Genesis 34:17

Upon the following condition, that Dinah should be given in marriage: if ye will be as we [be], that every male of you be circumcised; as the sons of Jacob were, according to the command given to Abraham their great grandfather, Genesis 17:10. Genesis 34:16 Ver. 16. Then will we give our daughters unto you,.... Meaning Dinah, whom they call their daughter, Genesis 34:17; because she was the daughter of their family, and because they were entreating in the name of their father, and in conformity to the language used by those they were treating with, Genesis 34:9; and we will take your daughters to us; in marriage for wives: and we will dwell with you; not as sojourners but as fellow citizens: and we will become one people; being so nearly related by marriage, and professing one religion, alike submitting to circumcision, which was the distinguished badge of Abraham's seed. Genesis 34:17 Ver. 17. But if ye will not hearken to us to be circumcised,.... Will not agree to this condition, circumcision: then will we take our daughter; by force, as the Targum of Jonathan adds: and we will be gone: depart from this part of the country, and go elsewhere.

34:1-19 Young persons, especially females, are never so safe and well off as under the care of pious parents. Their own ignorance, and the flattery and artifices of designing, wicked people, who are ever laying snares for them, expose them to great danger. They are their own enemies if they desire to go abroad, especially alone, among strangers to true religion. Those parents are very wrong who do not hinder their children from needlessly exposing themselves to danger. Indulged children, like Dinah, often become a grief and shame to their families. Her pretence was, to see the daughters of the land, to see how they dressed, and how they danced, and what was fashionable among them; she went to see, yet that was not all, she went to be seen too. She went to get acquaintance with the Canaanites, and to learn their ways. See what came of Dinah's gadding. The beginning of sin is as the letting forth of water. How great a matter does a little fire kindle! We should carefully avoid all occasions of sin and approaches to it.

13. The sons of Jacob answered—The honor of their family consisted in having the sign of the covenant. Circumcision was the external rite by which persons were admitted members of the ancient Church. But that outward rite could not make the Shechemites true Israelites; and yet it does not appear that Jacob's sons required anything more. Nothing is said of their teaching the people to worship the true God, but only of their insisting on their being circumcised; and it is evident that they did not seek to convert Shechem, but only made a show of religion—a cloak to cover their diabolical design. Hypocrisy and deceit, in all cases vicious, are infinitely more so when accompanied with a show of religion; and here the sons of Jacob, under the pretense of conscientious scruples, conceal a scheme of treachery as cruel and diabolical as was, perhaps, ever perpetrated.

A conference takes place between the parties. Hamer and Jacob, the parents on both sides, are the principals in the negotiation. The sons of Jacob, being brothers of the injured damsel, are present, according to custom. "Wrought fully in Israel;" a standing phrase from this time forward for any deed that was contrary to the sanctity which ought to characterize God's holy people. Israel is used here to designate the descendants of Israel, the special people. Hamer makes his proposal. "Shekem, my son." These words are a nominative pendent, for which "his soul" is substituted. He proposes a political alliance or amalgamation of the two tribes, to be sealed and actually effected by intermarriage. He offers to make them joint-possessors of the soil, and of the rights of dwelling, trading, and acquiring property. Shekem now speaks with becoming deference and earnestness. He offers any amount of dowry, or bridal presents, and of gift to the mother and brothers of the bride. It must be acknowledged that the father and the son were disposed to make whatever amends they could for the grievous offence that had been committed. The sons of Jacob answer with deceit. They are burning with resentment of the wrong that "ought not to have been done," and that cannot now be fully repaired.

Yet they are in presence of a superior force, and therefore, resort to deceit. "And spake." This goes along with the previous verb "answered," and is meant to have the same qualification "with deceit." The last clause of the verse then assigns the cause of this deceitful dealing. Their speech, for the matter of it, is reasonable. They cannot intermarry with the uncircumcised. Only on condition that every male be circumcised will they consent. On these terms they promise to "become one people" with them. Otherwise they take their daughter, and depart. Our daughter. They here speak as a family or race, and therefore, call Dinah their daughter, though her brothers are the speakers.

Attractive as these offers of the Hivite prince and his son were, they were declined by Jacob's sons, who had the chief voice in the question of their sister's marriage (vid., Genesis 24:50 ). And they were quite right; for, by accepting them, they would have violated the sacred call of Israel and his seed, and sacrificed the promises of Jehovah to Mammon. But they did it in a wrong way; for "they answered with deceit and acted from behind" (וידבּרוּ בּמרמה: דּבּר) is to be rendered dolos struxit; דּברים דּבּר would be the expression for "giving mere words," Hosea 10:4 ; vid., Ges. thes.), "because he had defiled Dinah their sister." They told him that they could not give their sister to an uncircumcised man, because this would be a reproach to them; and the only condition upon which they would consent (נאות imperf. Niph. of אוּת) was, that the Shechemites should all be circumcised; otherwise they would take their sister and go.

[Bible] 34:13. The sons of Jacob answered Sichem and his father deceitfully, being enraged at the deflowering of their sister: Deceitfully... The sons of Jacob, on this occasion, were guilty of a grievous sin, as well by falsely pretending religion, as by excess of revenge: though otherwise their zeal against so foul a crime was commendable. 34:14. We cannot do what you demand, nor give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; which with us is unlawful and abominable. 34:15. But in this we may be allied with you, if you will be like us, and all the male sex among you be circumcised: 34:16. Then will we mutually give and take your daughters, and ours; and we will dwell with you, and will be one people: 34:17. But if you will not be circumcised, we will take our daughter and depart. 34:18. Their offer pleased Hemor, and Sichem, his son: 34:19. And the young man made no delay, but forthwith fulfilled what was required: for he loved the damsel exceedingly, and he was the greatest man in all his father's house. 34:20. And going into the gate of the city, they spoke to the people: 34:21. These men are peaceable, and are willing to dwell with us: let them trade in the land, and till it, which being large and wide wanteth men to till it: we shall take their daughters for wives, and we will give them ours. 34:22. One thing there is for which so great a good is deferred: We must circumcise every male among us, following the manner of the nation. 34:23. And their substance, and cattle, and all that they possess, shall be ours; only in this let us condescend, and by dwelling together, we shall make one people. 34:24. And they all agreed, and circumcised all the males. 34:25. And behold the third day, when the pain of the wound was greatest: two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, the brothers of Dina, taking their swords, entered boldly into the city and slew all the men. 34:26. And they killed also Hemor and Sichem, and took away their sister Dina out of Sichem's house.

[Bible] 33:19. And he bought that part of the field, in which he pitched his tents, of the children of Hemor, the father of Sichem, for a hundred lambs. 33:20. And raising an altar there, he invoked upon it the most mighty God of Israel. Genesis Chapter 34 Dina is ravished, for which the Sichemites are destroyed. 34:1. And Dina the daughter of Lia went out to see the women of that country. 34:2. And when Sichem the son of Hemor the Hevite, the prince of that land, saw her, he was in love with her: and took her away, and lay with her, ravishing the virgin. 34:3. And his soul was fast knit unto her; and whereas she was sad, he comforted her with sweet words. 34:4. And going to Hemor his father, he said: Get me this damsel to wife. 34:5. But when Jacob had heard this, his sons being absent, and employed in feeding the cattle, he held his peace till they came back. 34:6. And when Hemor the father of Sichem was come out to speak to Jacob, 34:7. Behold his sons came from the field: and hearing what had passed, they were exceeding angry, because he had done a foul thing in Israel, and committed an unlawful act, in ravishing Jacob's daughter. 34:8. And Hemor spoke to them: The soul of my son Sichem has a longing for your daughter: give her him to wife: 34:9. And let us contract marriages one with another: give us your daughters, and take you our daughters. 34:10. And dwell with us: the land is at your command, till, trade, and possess it. 34:11. Sichem also said to her father and to her brethren: Let me find favour in your sight, and whatsoever you shall appoint I will give: 34:12. Raise the dowry, and ask gifts, and I will gladly give what you shall demand: only give me this damsel to wife. 34:13. The sons of Jacob answered Sichem and his father deceitfully, being enraged at the deflowering of their sister:

But only in this will the men consent to us to dwell with us, to be one people — if every male among us be circumcised, just as they are circumcised. Their cattle, and their possessions, and every beast of theirs, shall they not be ours? only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us. And all that went out at the gate of his city hearkened to Hamor and to Shechem his son; and every male was circumcised — all that went out at the gate of his city. 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 his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males. And Hamor and Shechem his son they slew 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 plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. Their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and what [was] in the city, and what [was] in the field they took; and all their goods, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and plundered them, and all that was in the houses. And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me, in that ye make me odious among the inhabitants of the land — among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and I am few men in number, and they will gather themselves against me and smite me, and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. And they said, Should people deal with our sister as with a harlot? Chapter 35