Genesis 33:18

Dinah and the conflict at Shechem

18 Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan on his trip from Paddan-aram, and he camped in front of the city.

Genesis 33:18 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 33:18

And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem
Not Salem, of which Melchizedek was king, much less Jerusalem, for it was forty miles from it F23; more likely Salim near Aenon, where John was baptizing, ( John 3:23 ) ; though it perhaps is the same with Shechem; for the words may be read, he "came to Shalem, the city Shechem", a city which Hamor had built, and called by the name of his son Shechem, the same with Sychar, ( John 4:5 ) ; this was on this side Jordan, and therefore Jacob must have passed over that river, though no mention is made of it; it is said to be about eight miles from Succoth F24: though some think Shalem is not the name of a place, but an appellative, and to be rendered "safe [and] sound", or "whole"; and so the Jewish F25 writers generally understand it of his coming in peace, health, and safety: which [is] in the land of Canaan;
it belonged to that tribe of the Canaanites called Hivites; for Hamor, the father of Shechem, from whom it had its name, was an Hivite, ( Genesis 34:2 ) , so that Jacob was now got into the land of Canaan, his own country, and where his kindred dwelt: when he came from Padanaram;
from Mesopotamia, from Haran there; Shechem was the first place in the land of Canaan he came to, when he came from thence, and whither he came in the greatest safety, he himself, wives, children, and servants, in good health, without any loss of any of his cattle and substance; and without any ill thing befalling: him all the way thither, being delivered from Laban and Esau, and from every danger, and from every enemy: and to signify this is this clause added, which may seem otherwise superfluous: and pitched his tent before the city;
the city of Shechem, not in it, but near it.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 Bunting's Travels, p. 75.
F24 Ib. p. 72.
F25 Targum Jon. Jarchi, Aben Ezra & Ben Gersom in loc.

Genesis 33:18 In-Context

16 That day Esau returned on the road to Seir,
17 but Jacob traveled to Succoth. He built a house for himself but made temporary shelters for his animals; therefore, he named the place Succoth.
18 Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan on his trip from Paddan-aram, and he camped in front of the city.
19 He bought the section of the field where he pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for one hundred qesitahs.
20 Then he set up an altar there and named it El Elohe Israel.
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