Genesis 34
34
Dinah Defiled by Shechem
1Now Dinah, Leah’s daughter whom she bore for Jacob, went out to look at 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 his soul clung to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, and he loved the young woman and spoke reassuringly to the young woman.
4So Shechem said to his father Hamor saying, “Get me this girl for a wife.”
5Now Jacob had heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah while his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob kept quiet until they came in.
6Meanwhile Shechem’s father Hamor went out to Jacob in order to speak with him.
7Jacob’s sons had already come in from the field when they heard, and the men were deeply grieved and furious, because he had committed a vile deed in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, which ought never to be done.
8But Hamor spoke with them saying, “My son Shechem—he’s very attached to your daughter. Please give her to him for a wife.
9Intermarry with us. You can give your daughters to us, and you can take our daughters for yourselves.
10You can live with us, and the land will be open to you: live in it, move about freely in it, and settle down in it.”
11Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “Would that I find favor in your eyes! Whatever you say to me I’ll give.
12Set the dowry and the presents as high as you like and I’ll give whatever you say to me. But give me the young woman as a wife.”
13But Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully as they spoke, because he had defiled their sister Dinah.
14They said to them, “We can’t do this thing—give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised—for this is a disgrace to us.
15Only by this will we consent to you: if you will become like us, by circumcising every male.
16Then we’ll give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves, and live with you, and become one people.
17But if you don’t listen to us and be circumcised, we’ll take our daughter and leave.”
18Now their words seemed good to Hamor as well as Hamor’s son Shechem.
19So the young man did not hesitate to do it, since he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. Now he was honored above everyone else in his father’s house.
20So Hamor and his son Shechem came into the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying:
21“These men are enjoying a peaceful relationship with us and they are living in the land and moving about freely in it. As for the land, look, it’s spread out on both sides before us. We can take their daughters to be our wives, and we can give our daughters to them.
22But by this did these men consent to us, to live with us and to become one people—when all our males are circumcised as they are circumcised.
23Their livestock and their possessions: won’t they be ours? Only let us consent to them so that they’ll live with us.”
24Now everyone who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, every one who went out the gate of his city.
25Then on the third day while they were in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came against the city undisturbed and killed every male.
26Hamor and his son Shechem they killed with the sword, then took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left.
27Jacob’s sons came upon the slain and plundered the city because they defiled their sister.
28They took their flocks, their cattle and their donkeys, those that were in the city as well as those that were in the field.
29All their wealth, their little children, and their wives they captured and plundered, as well as everything that was in the houses.
30But Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You’ve brought trouble on me, making me a stench among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am but a few men—they’ll gather against me and strike me—then I’ll be destroyed, my household and I.”
31But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?”
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Genesis 34: TLV
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
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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