Genesis 34

Jacob has settled in Shechem

About 200 years after Abraham passed through

A regional capital has been established

Dinah is Humiliated

Genesis 34:1–2 ESV

Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the women of the land. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humiliated her.

Many things are happening that give the story context

Dinah leave her fathers home

Women of the land

Daughter of Leah

Shechem is the son of a local ruler

he lays and “humbles”/”humiliates”

“saw and seized”

Genesis 6:1–2 ESV

When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.

Shechem Loves Diana

He tries to smooth things over

spoke tenderly/negotiates

wants to marry

Proposes marriage

Would be a suitable response to Hebrew Law

Deuteronomy 22:28–29 ESV

“If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days.

Jacob does nothing

Genesis 34:5–7 ESV

Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah. But his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob held his peace until they came. And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. The sons of Jacob had come in from the field as soon as they heard of it, and the men were indignant and very angry, because he had done an outrageous thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing must not be done.

He waits for the sons

He waits for the father

Jacob’s sons were “indignant”

“unacceptable”

Hamor gives the terms

Genesis 34:8–12 ESV

But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him to be his wife. Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. You shall dwell with us, and the land shall be open to you. Dwell and trade in it, and get property in it.” Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. Ask me for as great a bride-price and gift as you will, and I will give whatever you say to me. Only give me the young woman to be my wife.”

The father sees an opportunity to expand

Live peaceably

Trade openly

Combine peoples

The son offers a large bride price

Not the destiny of the Israelites

The sons of Jacob takeover/give a counteroffer

Genesis 34:13–17 ESV

The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully, because he had defiled their sister Dinah. They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us. Only on this condition will we agree with you—that you will become as we are by every male among you being circumcised. Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to ourselves, and we will dwell with you and become one people. But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will be gone.”

They answer deceitfully

Already a clue that these terms are disingenuous

It is more of an ultimatum

The agreement is that all the men become circumcised

It seems the sons are at least thinking about the promise

Shechem and Hamor bring the deal to the city

Genesis 34:18–24 ESV

Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor’s son Shechem. And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. Now he was the most honored of all his father’s house. So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying, “These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives, and let us give them our daughters. Only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us to become one people—when every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. Will not their livestock, their property and all their beasts be ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will dwell with us.” And all who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

Meet at the city gates

Often the location of business dealing

It is where an important announcement may be made

Shechem and Hamor seem also to have ulterior motives

If we agree to their terms, we can take everything in time

Instead, Simeon and Levi take everything

Genesis 34:25–29 ESV

On the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and came against the city while it felt secure and killed all the males. They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and went away. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. They took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field. All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered.

Couple of huge red flags here

The sons use the sign of the covenant to deceive and kill

They end up seizing Dinah

Hamor and Shechem offered a very reasonable retribution for Shechem’s offense

But Jacob’s son wipe out the town

Could be a couple thousand

Simeon and Levi take a majority of the blame

Jacob fears man while his son’s dictate their fate

Genesis 34:30–31 ESV

Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me stink to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. My numbers are few, and if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I and my household.” But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?”

Jacob has a valid point

The rest of the people of the land could come out after Jacob

He violated a legit agreement

But the brothers of Dinah sent out a clear message to the rest of the land