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
1Then Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare vnto Iaakob, went out to see the daughters of that countrey. 2Whome when Shechem the sonne of Hamor the Hiuite lorde of that countrey sawe, hee tooke her, and lay with her, and defiled her. 3So his heart claue vnto Dinah the daughter of Iaakob: and he loued the maide, and spake kindely vnto the maide. 4Then said Shechem to his father Hamor, saying, Get me this maide to wife. 5(Nowe Iaakob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter, and his sonnes were with his cattell in the fielde: therefore Iaakob helde his peace, vntill they were come.) 6Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out vnto Iaakob to commune with him. 7And whe the sonnes of Iaakob were come out of the fielde and heard it, it grieued the men, and they were very angry, because he had wrought villenie in Israel, in that he had lyen with Iaakobs daughter: which thing ought not to be done. 8And Hamor communed with them, saying, the soule of my sonne Shechem longeth for your daughter: giue her him to wife, I pray you. 9So make affinitie with vs: giue your daughters vnto vs, and take our daughters vnto you, 10And ye shall dwell with vs, and the lande shalbe before you: dwell, and doe your businesse in it, and haue your possessions therein. 11Shechem also said vnto her father and vnto her brethren, Let me finde fauour in your eyes, and I will giue whatsoeuer ye shall appoint me. 12Aske of me abundantly both dowrie and giftes, and I will giue as ye appoint me, so that ye giue me the maide to wife. 13Then the sonnes of Iaakob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, talking deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister, 14And they said vnto them, We can not do this thing, to giue our sister to an vncircumcised man: for that were a reproofe vnto vs. 15But in this will we consent vnto you, if ye will be as we are, that euery man childe among you be circumcised: 16Then will we giue our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to vs, and will dwell with you, and be one people. 17But if ye will not hearken vnto vs to be circumcised, then will we take our daughter and depart. 18Nowe their wordes pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamors sonne. 19And the yong man deferd not to doe the thing because he loued Iaakobs daughter: he was also the most set by of all his fathers house. 20Then Hamor and Shechem his Sonne went vnto the gate of their citie, and communed with the men of their citie, saying, 21These men are peaceable with vs: and that they may dwell in the land, and doe their affaires therin (for behold, the land hath roume ynough for them) let vs take their daughters to wiues, and giue them our daughters. 22Onely herein will the men consent vnto vs for to dwell with vs, and to be one people, if all the men children among vs be circumcised as they are circumcised. 23Shall not their flockes and their substance and all their cattell be ours? onely let vs consent herein vnto them, and they will dwell with vs. 24And vnto Hamor, and Shechem his sonne hearkened all that went out of the gate of his citie: and all the men children were circumcised, euen all that went out of the gate of his citie. 25And on the thirde day (when they were sore) two of the sonnes of Iaakob, Simeon and Leui, Dinahs brethren tooke either of them his sworde and went into the citie boldly, and slue euery male. 26They slewe also Hamor and Shechem his sonne with the edge of the sword, and tooke Dinah out of Shechems house, and went their way. 27Againe the other sonnes of Iaakob came vpon the dead, and spoyled the citie, because they had defiled their sister. 28They tooke their sheepe and their beeues, and their asses, and whatsoeuer was in the citie, and in the fieldes. 29Also they caryed away captiue and spoyled all their goods, and all their children and their wiues, and all that was in the houses. 30Then Iaakob said to Simeon and Leui, Ye haue troubled me, and made me stinke among the inhabitats of the land, aswell the Canaanites, as the Perizzites, and and I being few in nomber, they shall gather theselues together against me, and slay me, and so shall I, and my house be destroied. 31And they answered, Shoulde hee abuse our sister as a whore?
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