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
Dinah Is Defiled
1#Ge 30:21Now Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2When Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her and defiled her. 3He was very smitten by Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke kindly to her. 4#Jdg 14:2Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl for my wife.”
5Now Jacob heard that Shechem had violated his daughter Dinah, but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob held his peace until they came.
6Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to commune with him. 7#Jdg 20:6; Dt 22:21The sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it, and the men were grieved and were very disturbed, because Shechem had disgraced Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, a thing that should not be done.
8Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. I pray that you will give her to him to marry. 9Make marriages with us, and give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. 10#Ge 13:9; 20:15You may dwell with us, and the land will be before you. Dwell and trade in it and get possessions in it.”
11#Ge 33:15Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. 12#Ex 22:16–17You can make the dowry and gift I must bring high, and I will give according to what you say to me. Just give me the girl to marry.”
13The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. 14They said to them, “We cannot do this. To give our sister to one who is uncircumcised would be a disgrace to us. 15But we will consent to you in this: If you will become as we are, that is, every one of your males be circumcised, 16then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. 17But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will leave.”
18Their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son. 19#1Ch 4:9The young man did not delay to do the thing, because he wanted Jacob’s daughter. Now he was more respected than all the household of his father. 20#Ru 4:1So Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and they spoke with the men of their city, saying, 21“These men are at peace with us. Therefore let them dwell in the land and trade in it. For the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as our wives, and let us give them our daughters. 22Only on this condition will the men consent to dwell with us and be one people: if every male among us will be circumcised as they are circumcised. 23Will not their livestock and their possessions and every animal of theirs be ours? Only, let us agree with them, and they will dwell with us.”
24#Ge 23:10All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and Shechem his son, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.
25#Ge 49:5–7; 29:33–34On the third day, when they were in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and went to the unsuspecting city and killed all the males. 26They killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword and took Dinah out of the house of Shechem and departed. 27The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and looted the city, because they had defiled their sister. 28They took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys and whatever was in the city and in the fields. 29They took captive and looted all their wealth, all their little ones, and their wives, even all that was in each house.
30#Ex 5:21; 1Sa 13:4Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me revolting among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. Our being few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and slay me, and I will be destroyed, both I and my household.”
31But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?”
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