Genesis 34:24

24 All the able-bodied men^[a] listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and all the able-bodied men^[b] were circumcised.

Genesis 34:24 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 34:24

And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that
went out of the gate of his city
That is, all the inhabitants of the city who came to the gate of it, upon the summons given them, and departed from thence to their habitations, having a great opinion of their prince and his son; and moved either with awe of them or love to them, and influenced both by their arguments and example, they agreed to what was proposed to them: and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his
city;
all the men citizens; and not only the adult, and who now went out by the gate of the city, but all their male children likewise were circumcised.

Genesis 34:24 In-Context

22 But the men will agree to live with us and be one people only on this condition: if all our men are circumcised as they are.

23 Won't their herds, their possessions, and all their livestock become ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will live with us."

24 All the able-bodied men listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and all the able-bodied men were circumcised.

25 On the third day, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and killed every male.

26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went away.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit All who went out of the city gate
• [b]. Lit all the males who went out of the city gate