Genesis 34:21

21 "These people want to be friends with us. So let them live in our land and trade here. There is enough land for all of us. Let us marry their women, and we can let them marry our women.

Genesis 34:21 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 34:21

These men [are] peaceable with us
Meaning Jacob and his sons, pointing to their tents which were near their city; and no doubt more was said than is here expressed, and that these words were introduced with a preface, in which notice was taken of Jacob and his family, and their names mentioned, as here their character is given; that they were men of peaceable dispositions, harmless and inoffensive, as appeared they had been ever since they came into these parts; and there was a great deal of reason to believe they still would be, and which was an argument in their favour, to admit them to a residence among them: therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein;
give them leave to dwell where they please, and carry on what trade and traffic in the land they think fit; since they are not likely to be quarrelsome and troublesome, but will deal honestly and honourably, and pay duly for what they agree for or merchandise in: for the land, behold, [it is] large enough for them;
there is room enough for them to dwell in, and pasturage enough for their cattle, and land enough to manure and till, without in the least incommoding the inhabitants: yea, it is likely to be to their advantage, since they would pay for what they should purchase or hire, and would improve the land which lay uncultivated: let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our
daughters;
this was the thing principally aimed at; and the rest, both what goes before, and what follows after, were in order to this.

Genesis 34:21 In-Context

19 So Shechem quickly went to be circumcised because he loved Jacob's daughter. Now Shechem was the most respected man in his family.
20 So Hamor and Shechem went to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying,
21 "These people want to be friends with us. So let them live in our land and trade here. There is enough land for all of us. Let us marry their women, and we can let them marry our women.
22 But we must agree to one thing: All our men must be circumcised as they are. Then they will agree to live in our land, and we will be one people.
23 If we do this, their cattle and their animals will belong to us. Let us do what they say, and they will stay in our land."
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.