# Genesis 34 đź“–: The Tragedy of Dinah
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[[-Genesis Overview]] | [[Genesis 33]] | [[Genesis 35]]
> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### Dinah and the Shechemites
[[#Verse 01.]] Now Dinah, Leah’s daughter whom she bore to Jacob, went to meet the young women of the land.
[[#Verse 02.]] When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who ruled that area, saw her, he grabbed her, forced himself on her, and sexually assaulted her.Â
[[#Verse 03.]] Then he became very attached to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. He fell in love with the young woman and spoke romantically to her.Â
[[#Verse 04.]] Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Acquire this young girl as my wife.”
[[#Verse 05.]] When Jacob heard that Shechem had violated his daughter Dinah, his sons were with the livestock in the field. So Jacob remained silent until they came in.
[[#Verse 06.]] Then Shechem’s father Hamor went to speak with Jacob about Dinah.
[[#Verse 07.]] Now Jacob’s sons had come in from the field when they heard the news. They were offended and very angry because Shechem had disgraced Israel by sexually assaulting Jacob’s daughter, a crime that should not be committed.
[[#Verse 08.]] But Hamor made this appeal to them: “My son Shechem is in love with your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.Â
[[#Verse 09.]] Intermarry with us. Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves.Â
[[#Verse 10.]] You may live among us, and the land will be open to you. Live in it, travel freely in it, and acquire property in it.”
[[#Verse 11.]] Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and whatever you require of me I’ll give.Â
[[#Verse 12.]] You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive, and I’ll give whatever you ask of me. Just give me the young woman as my wife!”
[[#Verse 13.]] Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully when they spoke because Shechem had violated their sister Dinah.Â
[[#Verse 14.]] They said to them, “We cannot give our sister to a man who is not circumcised, for it would be a disgrace to us.Â
[[#Verse 15.]] We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become like us by circumcising all your males.Â
[[#Verse 16.]] Then we will give you our daughters to marry, and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people.Â
[[#Verse 17.]] But if you do not agree to our terms by being circumcised, then we will take our sister and depart.”
[[#Verse 18.]]Â Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem.Â
[[#Verse 19.]] The young man did not delay in doing what they asked because he wanted Jacob’s daughter Dinah badly. (Now he was more important than anyone in his father’s household.)Â
[[#Verse 20.]] So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city,Â
[[#Verse 21.]] “These men are at peace with us. So let them live in the land and travel freely in it, for the land is wide enough for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry.Â
[[#Verse 22.]] Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised.Â
[[#Verse 23.]] If we do so, won’t their livestock, their property, and all their animals become ours? So let’s consent to their demand, so they will live among us.”
[[#Verse 24.]] All the men who assembled at the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem. Every male who assembled at the city gate was circumcised.
[[#Verse 25.]] In three days, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and went to the unsuspecting city and slaughtered every male.Â
[[#Verse 26.]] They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left.Â
[[#Verse 27.]] Jacob’s sons killed them and looted the city because their sister had been violated.Â
[[#Verse 28.]]Â They took their flocks, herds, and donkeys, as well as everything in the city and in the surrounding fields.Â
[[#Verse 29.]] They captured as plunder all their wealth, all their little ones, and their wives, including everything in the houses.
[[#Verse 30.]] Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought ruin on me by making me a foul odor among the inhabitants of the land—among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number; they will join forces against me and attack me, and both I and my family will be destroyed!”
[[#Verse 31.]] But Simeon and Levi replied, “Should he treat our sister like a common prostitute?”
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
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###### Verse 27.
###### Verse 28.
###### Verse 29.
###### Verse 30.
###### Verse 31.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. God is never mentioned in this chapter, one of the darkest in Genesis.
2. Shechem was a city in central Canaan, later important in Israel's history.
3. Hamor means "donkey," and he ruled the region (34:2).
4. The phrase "a disgraceful thing in Israel" (34:7) is the first time Israel is used as the name of a people.
5. Simeon and Levi were Dinah's full brothers through Leah.
6. They attacked on the third day after the circumcision, when the men were in the most pain (34:25).
7. Jacob later rebuked Simeon and Levi for their violence in his final blessing (49:5-7).
8. Levi's tribe was later scattered among Israel's cities, but as priests (Joshua 21).
9. Simeon's tribe was absorbed into Judah's territory (Joshua 19:1).
10. Dinah's own voice is never recorded in the chapter.
## 🧠Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the just King who defends the wounded without becoming cruel. Dinah's brothers answered evil with deceit and slaughter (34:25), but Jesus brings true justice and healing (Isaiah 42:3-4).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. Jacob was silent and passive when Dinah was violated (34:5). What responsibility do leaders and parents have to act?
2. Simeon and Levi used the sign of the covenant as a trap (34:13-15). How can religion be misused for selfish purposes?
3. Revenge brought trouble on the whole family (34:30). How does God's way of justice differ from ours?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verse 2: Shechem violates Dinah.
- đź“– verse 7: Jacob's sons call it a disgraceful thing in Israel.
- đź“– verse 30: Jacob fears the consequences of his sons' violence.
## đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đź”— [[Genesis 49#Verse 05.|Genesis 49:5-7]] - Jacob rebukes Simeon and Levi.
- đź”— [[Deuteronomy 22#Verse 28.|Deuteronomy 22:28-29]] - The Law's protection for a violated woman.
- đź”— [[2 Samuel 13#Verse 01.|2 Samuel 13:1-22]] - Another father's silence after a daughter's violation.
- đź”— [[Romans 12#Verse 17.|Romans 12:17-19]] - Do not repay evil for evil.
- đź”— [[Isaiah 42#Verse 03.|Isaiah 42:3-4]] - He will bring justice faithfully.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
đź“ť SOAP: [[Genesis 34- SOAP|Deal With Injustice Righteously]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes