Genesis 34:3

3 Then his heart longed for Jacob's daughter Dinah. He fell in love with her and spoke tenderly to her.

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 Dinah was the daughter Leah had by Jacob. Dinah went out to visit the women of the land.
2 Hamor the Hivite was the ruler of that area. When his son Shechem saw Dinah, he took her and raped her.
3 Then his heart longed for Jacob's daughter Dinah. He fell in love with her and spoke tenderly to her.
4 Shechem said to his father Hamor, "Get me that woman. I want her to be my wife."
5 Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been made "unclean." His sons were in the fields with his livestock. So he kept quiet about it until they came home.
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