1Dinah is ravished by Shechem. 4He demandeth to marry her. 13The sons of Jacob offer the condition of circumcision to the Shechemites. 20Hamor and Shechem persuade them to accept it. 25The sons of Jacob taking advantage thereof slay them, and spoil their city. 30Jacob reproveth Simeon and Levi.
1AND Dinaha the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, 1went out 2to see the daughters of the land.
a Gen. 30:21.
1 Namely, from the place where their parents dwelt, which was near Sichem, Gen. 33:18, where she might have done better to have stayed, Titus 2:5, the rather, because she was only but about fourteen years of age.
2 Some do hold, that about this time, there was kept some great feast, or fair, or some such like solemnity, at Sichem, with a great concourse of people.
2And when Shechem the son of Hamor 3the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and 4lay with her, and defiled her.
3 See Gen. 10 on verse 17.
4 The Hebrew word signifies properly, to oppress, or to humble. As such the Holy Scripture calls the abusing and defiling of women, Judges 19:24; 2 Sam. 13:14.
3And 5his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake 6kindly unto the damsel.
5 That is, his heart, his mind, delight and desire depended all on her.
6 That is, whatever he thought might be pleasing and acceptable unto her, to pacify and comfort her; she being doubtless much troubled and perplexed at this unexpected deed. See similar expression, Gen. 50:21; Judges 19:3; Isa. 40:2; Hosea 2:13.
4And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, 7Get me this damsel to wife.
7 An example, also among the very heathen people, that children ought to marry with the consent and direction of their parents.
5And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.
6¶And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him.
7And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and 8they were very wroth, because he had wrought 9folly 10in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; 11which thing ought not to be done.
8 Hebr. and it, namely wrath, incensed them much. See Gen. 4:5, 6.
9 Or, a wicked deed, or, shamefulness, apostasy, absurdity. This word expresses a sin, as proceeding out of an evil and shameless lust, and is committed not only against God’s commandment, but even against civil honesty, and sometimes against nature itself, causing much offense and shamefulness. Compare Deut. 22:21; Joshua 7:15; Judges 19:23; 20:6; 2 Sam. 13:12.
10 That is, in, or, against the house of Israel, or God’s people, which issued from Jacob, lately named Israel.
11 Or, thus it is not done, that is, this was not the manner, nor ought to be the practice among them. See the similar speech Gen. 20:9.
8And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.
9And 12make ye marriages with us, and 13give your daughters unto us, and 14take our daughters unto you.
12 Or, marry yours. Also Deut. 7:3.
13 Namely, in marriage to our sons. Also Gen. 38:14; Deut. 7:3, etc.
14 Namely, in marriage to your sons. See Gen. 19 on verse 14.
10And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be 15before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and 16get you possessions therein.
15 See Gen. 13 on verse 9.
16 Or, take firm possession therein, or, abstain yourselves therein.
11And Shechem said unto 17her father and unto her brethren, Let me find 18grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give.
17 Namely, of Dinah.
18 See Gen. 18 on verse 3.
1219Ask me never so much 20dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife.
19 That is, impose upon me as much as you will.
20 The dowry, which the man gave to the woman, remained her own, even after his death; the present, or, gift, was what the bridegroom gave to the bride at the time of the betrothing, in pledge of his given promise; what we now call a troth-penny. See further of the dowry of the bride, Exod. 22:16, 17, and of the present, Gen. 24:53.
13And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father 21deceitfully, and 22said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:
21 Hebr. in, or, with deceit; for they had no mind at all to consent to the marriage, as has appeared afterwards.
22 Namely, what follows in verse 14.
14And they said unto them, 23We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one thatb is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us:
23 They speak indeed the truth, but they sin therein that they misuse the sacrament of circumcision for a cover of their deceitful plot, for the circumcision was not the thing they aimed at, but a means of perpetrating their revenge by murder.
b Genesis 17.
15But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that 24every male of you be circumcised;
24 Hebr. man, male.
16Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.
17But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take 25our daughter, and we will be gone.
25 That is, the daughter of our father, or, the daughter of our house, as verse 8.
18And their words 26pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son.
26 That is, they were well pleased with him. That is said to be good in one’s eyes, which delights and pleases him, Gen. 16:6; 1 Sam. 29:6, etc.
19And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter: and he was more 27honourable than all the 28house of his father.
27 It seems he was indeed very much beloved, regarded and esteemed, not only because the city was called by his name, but likewise that his very father was made known by him, being called the father of Sichem. See Gen. 33:18, 19.
28 That is, his family, children, retinue, courtiers, officers; also Gen. 41:40; 1 Kings 2:24; 4:6.
20¶And Hamor and Shechem his son came 29unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,
29 Where civil affairs were usually transacted by the governors and magistrates, as with us in the city halls or council chambers. See Gen. 22 on verse 17.
21These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is 30large 31enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.
30 Hebr. large of hands. Also Judges 18:10.
31 That is, let it be open. See Gen. 13 on verse 9.
22Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised.
23Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? 32only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us.
32 As such they propose the matter to the people as if Jacob and his sons had sought this at their hands, concealing that it was but the condition of what they sought themselves; and besides that, they cover their particular aim and interest with the pretense of the common good, and thus, deceiving their own citizens, they were themselves likewise deceived by Simeon and Levi soon after.
2433And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the 34gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.
33 They suffer themselves to be persuaded to change their religion, neither by means of instruction nor out of any love to the truth, but merely through fair promises and by perceived hopes of outward profit.
34 That is, all the citizens of the city, who are described here as going in and out their gates; or to go in at the gate of the city, as Gen. 23:10; Jer. 17:20.
25¶And it came to pass on the third day, 35when they were sore, thatc two of the sons of Jacob, 36Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.
35 That is, when they were in their greatest pain; for the wounds (were) commonly more painful on the third day.
c Gen. 49:6.
36 These two were the ringleaders of this plot, and were full brothers of Dinah, by the same father and mother. It is true, Reuben, and Judah, Issachar and Zebulon stood in the selfsame relation with her, but had no communion with them in this bloody act, as well that the two last ones were too young as that the other two were more inclined to meekness than to cruelty. See Gen. 37:21, 22, 26.
26And they 37slew Hamor and Shechem his son 38with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out.
37 Of this word see Gen. 8 on verse 21.
38 Hebr. at, or, in the mouth of the sword.
2739The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled 40their sister.
39 Many do understand this of the rest of Jacob’s sons, as, having heard of the murder committed by their brethren, they ran all to prey upon the dead and plunder the entire city.
40 What Shechem had done alone, is imputed to the citizens in general; inasmuch as they did not speak against nor hinder the offense committed, taking rather pleasure therein; or else, they, that is, one of them, namely, Shechem. Also Exod. 4:19; Mat. 2:20.
28They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,
29And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.
3041And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled 42me to make 43me to stink among the 44inhabitants of the land, among the 45Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being 46few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
41 Hence it appears that Jacob knew nothing of the plot of his two sons, much less had given his consent to it. Compare Gen. 49:5, 6, 7.
42 Or, you have disquieted, disturbed me, not only distempering my mind by this deed, but likewise bringing me and all my affairs thereby into eminent danger, uncertainty, and confusion, having lived before in peace and quiet in this country. See Joshua 7:25 and 1 Kings 18 on verse 17.
43 That is, odious and hateful, that the people will not be able to endure my sight or abide among them. It is a comparison derived from stinking objects, from which men turn away their face. See Exod. 5:21; 1 Sam. 13:4; 27:12; 1 Chron. 19:6.
44 Hebr. inhabitant.
45 Hebr. Canaanite.
46 Hebr. folks of number; that is, but of a small number, which quickly can be counted, as Num. 9:20; Deut. 4:27; 33:6.
31And they said, 47Should 48he deal with our sister as with an harlot?
47 Other, Should one, etc., namely, without vengeance or punishment.
48 Namely, Shechem.