5 And Jacob H3290 heard H8085 that he had defiled H2930 Dinah H1783 his daughter: H1323 now his sons H1121 were with his cattle H4735 in the field: H7704 and Jacob H3290 held his peace H2790 until they were come. H935
And Absalom H53 spake H1696 unto his brother Amnon H550 neither good H2896 nor bad: H7451 for Absalom H53 hated H8130 Amnon, H550 because H1697 he had forced H6031 his sister H269 Tamar. H8559
And he removed H5493 that day H3117 the he goats H8495 that were ringstraked H6124 and spotted, H2921 and all the she goats H5795 that were speckled H5348 and spotted, H2921 and every one that had some white H3836 in it, and all the brown H2345 among the sheep, H3775 and gave H5414 them into the hand H3027 of his sons. H1121
And Israel H3478 said H559 unto Joseph, H3130 Do not thy brethren H251 feed H7462 the flock in Shechem? H7927 come, H3212 and I will send thee H7971 unto them. And he said H559 to him, Here am I. And he said H559 to him, Go, H3212 I pray thee, see H7200 whether it be well H7965 with thy brethren, H251 and well H7965 with the flocks; H6629 and bring H7725 me word H1697 again. H7725 So he sent H7971 him out of the vale H6010 of Hebron, H2275 and he came H935 to Shechem. H7927
Then Moses H4872 said H559 unto Aaron, H175 This is it that the LORD H3068 spake, H1696 saying, H559 I will be sanctified H6942 in them that come nigh H7138 me, and before H6440 all the people H5971 I will be glorified. H3513 And Aaron H175 held his peace. H1826
But the children H1121 of Belial H1100 said, H559 How shall this man save H3467 us? And they despised H959 him, and brought H935 him no presents. H4503 But he held his peace. H2790
And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto Jesse, H3448 Are here all H8552 thy children? H5288 And he said, H559 There remaineth H7604 yet the youngest, H6996 and, behold, he keepeth H7462 the sheep. H6629 And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto Jesse, H3448 Send H7971 and fetch H3947 him: for we will not sit down H5437 till he come H935 hither. H6311
But David H1732 went H1980 and returned H7725 from Saul H7586 to feed H7462 his father's H1 sheep H6629 at Bethlehem. H1035
I was dumb, H481 I opened H6605 not my mouth; H6310 because thou didst H6213 it.
And G1161 he answering G611 said G2036 to his father, G3962 Lo, G2400 these many G5118 years G2094 do I serve G1398 thee, G4671 neither G3763 transgressed I G3928 at any time G3763 thy G4675 commandment: G1785 and G2532 yet G2532 thou G1325 never G3763 gavest G1325 me G1698 a kid, G2056 that G2443 I might make merry G2165 with G3326 my G3450 friends: G5384
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 34
Commentary on Genesis 34 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 34
Ge 34:1-31. The Dishonor of Dinah.
1-4. Though freed from foreign troubles, Jacob met with a great domestic calamity in the fall of his only daughter. According to Josephus, she had been attending a festival; but it is highly probable that she had been often and freely mixing in the society of the place and that she, being a simple, inexperienced, and vain young woman, had been flattered by the attentions of the ruler's son. There must have been time and opportunities of acquaintance to produce the strong attachment that Shechem had for her.
5. Jacob held his peace—Jacob, as a father and a good man, must have been deeply distressed. But he could do little. In the case of a family by different wives, it is not the father, but the full brothers, on whom the protection of the daughters devolves—they are the guardians of a sister's welfare and the avengers of her wrongs. It was for this reason that Simeon and Levi, the two brothers of Dinah by Leah [Ge 34:25], appear the chief actors in this episode; and though the two fathers would have probably brought about an amicable arrangement of the affair, the hasty arrival of these enraged brothers introduced a new element into the negotiations.
6. Hamor—that is, "ass"; and it is a striking proof of the very different ideas which, in the East, are associated with that animal, which there appears sprightly, well proportioned, and of great activity. This chief is called Emmor (Ac 7:16).
7. the men were grieved, and … very wroth—Good men in such a case could not but grieve; but it would have been well if their anger had been less, or that they had known the precept "let not the sun go down upon your wrath" [Eph 4:26]. No injury can justify revenge (De 32:35; Ro 12:9); but Jacob's sons planned a scheme of revenge in the most deceitful manner.
8-10. Hamor communed with them—The prince and his son seem at first sight to have acted honestly, and our feelings are enlisted on their side. They betray no jealousy of the powerful shepherds; on the contrary, they show every desire to establish friendly intercourse. But their conduct was unjustifiable in neither expressing regret nor restoring Dinah to her family; and this great error was the true cause of the negotiations ending in so unhappy a manner.
11. Shechem said unto her father … and brethren—The consideration of the proposal for marriage belonged to Jacob, and he certainly showed great weakness in yielding so much to the fiery impetuosity of his sons. The sequel shows the unhappy consequences of that concession.
12. Ask me never so much dowry and gift—The gift refers to the presents made at betrothal, both to the bride elect and her relations (compare Ge 24:53), the dowry to a suitable settlement upon her.
13. The sons of Jacob answered—The honor of their family consisted in having the sign of the covenant. Circumcision was the external rite by which persons were admitted members of the ancient Church. But that outward rite could not make the Shechemites true Israelites; and yet it does not appear that Jacob's sons required anything more. Nothing is said of their teaching the people to worship the true God, but only of their insisting on their being circumcised; and it is evident that they did not seek to convert Shechem, but only made a show of religion—a cloak to cover their diabolical design. Hypocrisy and deceit, in all cases vicious, are infinitely more so when accompanied with a show of religion; and here the sons of Jacob, under the pretense of conscientious scruples, conceal a scheme of treachery as cruel and diabolical as was, perhaps, ever perpetrated.
20. Hamor and Shechem … came unto the gate of their city—That was the place where every public communication was made; and in the ready obsequious submission of the people to this measure we see an evidence either of the extraordinary affection for the governing family, or of the abject despotism of the East, where the will of a chief is an absolute command.
30. Jacob said … Ye have troubled me—This atrocious outrage perpetrated on the defenseless citizens and their families made the cup of Jacob's affliction overflow. We may wonder that, in speaking of it to his sons, he did not represent it as a heinous sin, an atrocious violation of the laws of God and man, but dwelt solely on the present consequences. It was probably because that was the only view likely to rouse the cold-blooded apathy, the hardened consciences of those ruffian sons. Nothing but the restraining power of God saved him and his family from the united vengeance of the people (compare Ge 35:5). All his sons had not been engaged in the massacre. Joseph was a boy, Benjamin not yet born, and the other eight not concerned in it. Simeon and Levi alone, with their retainers, had been the guilty actors in the bloody tragedy. But the Canaanites would not be discriminating in their vengeance; and if all the Shechemites were put to death for the offense of their chief's son, what wonder if the natives should extend their hatred to all the family of Jacob; and who probably equalled, in number, the inhabitants of that village.