Genesis 34 – Shechem Defiles Dinah
Timeline: 1906 BC
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Jacob - 103 years old Dinah - 13 years old
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Last bible study we learned that Jacob bought a plot of ground from from Hamor, Shechem’s father. The Hivites were a branch of the Canaanites who were under a curse as stipulated in the prophecy of Noah, which is recorded in Genesis 9:24-27, thus it was forbidden for Jacob's family to intermarry with Hamor's people, the Hivites. 1 Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. It is probable that Dinah was in her thirteenth year when she went out to visit the daughters of the land. The "daughter" can be used literally as Leah's daughter or referring to the "daughters" as a way of speaking to younger women. According to Josephus, a 1st-century Roman–Jewish historian, she had gone into the city to attend a festival. According to other Jewish writers there was a snare laid for her by Shechem, who observing that Jacob's daughter dwelt in tents, and did not go abroad, he brought damsels out of the city dancing and playing on tambourines; and Dinah went forth to see them playing. 2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and violated her. Jewish law stated "If a man finds a virgin girl who was not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, then the man who lay with her shall give fifty [shekels of] silver to the girl"s father, and she shall become his wife, because he violated her. He shall not be able to send her away all the days of his life. In other words, the man would pay the family 50 sheckels and then marries her and can never get a divorce. The Canaanite peoples never adopted any rules governing sexual morality. Shekhem would justify his crime with the claim that he was unaware of Dina's prestigious family background. 3 His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman. So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, "Get me this young woman as a wife." Perceiving her to be exceedingly enraged at this horrid violence, he endeavours to appease and sweeten her, and to get her consent to marry him. Shechem expected that whatever he demanded would be granted. It was the custom that parents were to make the negotiations to arrange the marriages of their children so Hamor goes out to negotiate with Jacob. 5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Jacob held his peace until they came. Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved and very angry, because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, a thing which ought not to be done. But Hamor spoke with them, saying, "The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife. And make marriages with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to yourselves. So you shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you. Dwell and trade in it, and acquire possessions for yourselves in it." Hamer and Jacob, the parents on both sides, are the principals in the negotiation. However, Jacob controlled his anger until his sons returned from the field. Hamer proposed a political alliance between the two tribes, to be sealed by intermarriage with the intention of securing Jacob's wealth. 11 Then Shechem said to her father and her brothers, "Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. Ask me ever so much dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me; but give me the young woman as a wife." Shechem offered to give not purchase-money, but the usual gift made to the bride, and presents for the brothers and mother, if they would only give him the damsel. At first sight they seemed to have acted honestly, however we will soon see Hamor's underlying intent. 13 But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, and spoke deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. And they said to them, "We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us. But on this condition we will consent to you: If you will become as we are, if every male of you is circumcised, then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us; and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. But if you will not heed us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and be gone." Jacob and his sons were angry, not only because their sister was raped, but also because they considered her rape a crime against their nation, Israel. Using the Jewish law that they could not marry one who is uncircumcised, they deceitfully made the offer. If they did not agree with the conditions, Jacob's sons threatened to "take" Dinah (who was being held captive), and then leave with all their wealth. 18 And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son. So the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob's daughter. He was more honorable than all the household of his father. Shechem's attitude might be explained by this verse's comment that Shechem was "more honorable" than the rest of his family. He was obviously the favorite. From Shechem's perspective, getting the men in the city to be circumcised was just a matter of his considerable influence. 20 And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and spoke with the men of their city, saying: "These men are at peace with us. Therefore let them dwell in the land and trade in it. For indeed the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us as wives, and let us give them our daughters. Only on this condition will the men consent to dwell with us, to be one people: if every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. Will not their livestock, their property, and every animal of theirs be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us." And all who went out of the gate of his city heeded Hamor and Shechem his son; every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city. Hamor seems focused on the financial opportunity presented by intermarrying with Jacob's family. And, this would mean keeping his impulsive son safe from the consequences of his own actions. 25 Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males. And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went out. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled. They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, what was in the city and what was in the field, and all their wealth. All their little ones and their wives they took captive; and they plundered even all that was in the houses. In this era before modern pain management, adult circumcision was painful and debilitating especially on the third day. While the site was healing, a circumcised man could expect to restrict his movement. Simeon and Levi were Dinah's borthers, all born of Leah. So their anger turned to revenge. They went ahead of the other brothers and slaughtered all the men, which was not the plan. They were only supposed to rescue Dinah. In that time period, you couldn't leave the women and children behind without men to support them or to defend them. So Jacob took them out of charity and kindness. But later we will see that because of this, some of them will be come wives of the Israelites. 30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I."
Once Jacob found out what Simeon and Levi had done, he was afraid that the surrounding cities, who had an alliance with Shechem would retaliate and attack them wiping them. As it turns out, the response of the surrounding people will not be anger, but fear. At least from now until the time Jacob's family moves into Egypt, the Canaanites will treat Israel with extreme caution. Bible Study Questions 1. Why did Dinah go to Shechem?
2. Who was Hamor?
3. Who said, “Get me this young woman as a wife.”?
4. Where were the sons of Jacob during the incident?
5. What did Shechem offer for Dinah?
6. What did Shechem and Hamor say to the men of their city?
7. What deal did Jacob's sons make with Hamor and Shechem?
8. When did the sons of Jacob kill all the males in the city?
9. Why didn't Jacob approve of what his sons did?
10. What did his sons answer?
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