Genesis34

Dinah, Jacob's daughter, is defiled by Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite prince. Shechem and Hamor propose marriage and intermarriage with Jacob's family, to which Jacob's sons deceitfully agree on the condition that all Hivite males be circumcised. After the Hivites comply, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, attack the city, slaying all males and plundering their possessions, leading to Jacob's concern about their reputation and safety.

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Dinah is Defiled by Shechem

¶ And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.

And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.

And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.

The Marriage Negotiation Begins

And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.

¶ And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him.

And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done.

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

And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you.

And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.

And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give.

Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife.

The Sons' Deceitful Demand

And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:

And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us:

But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised;

Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.

But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.

Shechem’s City Agrees to Circumcision

¶ And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son.

And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter: and he was more honourable than all the house of his father.

And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,

These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; 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.

Only 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.

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.

And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened 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.

Vengeance and Plunder

¶ And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.

And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out.

The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.

They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,

And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.

Jacob’s Rebuke and the Response

And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: 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.

And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

Study Notes for Genesis 34

Verse 1

Dinah, the only daughter of Jacob mentioned in the narrative, ventures out into the city. Her action, while not condemned, is the catalyst for the ensuing crisis between Jacob’s family and the Shechemites.

Verse 2

The phrase 'defiled her' (Hebrew: *’innah*) indicates sexual violation, emphasizing the grave insult and damage done to Dinah and the honor of her family.

Verse 3

Shechem attempts to compensate for his aggressive actions by seeking legitimate marriage, showing his desire to keep Dinah, though this does not mitigate his initial crime.

Verse 5

Jacob's silence ('held his peace') is a strategic caution. He waits for his powerful, grown sons to return from the field, recognizing that they, as Dinah’s brothers, would drive the response to the insult.

Verse 7

The expression 'wrought folly in Israel' is an anachronism, reflecting the later covenant standards (cf. Deut. 22:21) which condemned sexual immorality as a profound moral and social breach.

Verse 11

Shechem offers to pay any price for the dowry (*mohar*) and gifts, demonstrating his determination to secure Dinah and compensate Jacob’s family for the offense.

Verse 13

The sons’ answer is marked by deliberate deceit. This narrative contrasts the actions of the non-covenant people (Shechem, who keeps his promise) with the treachery of the covenant people (Jacob’s sons).

Verse 14

Circumcision was the physical sign of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 17). The sons use this sacred sign not for covenant renewal, but as a manipulative condition to create a lethal vulnerability.

Verse 19

Shechem’s eagerness to comply, despite being described as 'more honourable,' highlights the terrible irony: his genuine desire for Dinah leads him and his city directly into the trap.

Verse 23

Hamor and Shechem persuade the men of the city by appealing to economic self-interest, suggesting that they will gain Jacob’s substantial wealth by agreeing to the painful procedure.

Verse 25

The 'third day' is critical, as it is the period when pain and fever following circumcision are most severe, rendering the men of the city completely defenseless. Dinah’s full brothers, Simeon and Levi, initiate the bloody revenge.

Verse 27

The remaining sons of Jacob joined in the looting of the city, indicating that while Simeon and Levi were responsible for the murder, the entire family benefited from the violent treachery.

Verse 30

Jacob’s immediate concern is not the moral outrage of the massacre but the immediate danger to his family’s survival. Their actions have broken trust and exposed them to deadly retaliation from neighboring tribes.

Verse 31

The sons justify their actions based on tribal honor, arguing that the initial violation of their sister was so grievous that it warranted extreme, violent retribution regardless of covenant law or ethical constraints.

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Genesis34

Dinah is Defiled by Shechem

The Marriage Negotiation Begins

The Sons' Deceitful Demand

Shechem’s City Agrees to Circumcision

Vengeance and Plunder

Jacob’s Rebuke and the Response

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