Bereshis 34

1 4 And Dinah Bat Leah, which she bore unto Ya’akov, went out to see the Banot HaAretz.

2 And when Shechem Ben Chamor the Chivvi (Hivite), Nasi HaAretz, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and violated her.

3 And his nefesh had deveykus unto Dinah Bat Ya’akov, and he loved the na’arah, and spoke to the lev hanaarah.

4 And Shechem spoke unto Chamor aviv, saying, Get me this yaldah as isha.

5 And Ya’akov heard that he had made his bat Dinah tameh; now his banim were with his mikneh in the sadeh; and Ya’akov held his peace until they were come.

6 And Chamor avi Shechem went out unto Ya’akov to speak with him.

7 And the Bnei Ya’akov came from the sadeh when they heard it; and the anashim were grieved, and they were in wrath greatly, because he had wrought nevalah (folly, disgrace, outrage) against Yisroel in lying with Bat Ya’akov; which thing ought not to be done.

8 And Chamor spoke with them, saying, The nefesh of beni (my son) Shechem longeth for your bat; now give her him as isha.

9 So intermarry with us, and give your banot unto us, and take benoteinu (our banot) unto you.

10 And ye shall dwell with us; and HaAretz shall be before you; dwell and trade therein, and get you possessions therein.

11 And Shechem said unto her av and unto her achim, Let me find chen (grace) in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give.

12 Ask me never so much mohar (bride price, dowry) and mattan (gift), and I will pay according as ye shall say unto me; but give me the na’arah as isha.

13 And the Bnei Ya’akov answered Shechem and Chamor aviv in mirmar (deceit) and spoke because he had made Dinah their achot tameh;

14 And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give achoteinu (our sister) to ish that is arelah (uncircumcised); for that would be a cherpah (reproach, disgrace) unto us;

15 But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will become like us, that every zachar of you be circumcised;

16 Then will we give benoteinu unto you, and we will take your banot to us, and we will dwell among you, and we will become as Am Echad.

17 But if ye will not pay heed unto us, to become circumcised; then will we take biteinu (our daughter), and we will go.

18 And their words pleased Chamor, and Shechem Ben Chamor.

19 And the na’ar deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Bat Ya’akov; and he was more respected than kol Bais Aviv.

20 And Chamor and Shechem bno came unto the Sha’ar of their city, and they spoke with the anashim of their city, saying,

21 These anashim are shlemim (peaceable) with us; therefore let them settle in HaAretz, and let them trade therein for HaAretz, hinei, it is plenty of room for them; let us take their banot to us as nashim, and let us give them benoteinu.

22 Only herein will the anashim consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be Am Echad, if every zachar among us be circumcised, just as they are nimolim (ones being circumcised).

23 Shall not their mikneh and their property and every behemah of theirs be ours? Only let us consent unto them, and they will settle among us.

24 And unto Chamor and unto Shechem bno paid heed all that went out of the Sha’ar of his city; and every zachar was circumcised, all that went out of the Sha’ar of his city.

25 And it came to pass on the Yom HaShlishi, when they were in pain, that two of the Bnei Ya’akov, Shimon and Levi, achei Dinah, took each ish his cherev, and came upon the Ir betach (boldly, confidently), and they slaughtered kol zachar.

26 And they slaughtered Chamor and Shechem bno with the edge of the cherev, and took Dinah from the Bais Shechem and left.

27 The Bnei Ya’akov came upon the chalalim (dead ones, slain ones), and plundered the Ir, because they had made their achot tameh.

28 They seized their tzon, and their bakar, and their chamorim, and that which was in the Ir, and that which was in the sadeh,

29 And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their nashim they carried off and plundered even all that was in the bais.

30 And Ya’akov said to Shimon and Levi, Ye have brought trouble on me to make me a stench among the inhabitants of HaAretz, among the Kena’ani and the Perizzi; and I being few in mispar, they shall gather themselves together against me, and attack me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my bais.

31 And they said, Should he deal with achoteinu like with zonah?

Bereshis 34 Commentary

Chapter 34

Dinah defiled by Shechem. (1-19) The Shechemites murdered by Simeon and Levi. (20-31)

Verses 1-19 Young persons, especially females, are never so safe and well off as under the care of pious parents. Their own ignorance, and the flattery and artifices of designing, wicked people, who are ever laying snares for them, expose them to great danger. They are their own enemies if they desire to go abroad, especially alone, among strangers to true religion. Those parents are very wrong who do not hinder their children from needlessly exposing themselves to danger. Indulged children, like Dinah, often become a grief and shame to their families. Her pretence was, to see the daughters of the land, to see how they dressed, and how they danced, and what was fashionable among them; she went to see, yet that was not all, she went to be seen too. She went to get acquaintance with the Canaanites, and to learn their ways. See what came of Dinah's gadding. The beginning of sin is as the letting forth of water. How great a matter does a little fire kindle! We should carefully avoid all occasions of sin and approaches to it.

Verses 20-31 The Shechemites submitted to the sacred rite, only to serve a turn, to please their prince, and to enrich themselves, and it was just with God to bring punishment upon them. As nothing secures us better than true religion, so nothing exposes us more than religion only pretended to. But Simeon and Levi were most unrighteous. Those who act wickedly, under the pretext of religion, are the worst enemies of the truth, and harden the hearts of many to destruction. The crimes of others form no excuse for us. Alas! how one sin leads on to another, and, like flames of fire, spread desolation in every direction! Foolish pleasures lead to seduction; seduction produces wrath; wrath thirsts for revenge; the thirst of revenge has recourse to treachery; treachery issues in murder; and murder is followed by other lawless actions. Were we to trace the history of unlawful commerce between the sexes, we should find it, more than any other sin, ending in blood.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 34

This chapter gives an account of the ravishment of Dinah by Shechem, Ge 34:1-5; of his father Hamor and him treating with Jacob and his sons about the marriage of her, Ge 34:6-12; of the condition proposed by Jacob's sons, circumcision of all the males in Shechem, which was agreed to by Shechem and his father, Ge 34:13-19; of the men of Shechem being persuaded to yield to it, Ge 34:20-24; and of the destruction of them on the third day by Simeon and Levi, and of the plunder of their city and field, and of the captivity of their wives and children by Jacob's sons, which gave Jacob great offence, and in which they justified themselves, Ge 34:25-31.

Who is supposed to be at this time about fourteen or fifteen years of age: for that she was but about nine or ten years old is not to be credited, as some compute it {z}: she is observed to be the daughter of Leah, partly that the following miscarriage might bring to mind her forwardness to intrude herself into Jacob's bed, and be a rebuke unto her; and partly to account for Simeon and Levi being so active in revenging her abuse, they being Leah's sons: of Dinah it is said, that she

\\went out to see the daughters of the land\\; of the land of Canaan, to visit them, and contract an acquaintance with them; and she having no sisters to converse with at home, it might be a temptation to her to go abroad. According to the Targum of Jonathan, she went to see the manners, customs, and fashions of the women of that country, to learn them, as the Septuagint version renders the word; or to see their habit and dress, and how they ornamented themselves, as Josephus {a} observes; and who also says it was a festival day at Shechem, and therefore very probably many of the young women of the country round about might come thither on that occasion; and who being dressed in their best clothes would give Dinah a good opportunity of seeing and observing their fashions; and which, with the diversions of the season, and shows to be seen, allured Dinah to go out of her mother's tent into the city, to gratify her curiosity. Aben Ezra's note is, that she went of herself, that is, without the leave of either of her parents: according to other Jewish writers {b} there was a snare laid for her by Shechem, who observing that Jacob's daughter dwelt in tents, and did not go abroad, he brought damsels out of the city dancing and playing on timbrels; and Dinah went forth to see them playing, and he took her, and lay with her, as follows.

{z} R. Ganz. Tzemach David, par. l. fol. 6. 2. {a} Antiqu. l. 1. c. 21. sect. 1. {b} Pirke Eliezer, c. 38. fol. 42. 2. 08940-950104-0921-Ge34.2