Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Genesis 34

Clinging to a Counterfeit Cross
Introduction

1  Dinah is ravished by Shechem.
4  He sues to marry her.
13  The sons of Jacob offer the condition of circumcision to the Shechemites.
20  Hamor and Shechem persuade them to accept it.
25  The sons of Jacob upon that advantage slay them, and spoil their city.
30  Jacob reproves Simeon and Levi.

Verse 1

And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.
A. M. 2272. B.C. 1732
Dinah
30:21, 46:15
the daughters
26:34, 27:46, 28:6, 30:13, Jeremiah 2:36, 1 Timothy 5:13, Titus 2:5

Verse 2

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.
Shechem
10:17, 33:19
saw her
6:2, 39:6,7, Judges 14:1, 2 Samuel 11:2, Job 31:1,9, Proverbs 13:20, Matthew 5:28
took her
20:2
defiled her
Heb. humbled her.
Deuteronomy 21:14, 22:24,29, Judges 19:24,25, Ezekiel 22:10,11

Verse 3

And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.
soul
Ruth 1:14, 1 Samuel 18:1
kindly unto the damsel
Heb. to the heart of the damsel.
2 Samuel 19:7, 2 Chronicles 30:22, Isaiah 40:2, Hosea 2:14; *marg:

Verse 4

And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.
21:21, Judges 14:2, 2 Samuel 13:13

Verse 5

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.
now his
30:35, 37:13,14, 1 Samuel 10:27, 16:11, 17:15, 2 Samuel 13:22, Luke 15:25,29
held
Leviticus 10:3, Psalms 39:9

Verse 7

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.
were
46:7, 2 Samuel 13:21
wrought
Exodus 19:5,6, Deuteronomy 22:21, Joshua 7:15, Judges 19:22-25, 20:6, 2 Samuel 13:12,13, Psalms 93:5, Proverbs 7:7, 1 Peter 2:9
thing
20:9, Leviticus 4:2,13,27, Deuteronomy 23:17, 1 Corinthians 6:18, 10:8, Ephesians 5:3, Colossians 3:5, 1 Timothy 5:13, Hebrews 13:4, James 3:10

Verse 8

And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.
The soul
3, 1 Kings 11:2, Psalms 63:1, 84:2, 119:20

Verse 9

And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you.
6:2, 19:14, 24:3, 26:34,35, 27:46, Deuteronomy 7:3

Verse 10

And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.
and the land
21-23, 13:9, 20:15, 42:34, 47:27

Verse 11

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.
18:3, 33:15

Verse 12

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.
Ask me
On the practice of purchasing wives, De La Roque says, "Properly speaking, a young man who would marry must purchase his wife; and fathers among the Arabs are never so happy as when they have many daughters. They form part of the riches of the house. Accordingly, when a young man would treat with a person whose daughter he is inclined to marry, he says to him, 'Will you give me your daughter for fifty sheep, for six camels, or for a dozen cows?' according to the rank of her family, and the circumstances of him who desires to marry her."
dowry
24:53, 29:18, 31:41, Exodus 22:16,17, Deuteronomy 22:28,29, 1 Samuel 18:25-27, 2 Samuel 3:14, Hosea 3:2, Matthew 14:17

Verse 13

And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:
deceitfully
25:27-34, Judges 15:3, 2 Samuel 13:23-29, Job 13:4,7, Psalms 12:2, Proverbs 12:13, Proverbs 12:18-20, 24:28,29, 26:24-26, Isaiah 59:13, Micah 7:2, Romans 12:19, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, Matthew 28:13

Verse 14

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:
uncircumcised
17:11, Joshua 5:2-9, 1 Samuel 14:6, 17:26,36, 2 Samuel 1:20, 15:7, 1 Kings 21:9, Matthew 2:8,13, 23:1-39, Romans 4:11

Verse 15

But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised;
Galatians 4:12

Verse 19

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.
because
29:20, Song of Solomon 8:6, Isaiah 62:4
honourable
41:20, Numbers 22:15, 1 Samuel 22:14, 2 Kings 5:1, 1 Chronicles 4:9, Isaiah 3:3-5, 5:13, 23:8,9, Acts 13:50, 17:12

Verse 20

And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,
the gate
22:17, 23:10, Deuteronomy 17:5, Ruth 4:1, Job 29:7, Proverbs 31:23, Amos 5:10,12,15, Zechariah 8:16

Verse 22

Genesis 34:15-17


Verse 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.
Proverbs 1:12,13, 23:4,5, 28:20, John 2:16, 6:26,27, Acts 19:24-26, 1 Timothy 6:6-10

Verse 24

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.
hearkened
In thus falling into this measure, the Shechemites must either have had great affection for their chief and his son, or have been under the influence of the most passive obedience. The petty princes of Asia have always been absolute and despotic; their subjects paying them the most prompt and blind obedience. The following instance will sufficiently illustrate and confirm this statement: Abu Thaher, chief of the Carmathians, about the year 930, with only 500 horse, went to lay siege to Bagdad: the khalif's general marched out to seize him; but before the attack, sent an officer to summon him to surrender. "How many men has the khalif's general?" said Abu Thaher; "30,000," replied the officer. "Among them all," says the Carmathian chief, "has he got three like mine?" Then ordering his followers to approach, he commanded one to stab himself, another to throw himself from a precipice, and a third to plunge into the Tigris: all three instantly obeyed, and perished! Then turning to the officer, he said, "He who has such troops need not value the number of his enemies!"
went out
23:10,18
every male
17:23, Isaiah 1:10-16, Matthew 7:6, Romans 2:28,29, 1 Corinthians 7:19

Verse 25

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.
sore
Joshua 5:6,8
Simeon
29:33,34, 49:5,7, Numbers 31:7,17, Proverbs 4:16, 6:34,35
slew
49:6, 2 Chronicles 32:25

Verse 26

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.
edge
Heb. mouth.
Deuteronomy 32:42, 2 Samuel 2:26, Isaiah 31:8

Verse 27

The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.
spoiled
Esther 9:10,16, 1 Timothy 6:10
they
2,31, Exodus 2:14, Joshua 7:1,21, 13

Verse 28

They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,
Numbers 31:17, Deuteronomy 8:17,18, Job 1:15,16, 20:5

Verse 30

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.
Ye have
49:5-7, Joshua 7:25, 1 Kings 18:18, 1 Chronicles 2:7, Proverbs 11:17,29, 15:27
to stink
Exodus 5:21, 1 Samuel 13:4, 27:12, 1 Chronicles 19:6
and I being
Deuteronomy 4:17, 7:7, 1 Chronicles 16:12, Psalms 105:12
and I shall
12:2,12, 28:13,14, 1 Samuel 16:2, 27:1, Romans 4:18-20

Verse 31

And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?
13, 49:7, Proverbs 6:34

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