Genesis 34:3

3 But he found the young woman so attractive that he fell in love with her and tried to win her affection.

Genesis 34:3 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 34:3

And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob
His inclination was to her, she was always in his thoughts; it was not a mere lustful desire that was suddenly raised, and soon over, but a constant and continued affection he bore to her, as follows:

and he loved the damsel;
sincerely and heartily:

and spake kindly unto the damsel;
or "to the heart" F7 of her, such things as tended to comfort her, she being sad and sorrowful; or to soften her mind towards him, and take off the resentment of it to him, because of the injury he had done her, and to gain her good will and affection, and her consent to marry him; professing great love to her, promising her great things, what worldly grandeur and honour she would be advanced to, and how kindly he would behave towards her; which might take with her, and incline her to yield to his motion, which having obtained, he took the following method.


FOOTNOTES:

F7 (bl le) "ad cor", Pagninus, Vatablus, Drusius, Schmidt; super cor, Montanus, Munster; "cordi", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Genesis 34:3 In-Context

1 One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the Canaanite women.
2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who was chief of that region, saw her, he took her and raped her.
3 But he found the young woman so attractive that he fell in love with her and tried to win her affection.
4 He told his father, "I want you to get Dinah for me as my wife."
5 Jacob learned that his daughter had been disgraced, but because his sons were out in the fields with his livestock, he did nothing until they came back.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. tried to win her affection; [or] comforted her.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.