Genesis34
New American Standard
1Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land.
2When Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her and raped her.
3But he was deeply attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her.
4So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this young woman as a wife.”
5Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah; but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob said nothing until they came in.
6Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him.
7Now the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard about it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done.
8But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; please give her to him in marriage.
9And intermarry with us; give your daughters to us and take our daughters for yourselves.
10So you will live with us, and the land shall be open to you; live and trade in it and acquire property in it.”
11Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and I will give whatever you tell me.
12Demand of me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give whatever you tell me; but give me the girl in marriage.”
13But Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with deceit, because he had defiled their sister Dinah.
14They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, that is, give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us.
15Only on this condition will we consent to you: if you will become like us, in that every male of you will be circumcised,
16then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for ourselves, and we will live with you and become one people.
17But if you do not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.”
18Now their words seemed reasonable to Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.
19The young man did not delay to do this, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. Now he was more respected than all the household of his father.
20So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the people of their city, saying,
21“These men are friendly to us; therefore let them live in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. We will take their daughters in marriage, and give our daughters to them.
22Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people: that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised.
23Will their livestock and their property and all their animals not be ours? Let’s just consent to them, and they will live with us.”
24All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.
25Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob’s sons—Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers—each took his sword and came upon the city undetected, and killed every male.
26They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left.
27Jacob’s sons came upon those killed and looted the city, because they had defiled their sister.
28They took their flocks, their herds, and their donkeys, and that which was in the city and that which was in the field;
29and they captured and looted all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives, even everything that was in the houses.
30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me repulsive among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since my men are few in number, they will band together against me and attack me, and I will be destroyed, I and my household!”
31But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Genesis 34.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Dinah defiled by Shechem. (1–19). The Shechemites murdered by Simeon and Levi. (20–31).
vv1-19
Young persons, especially females, are never so safe and well off as under the care of pious parents. Their own ignorance, and the flattery and artifices of designing, wicked people, who are ever laying snares for them, expose them to great danger. They are their own enemies if they desire to go abroad, especially alone, among strangers to true religion. Those parents are very wrong who do not hinder their children from needlessly exposing themselves to danger. Indulged children, like Dinah, often become a grief and shame to their families. Her pretence was, to see the daughters of the land, to see how they dressed, and how they danced, and what was fashionable among them; she went to see, yet that was not all, she went to be seen too. She went to get acquaintance with the Canaanites, and to learn their ways. See what came of Dinah's gadding. The beginning of sin is as the letting forth of water. How great a matter does a little fire kindle! We should carefully avoid all occasions of sin and approaches to it.
vv20-31
The Shechemites submitted to the sacred rite, only to serve a turn, to please their prince, and to enrich themselves, and it was just with God to bring punishment upon them. As nothing secures us better than true religion, so nothing exposes us more than religion only pretended to. But Simeon and Levi were most unrighteous. Those who act wickedly, under the pretext of religion, are the worst enemies of the truth, and harden the hearts of many to destruction. The crimes of others form no excuse for us. Alas! how one sin leads on to another, and, like flames of fire, spread desolation in every direction! Foolish pleasures lead to seduction; seduction produces wrath; wrath thirsts for revenge; the thirst of revenge has recourse to treachery; treachery issues in murder; and murder is followed by other lawless actions. Were we to trace the history of unlawful commerce between the sexes, we should find it, more than any other sin, ending in blood.
Key Words
דִּינָה: Dinah, the daughter of Jacob
בַּת: a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
לֵאָה: Leah, a wife of Jacob
אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
יָלַד: to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage
יַעֲקֹב: Jaakob, the Israelitish patriarch
יָצָא: to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.
רָאָה: to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
שְׁכֶם: Shekem, a place in Palestine
Cross References
Genesis 34Textual origin of 'wrought folly in Israel/against Israel', referring to forbidden sexual misconduct.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Jacob's deathbed prophecy denounces Simeon and Levi as brothers in violence, referencing this massacre.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Jacob disavows their secret counsel and anger which led to the slaughter of the Shechemites.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Jacob curses their fierce anger and cruel wrath, scattering their descendants in Israel.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallels the specific Hebrew phrase for committing a disgraceful, covenant-breaking folly in Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The Mosaic law regarding the dowry and marriage requirements after a virgin is seduced.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The terror of God prevents neighboring cities from pursuing Jacob's family after the slaughter.
Supported by JFB
Another historical usage of the specific phrase denoting 'folly' and grave moral wickedness.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Similar idiom of offering land 'before you' to live and trade freely.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Illustrates the ancient custom of presenting costly betrothal gifts and dowry to the family.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The sign of circumcision which Jacob's sons deceptively used as a weapon.
Supported by JFB
Achan is told he "troubled" Israel, using the same Hebrew root Jacob uses here.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The term "to make me to stink" reflects Israel's later status before Pharaoh.
Supported by Matthew Henry
New Testament reference using the Greek spelling Emmor for Hamor.
Supported by JFB
Tamar's protest echoes the language that such a folly 'ought not to be done' in Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Demonstrates the historical Israelite perspective viewing the uncircumcised as a major covenantal reproach.
Supported by JFB
Identifies the same local inhabitants, "the Canaanite and the Perizzite," dwelling in the land.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Refers to the patriarchs being "few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers."
Supported by Matthew Poole
Later Mosaic law strictly forbidding the very intermarriages Hamor proposes here.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallels the city gate as the central place of public transaction and consensus in Canaan.
Supported by JFB
Parallel to seeking religion only for material gain (meat, wealth, and substance).
Supported by Matthew Henry
Connects the brothers' ultimate violent actions to their initial deceitful response.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
The birth of Dinah to Leah, establishing her identity and parentage.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Uses the same Hebrew idiom of speaking kindly ('speaking to the heart') to win affection.
Supported by Matthew Poole, Calvin
He that is greedy of gain troubles his own house; matches the Shechemites' greed.
Supported by Matthew Henry