Genesis 34
34
Dinah Raped by Shechem
1One day, Jacob and Leah’s daughter, Dinah, went out to visit the neighborhood girls. # 34:1 Perhaps the local women introduced her to Shechem, the prince of the city named for him. Dinah was likely fifteen or sixteen years old. 2Now Hamor, the tribal chief of the Hivites, had a son named Shechem, who was the prince. When he saw how attractive Dinah was, he seized her and sexually assaulted her. 3His heart was drawn to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, so he sought to win her affection and spoke tenderly to her. 4Shechem went to his father Hamor and said, “Get me this girl to be my wife.”
5Now Jacob heard that Shechem had violated his daughter Dinah; but his sons were in the fields with his livestock, so he waited to act until his sons returned home. 6Shechem’s father Hamor brought his son # 34:6 From v. 11 we learn that Shechem was present during this conversation. to speak with Jacob about marriage arrangements. 7During their conversation, Jacob’s sons came in from the field, and they heard the report of what Shechem had done to their sister Dinah. # 34:7 Apparently, Dinah was still being held in Hamor’s house within the city (see vv. 17, 26). They were shocked and furious over the shameful act Shechem committed against Israel # 34:7 Or “in Israel.” —a criminal act of sexual assault that never should have happened.
8But Hamor tried to defuse the situation, saying, “Listen, my son Shechem is in love with your daughter. Please, give her to him in marriage. 9Let’s allow our people to intermarry. # 34:9 Or “partner [with us],” that is, become our brothers-in-law. Let your daughters marry our sons, and we will let our daughters marry your sons. 10You may settle here among us, live anywhere you wish, # 34:10 Or “The land is before your faces.” This could be an idiom meaning “Make yourselves at home here.” move about # 34:10 Or “trade” (LXX, Vulgate, Targums). freely, and acquire property.” # 34:10 The basic meaning of the Hebrew verb used here is “take possession of land.”
11Then Shechem spoke up and said to Dinah’s family, “Please, let me find favor in your eyes. Whatever you require of me, I’ll pay. 12Set the bride-price as high as you wish, no matter how expensive it is; I’ll pay whatever you ask. Only give me the young woman to be my wife.”
Jacob’s Sons Exact Revenge
13The sons of Jacob concocted a devious plan. Because of the rape of their sister Dinah, they answered Shechem and Hamor deceitfully, 14saying, “Our culture will not allow us to consent to our sister Dinah marrying someone who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us. 15We would only approve of the marriage on one condition: you must circumcise every male among you and become as we are. 16Then we will allow our daughters to marry your sons and your daughters to marry our sons. And we will live among you and become one people. 17But if you refuse to be circumcised, then we will take our sister # 34:17 Or “daughter.” and be gone.” 18The offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem. 19And the young man lost no time in doing what they asked, because Shechem really wanted to marry Jacob’s daughter!
Now Shechem was the most honored # 34:19 Or, possibly, “the most important.” in all his family, 20so Hamor and his son went to the gate of the city and spoke to the men, saying, 21“These people are our friends. Let them settle in our land and make themselves at home; there’s plenty of room in the country for them. And, let’s agree to exchange our daughters in marriage to them and to unite us as one people. 22They only have one condition in order to live among us and to unite with us as one people: every male among us must be circumcised as they are circumcised. 23Won’t all of their livestock and property become ours? Let us agree to their request, so they will live among us.” 24So all the townsmen agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male of the city was circumcised.
25Three days later, while all the men were still suffering in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city. They slaughtered every male of the city. 26They even killed Hamor and his son Shechem, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left. 27Later, Jacob’s other sons came upon the dead bodies, and they looted the city as retribution for the violation of their sister. 28They seized the flocks, herds, and donkeys, and all that was in the city and in the field. 29They plundered all their wealth and their household goods and took their wives and children as captives.
30When Jacob found out, he said to Simeon and Levi, “What have you done? You have ruined my name, # 34:30 Or “You have muddied the waters” or “You have made a stink.” That is, they had brought trouble upon Jacob. and now the Canaanites and Perizzites and all the people of this land will hate me! My men are so few that if they unite against me and attack, I and all my household will be destroyed!”
31But they answered him, “Why should they treat our sister like a whore?”
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Genesis 34: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationGenesis 34
34
1And Dinah (judgment) the daughter of Le’ah (weary; grieved), which she bore unto Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of), went out to see the daughters of the land.
2And when Sh’khem [back or shoulder, portion] the son of Hamor [male-donkey (ass)] (a donkey) the Hivi (villagers), prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.
3And his soul clave unto Dinah (judgment) the daughter of Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of), and he loved the girl, and spoke kindly unto the girl.
4And Sh’khem [back or shoulder, portion] spoke unto his father Hamor [male-donkey (ass)] (a donkey) saying, Get me this girl to wife.
5And Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) heard that he had defiled Dinah (judgment) his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) held his peace until they were come.
6And Hamor [male-donkey (ass)] (a donkey) the father of Sh’khem [back or shoulder, portion] went out unto Ya’akov to commune with him.
7And the sons of Ya’akov came out of the field when they heard [it]: and the men were grieved, and they were very exceedingly angry, because he had wrought folly in Isra’el in lying with Ya’akov’s daughter; which thing ought not to be done.
8And Hamor [male-donkey (ass)] (a donkey) communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Sh’khem [back or shoulder, portion] longs for youri daughter: I pray youi give her him to wife.
9And make youf marriages with us, [and] give youri daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you.
10And you1sf shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade you1sf in it, and get youri possessions in it.
11And Sh’khem [back or shoulder, portion] said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in youri eyes, and what youf shall say unto me I will give.
12Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as youf shall say unto me: but give me the girl to wife.
13And the sons of Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) answered Sh’khem [back or shoulder, portion] and Hamor [male-donkey (ass)] (a donkey) his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah (judgment) their sister:
14And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that [were] a reproach (disgrace; shame) unto us:
15But in this will we consent unto you: If youf will be as we [be], that every male of youi be circumcised;
16Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take youri daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.
17But if youf will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.
18And their words pleased Hamor [male-donkey (ass)] (a donkey), and Sh’khem [back or shoulder, portion] Hamor [male-donkey (ass)]’s son.
19And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Ya’akov’s daughter: and he [was] more honorable than all the house of his father.
20And Hamor [male-donkey (ass)] (a donkey) and Sh’khem [back or shoulder, portion] his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,
21These men [are] peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade in it; for the land, behold, [it is] large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.
22Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they [are] circumcised.
23 [Shall] not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs [be] ours? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us.
24And unto Hamor [male-donkey (ass)] (a donkey) and unto Sh’khem [back or shoulder, portion] his son listened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.
25And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Ya’akov, Shim’on (heard; he who hears; man of hearing) and Levi (Levite) [Joined to] (joined), Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and killed all the males.
26And they killed Hamor [male-donkey (ass)] (a donkey) and Sh’khem [back or shoulder, portion] his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Sh’khem’s [back or shoulder] house, and went out.
27The sons of Ya’akov came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.
28They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their donkeys, and that which [was] in the city, and that which [was] in the field,
29And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that [was] in the house.
30And Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) said to Shim’on (heard; he who hears; man of hearing) and Levi (Levite) [Joined to] (joined), Youf have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Kena’ani (low/humbled ones; merchants) and the P’rizi (rustic or belonging to a village): and I [being] few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
31And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an prostitute?
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