TAKEN (GENESIS 34)
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THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY
THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY
1 Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the women of the land.
The same Hebrew root word, “went out” (yāṣāʾ), is a key word contributing to the narrative’s progress. When Dinah “went out” (yāṣāʾ, v. 1) to see the neighboring women, her fateful action set the events of the chapter in motion. The second movement describes Hamor, who “went out” (yāṣāʾ, v. 6) to reach an agreement with Jacob, and the Hivites, who “went out” (yāṣāʾ, v. 24) to the city gate, where they accepted the negotiated deal. Finally, the brothers, after murdering Shechem, retrieved their sister and “went out” (NIV “left”) of the city (v. 26).
Mathews, K. A. (2005). Genesis 11:27–50:26 (Vol. 1B, p. 588).
2 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.
To use contemporary American terminology, sleeping with Dinah was statutory rape. In our society, girls below a certain age (the “age of consent”) are not free to arrange sexual liaisons, and men are not free to sleep with them. Dinah was very young, a yalda (v. 4). Even today, when a Congressman sleeps with a high school girl, when a cult leader has “consensual” sex with the young girls of the cult, our society is outraged, and the man can be considered a felon. In ancient society, unmarried girls never acquired the right of consent. Only the prostitute owned her own sexuality. By sleeping with [Dinah], Shechem was acting as if she had no family to protect, guard and marry her. As the brothers say, “should our sister be treated as a whore?” He has disgraced her, and through her, the whole family.
Walton, J. H. (2009). Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Old Testament): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy (Vol. 1, p. 118).
The language of v. 1 (“daughters”) and v. 2 (“saw,” “took”) is reminiscent of another infamous Genesis account: the sons of God “saw” the daughters of men and “took” wives for themselves.
Mathews, K. A. (2005). Genesis 11:27–50:26 (Vol. 1B, p. 591).
The language “and violated her” renders two verbs as a hendiadys, lit., “he lay [with] her [wayyiškab ʾōtāh] and humbled her” (wayʿannehā).”
Mathews, K. A. (2005). Genesis 11:27–50:26 (Vol. 1B, p. 591).
3 And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.
4 So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl for my wife.”
The verse displays the affectionate intensity of Shechem’s love by its repetitious and vivid language. He “clung” (dābaq, “drawn to,” NIV) to her, “loved” (ʾāhab) her, and spoke to her “heart” (lēb).
Mathews, K. A. (2005). Genesis 11:27–50:26 (Vol. 1B, p. 593).
5 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.
6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him.
7 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.
8 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.
9 Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.
10 You shall dwell with us, and the land shall be open to you. Dwell and trade in it, and get property in it.”
11 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.
12 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.”
13 The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully, because he had defiled their sister Dinah.
14 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.
15 Only on this condition will we agree with you—that you will become as we are by every male among you being circumcised.
16 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.
17 But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will be gone.”
The brothers profane the sole religious allusion (circumcision) in the account for nefarious purposes by guilefully requiring it of the Hivites. Whereas the ritual of circumcision symbolized life and blessing for Abraham’s seed and ultimately the nations (chap. 17), the sons of Jacob employ it for revenge and death against the nation(s).
Mathews, K. A. (2005). Genesis 11:27–50:26 (Vol. 1B, p. 578).
18 Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor’s son Shechem.
19 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.
20 So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying,
21 “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.
22 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.
23 Will not their livestock, their property and all their beasts be ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will dwell with us.”
24 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.
25 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.
26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and went away.
27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister.
28 They took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field.
29 All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered.
30 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.”
31 But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?”
Here, on the verge of the total fulfillment of the promise and his vow, Canaanite lust, his own cowardice, and his sons’ folly all combine to destroy the prospect of Jacob’s return to his father’s house in peace. Yet he does make it; as often in Genesis, the invincibility of the promises is once again demonstrated. Divine grace triumphs despite human sin1
1 Wenham, G. J. (1994). Genesis 16–50 (Vol. 2, p. 309).
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.