Genesis 34:8

8 And Hamor spoke with them saying, "Shechem my son {is in love with} your daughter. Please give her to him for a wife.

Genesis 34:8 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 34:8

And Hamor communed with them
With Jacob and his sons, who came in just at that time:

saying, the soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter:
the daughter of the family, and the only daughter in it; for her Shechem had a vehement affection, a strong desire to marry her, and could not be satisfied without her:

I pray you, give her him to wife;
he not only requests the consent of the parents of the damsel, but of her brothers also, which in those times and countries seems to have been usual to ask and have, see ( Genesis 24:50 Genesis 24:51 Genesis 24:55 Genesis 24:59 ) .

Genesis 34:8 In-Context

6 And Hamor, father of Shechem, went out to Jacob to speak with him.

7 And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard [it]. And the men were distressed and very angry because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by having sexual relations with the daughter of Jacob--{something that} should not be done.

8 And Hamor spoke with them saying, "Shechem my son {is in love with} your daughter. Please give her to him for a wife.

9 Make marriages with us. Give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.

10 You shall dwell with us and the land shall be before you; settle and trade in it, and acquire [property] in it."

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "his soul longs for"