Genesis 34:8

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.

Complete Jewish Bible:

But Hamor said to them, "My son Sh'khem's heart is set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife;

Berean Standard Bible:

But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.

American Standard Version:

And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you, give her unto him to wife.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And Hamor^{H2544} communed^{H1696} with them, saying^{H559}, The soul^{H5315} of my son^{H1121} Shechem^{H7927} longeth^{H2836} for your daughter^{H1323}: I pray you give^{H5414} her him to wife^{H802}.

Cross-References (KJV):

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Commentary for Genesis 34:8

Genesis 34:8 is part of the narrative concerning Dinah, the daughter of Jacob (also known as Israel), and Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite. This verse occurs within the broader context of the patriarchal narratives in the Book of Genesis, which detail the lives and journeys of the ancestors of the Israelite people.

In this specific verse, Hamor is speaking to Jacob and his sons about his son Shechem's desire to marry Dinah. The verse reflects several key themes and cultural practices of the time:

1. **Marriage and Family Dynamics**: The request for Dinah's hand in marriage is presented in a context where family alliances were crucial for social stability and economic prosperity. Marriages were often arranged between families, and the consent of the patriarch, in this case, Jacob, would have been essential.

2. **Hospitality and Betrayal**: Prior to this request, Shechem had raped Dinah, which was a grave offense. Despite this, Hamor approaches Jacob's family as if a marriage alliance would be mutually beneficial, perhaps expecting that the social norms of hospitality and the potential for a peaceful resolution would prevail over the initial wrongdoing.

3. **Negotiation and Deception**: The narrative reveals the complexity of intercultural relationships and the use of negotiation and deception, which are recurring themes in the Genesis stories. Jacob's family will later use deception to negotiate the circumcision of all the men of Hamor's city as a condition for the marriage, which leads to further conflict and violence.

4. **Historical Context**: The story reflects the ancient Near Eastern context where city-dwellers (like Hamor and Shechem) and nomadic herders (like Jacob and his family) interacted, sometimes leading to tense and violent situations due to differing cultural norms and values.

5. **Moral and Ethical Questions**: The verse raises questions about morality, justice, and the treatment of women. Dinah's voice is notably absent from the narrative, highlighting the patriarchal nature of society at the time, where women's agency was limited, and their roles were often confined to being bargaining chips in familial negotiations.

In summary, Genesis 34:8 captures a moment of negotiation between two families from different cultural backgrounds, highlighting the themes of marriage, hospitality, deception, and the complex dynamics of family and societal honor in the ancient Near East. It also underscores the moral and ethical challenges faced by the characters in the narrative, which continue to resonate in discussions about gender roles and justice in contemporary interpretations of the biblical text.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H2544
   There are 12 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חֲמוֹר
   Transliteration: Chămôwr
   Pronunciation: kham-ore'
   Description: the same as חֲמוֹר; donkey; Chamor, a Canaanite; Hamor.
   
2. Strong's Number: H1696
   There are 1050 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: דָבַר
   Transliteration: dâbar
   Pronunciation: daw-bar'
   Description: a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue; answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.
   
3. Strong's Number: H559
   There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָמַר
   Transliteration: ʼâmar
   Pronunciation: aw-mar'
   Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
   
4. Strong's Number: H5315
   There are 683 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נֶפֶשׁ
   Transliteration: nephesh
   Pronunciation: neh'-fesh
   Description: from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental); any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, [phrase] slay, soul, [phrase] tablet, they, thing, ([idiom] she) will, [idiom] would have it.
   
5. Strong's Number: H1121
   There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בֵּן
   Transliteration: bên
   Pronunciation: bane
   Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
   
6. Strong's Number: H7927
   There are 54 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שְׁכֶם
   Transliteration: Shᵉkem
   Pronunciation: shek-em'
   Description: the same as שְׁכֶם; ridge; Shekem, a place in Palestine; Shechem.
   
7. Strong's Number: H2836
   There are 11 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חָשַׁק
   Transliteration: châshaq
   Pronunciation: khaw-shak'
   Description: a primitive root; also interchangeable for חָשַׂךְ; to cling, i.e. join, (figuratively) to love, delight in; elliptically; to deliver; have a delight, (have a) desire, fillet, long, set (in) love.
   
8. Strong's Number: H1323
   There are 499 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בַּת
   Transliteration: bath
   Pronunciation: bath
   Description: from בָּנָה (as feminine of בֵּן); a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively); apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, [idiom] first, [idiom] old, [phrase] owl, town, village.
   
9. Strong's Number: H5414
   There are 1816 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָתַן
   Transliteration: nâthan
   Pronunciation: naw-than'
   Description: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.); add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield.
   
10. Strong's Number: H802
    There are 729 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אִשָּׁה
    Transliteration: ʼishshâh
    Pronunciation: ish-shaw'
    Description: feminine of אִישׁ or אֱנוֹשׁ; irregular plural, נָשִׁים;(used in the same wide sense as אֱנוֹשׁ); a woman; (adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.