1004
30 And Jacob H3290 said H559 to Simeon H8095 and Levi, H3878 Ye have troubled H5916 me to make me to stink H887 among the inhabitants H3427 of the land, H776 among the Canaanites H3669 and the Perizzites: H6522 and I being few H4962 in number, H4557 they shall gather themselves together H622 against me, and slay me; H5221 and I shall be destroyed, H8045 I and my house. H1004
31 And they said, H559 Should he deal H6213 with our sister H269 as with an harlot? H2181
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 34
Commentary on Genesis 34 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 34
Ge 34:1-31. The Dishonor of Dinah.
1-4. Though freed from foreign troubles, Jacob met with a great domestic calamity in the fall of his only daughter. According to Josephus, she had been attending a festival; but it is highly probable that she had been often and freely mixing in the society of the place and that she, being a simple, inexperienced, and vain young woman, had been flattered by the attentions of the ruler's son. There must have been time and opportunities of acquaintance to produce the strong attachment that Shechem had for her.
5. Jacob held his peace—Jacob, as a father and a good man, must have been deeply distressed. But he could do little. In the case of a family by different wives, it is not the father, but the full brothers, on whom the protection of the daughters devolves—they are the guardians of a sister's welfare and the avengers of her wrongs. It was for this reason that Simeon and Levi, the two brothers of Dinah by Leah [Ge 34:25], appear the chief actors in this episode; and though the two fathers would have probably brought about an amicable arrangement of the affair, the hasty arrival of these enraged brothers introduced a new element into the negotiations.
6. Hamor—that is, "ass"; and it is a striking proof of the very different ideas which, in the East, are associated with that animal, which there appears sprightly, well proportioned, and of great activity. This chief is called Emmor (Ac 7:16).
7. the men were grieved, and … very wroth—Good men in such a case could not but grieve; but it would have been well if their anger had been less, or that they had known the precept "let not the sun go down upon your wrath" [Eph 4:26]. No injury can justify revenge (De 32:35; Ro 12:9); but Jacob's sons planned a scheme of revenge in the most deceitful manner.
8-10. Hamor communed with them—The prince and his son seem at first sight to have acted honestly, and our feelings are enlisted on their side. They betray no jealousy of the powerful shepherds; on the contrary, they show every desire to establish friendly intercourse. But their conduct was unjustifiable in neither expressing regret nor restoring Dinah to her family; and this great error was the true cause of the negotiations ending in so unhappy a manner.
11. Shechem said unto her father … and brethren—The consideration of the proposal for marriage belonged to Jacob, and he certainly showed great weakness in yielding so much to the fiery impetuosity of his sons. The sequel shows the unhappy consequences of that concession.
12. Ask me never so much dowry and gift—The gift refers to the presents made at betrothal, both to the bride elect and her relations (compare Ge 24:53), the dowry to a suitable settlement upon her.
13. The sons of Jacob answered—The honor of their family consisted in having the sign of the covenant. Circumcision was the external rite by which persons were admitted members of the ancient Church. But that outward rite could not make the Shechemites true Israelites; and yet it does not appear that Jacob's sons required anything more. Nothing is said of their teaching the people to worship the true God, but only of their insisting on their being circumcised; and it is evident that they did not seek to convert Shechem, but only made a show of religion—a cloak to cover their diabolical design. Hypocrisy and deceit, in all cases vicious, are infinitely more so when accompanied with a show of religion; and here the sons of Jacob, under the pretense of conscientious scruples, conceal a scheme of treachery as cruel and diabolical as was, perhaps, ever perpetrated.
20. Hamor and Shechem … came unto the gate of their city—That was the place where every public communication was made; and in the ready obsequious submission of the people to this measure we see an evidence either of the extraordinary affection for the governing family, or of the abject despotism of the East, where the will of a chief is an absolute command.
30. Jacob said … Ye have troubled me—This atrocious outrage perpetrated on the defenseless citizens and their families made the cup of Jacob's affliction overflow. We may wonder that, in speaking of it to his sons, he did not represent it as a heinous sin, an atrocious violation of the laws of God and man, but dwelt solely on the present consequences. It was probably because that was the only view likely to rouse the cold-blooded apathy, the hardened consciences of those ruffian sons. Nothing but the restraining power of God saved him and his family from the united vengeance of the people (compare Ge 35:5). All his sons had not been engaged in the massacre. Joseph was a boy, Benjamin not yet born, and the other eight not concerned in it. Simeon and Levi alone, with their retainers, had been the guilty actors in the bloody tragedy. But the Canaanites would not be discriminating in their vengeance; and if all the Shechemites were put to death for the offense of their chief's son, what wonder if the natives should extend their hatred to all the family of Jacob; and who probably equalled, in number, the inhabitants of that village.