Genesis 34
34
Dinah Defiled
1Dinah, Leah’s daughter # Gn 30:21 whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see some of the young women of the area. 2When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, a prince of the region, saw her, he took her and raped her. 3He became infatuated with Dinah, daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke tenderly to her. # Lit spoke to her heart 4“Get me this girl as a wife,” # Jdg 14:2 he told his father Hamor.
5Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, he remained silent until they returned. 6Meanwhile, Shechem’s father Hamor came to speak with Jacob. 7Jacob’s sons returned from the field when they heard about the incident and were deeply grieved and angry. For Shechem had committed an outrage against Israel by raping Jacob’s daughter, # Dt 22:20-30; Jdg 20:6; 2Sm 13:12 and such a thing should not be done.
8Hamor said to Jacob’s sons, “My son Shechem is strongly attracted to your # The Hb word for “your” is pl, showing that Hamor is speaking to Jacob and his sons. daughter. Please give her to him as a wife. 9Intermarry with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. 10Live with us. The land is before you. Settle here, move about, and acquire property in it.”
11Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Grant me this favor, # Lit May I find favor in your eyes and I’ll give you whatever you say. 12Demand of me a high compensation # Or bride-price, or betrothal present and gift; I’ll give you whatever you ask me. Just give the girl to be my wife! ”
13But Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully because he had defiled their sister Dinah. 14“We cannot do this thing,” they said to them. “Giving our sister to an uncircumcised man is a disgrace to us. 15We will agree with you only on this condition: if all your males are circumcised as we are. # Gn 17:23-27 16Then we will give you our daughters, take your daughters for ourselves, live with you, and become one people. 17But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.”
18Their words seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19The young man did not delay doing this, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. Now he was the most important in all his father’s house. 20So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city # Ru 4:1; 2Sm 15:2 and spoke to the men there.
21“These men are peaceful toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and move about in it, for indeed, the region is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as our wives and give our daughters to them. 22But the men will agree to live with us and be one people only on this condition: if all our men are circumcised as they are. 23Won’t their livestock, their possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will live with us.”
24All the able-bodied men # Lit All who went out of the city gate # Gn 23:10 listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and all the able-bodied men # Lit all the males who went out of the city gate were circumcised. 25On the third day, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, # Gn 49:5-7 Dinah’s brothers, took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and killed every male. 26They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went away. 27Jacob’s other sons came to the slaughter and plundered the city because their sister had been defiled. 28They took their sheep, cattle, donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field. 29They captured all their possessions, children, and wives and plundered everything in the houses.
30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me, # Jos 7:25 making me odious to the inhabitants of the land, # Ex 5:21; 1Sm 13:4; 2Sm 10:6 the Canaanites and the Perizzites. # Gn 13:7; 34:2 We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.” # Gn 46:26-27; Dt 4:27; 1Ch 16:19; Ps 105:12
31But they answered, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute? ”
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Genesis 34
34
The Defiling of Dinah
1Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land. 2When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force. 3And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly. 4So Shechem told his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as a wife.”
5Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, he remained silent about it until they returned. 6Meanwhile, Shechem’s father Hamor came to speak with Jacob. 7When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel #34:7 Or against Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.
8But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. 9Intermarry with us; give us your daughters, and take our daughters for yourselves. 10You may settle among us, and the land will be open to you. Live here, move about freely, and acquire your own property.”
11Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Grant me this favor, and I will give you whatever you ask. 12Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!”
The Revenge of Dinah’s Brothers
13But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully. 14“We cannot do such a thing,” they said. “To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace to us. 15We will consent to this on one condition, that you become circumcised like us—every one of your males. 16Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We will dwell among you and become one people. 17But if you will not agree to be circumcised, then we will take our sister and go.”
18Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19The young man, who was the most respected of all his father’s household, did not hesitate to fulfill this request, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.
20So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and addressed the men of their city: 21“These men are at peace with us. Let them live and trade in our land; indeed, it is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters in marriage and give our daughters to them. 22But only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us and be one people: if all our men are circumcised as they are. 23Will not their livestock, their possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell among us.”
24All the men who went out of the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male of the city was circumcised.
25Three days later, while they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons (Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi) took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and slaughtered every male. 26They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away.
27Jacob’s other sons came upon the slaughter and looted the city, because their sister had been defiled. 28They took their flocks and herds and donkeys, and everything else in the city or in the field. 29They carried off all their possessions and women and children, and they plundered everything in their houses.
30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people of this land. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”
31But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”
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