‘And Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.' Note the stress on her pedigree. She was the chief's daughter by his primary wife. It was not really wise for her to slip away from the camp alone to mingle with the women of Shechem, but she was y... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. And he took her, and lay with her and humbled her.' Like many petty princes Shechem was proud and arrogant and considered he did not have to behave as others did. When he saw the tribal girl who aroused his feelings more th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And his soul was powerfully attached to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke kindly to the girl.' The love was genuine, and his final aim was honourable. But as his actions showed it was a selfish love which had not considered the consequences of its actions. He possibly e... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl for my wife.” Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah, and his sons were with his cattle in the countryside, and Jacob held his peace until they came. And Hamor, the father of Shechem, went out to Jacob to discuss thing... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when they heard it the sons of Jacob came in from the countryside. And the men were very grieved, and they were furiously angry because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter, which thing should not be done.' When the news reached the sons of Jacob their anger reached fe... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Hamor entered into discussion with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs after your daughter. I beg you, give her to him to wife. And you make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to yourselves. And you will dwell with us, and the land will be before yo... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favour in your eyes, and what you say to me I will give. Ask me never so much dowry and gift and I will give in accordance with what you say to me, but give me the young woman to wife.” ' Shechem too can see that the brothers are inf... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with guile, and spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister, and 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. Only on this condition will we consent to you... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem, Hamor's son. And the young man did not seek to put off doing the thing because he had delight in Jacob's daughter, and he was honoured above all the house of his father.' Both Hamor and Shechem were taken in by the deception and were willing to accept th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and consulted with the men of their city, saying.' The gate of the city was where the leading men would meet in dealing the city's affairs. Hamor could not just dictate terms. Most petty kings were subject to the guidance of their couns... [ Continue Reading ]
“These men are peaceable with us. Therefore let them dwell in the land and trade in it. For behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters. But only on this condition will the men give consent to us to live among us to becom... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And all who went out of the gate of the city paid heed to Hamor, and Shechem his son, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.' “ALL WHO WENT OUT OF THE GATE OF THE CITY.” That is the freemen. The slaves would have no option. All were circumcised as Hamor and Shech... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And it happened on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took each man his sword and came on the city unawares and killed all the males. And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Sheche... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The sons of Jacob came on the slain and spoiled the city because they had defiled their sister. They took their flocks and their herds and their asses, and whatever was in the city and whatever was in the surrounding country. And all their wealth and all their little ones, and their wives, they too... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me, to make me an unpleasant odour among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites, and I being few in number, they will gather themselves together against me, and smite me, and I will be destroyed, and my ho... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they said, “Should he deal with our sister as with a common prostitute?” ' They are justifiably indignant. It is they who have been wronged. What else could they do and retain their honour? Their sister had been treated like a common prostitute, available for men whenever they desired. The tri... [ Continue Reading ]