Genesis 34:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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."

NIV: Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife."

NASB: Demand of me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give whatever you tell me; but give me the girl in marriage.'

CSB: Demand of me a high compensation and gift; I’ll give you whatever you ask me. Just give the girl to be my wife!"

NLT: No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will gladly pay it — just give me the girl as my wife.'

KJV: Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife.

NKJV: Ask me ever so much dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me; but give me the young woman as a wife.”

Shechem has brutally raped Dinah, the daughter of Jacob (Genesis 34:1–4). As news of the attack makes it to her family, Shechem and his father come to ask for Dinah to be given as Shechem's wife. Hamor also appeals to Jacob to let the two people groups marry and trade freely. This has the appearance of a diplomatic effort—Hamor is probably trying to smooth over the heinous action of his son.

At some point, Shechem makes an excessive plea for Dinah, offering anything, and any price, to become her husband. In one sense, this is a sincere request—Shechem honestly feels some version of love for Dinah (Genesis 34:3). Not only does that not change the evil of his actions, it probably felt to Jacob's sons as if he was attempting to bribe his way out of justice.

It was customary for a groom to pay a "bride price" to the bride's family, as well as to give a gift either to the bride herself or to the family on behalf of the bride. Shechem suggests that Jacob and his sons name whatever price they want to allow him to marry the "young woman."

How will Jacob and sons respond? As it turns out, Jacob's sons have inherited their father's knack for underhanded schemes. Rather than simply killing Shechem outright, they enact an even more brutal and bloody revenge.

Genesis 34:1–12 describes a depraved attack on one of Jacob's children. Dinah, his daughter through Leah, is raped by Shechem, son of the local prince. Jacob waits until his sons return to let them know about this act. With apparently no remorse, the rapist and his father arrive to ask for Dinah to be married to her attacker. Shechem proclaims his love, offering any price to have Dinah as his wife. Dinah's brothers respond with a combination of deceit and violence that will echo through the rest of Israel's history.

Jacob's family has settled within sight of the city of Shechem. Dinah, Jacob's daughter by Leah, is raped by the son of the city's ruler Hamor, also named Shechem. Shechem decides he loves Dinah and wants to marry her. Dinah's brothers are outraged. Hamor and Shechem, however, ask for Dinah to be given to Shechem as a wife and for their people to intermarry. Jacob's sons pretend to agree, provided the men of the city are circumcised. Instead, while the town's men are recuperating, Dinah's brothers by Leah, Levi and Simeon, lead a slaughter of all the men of the city.

With the blessing of the Lord, Jacob has survived his reunion with his brother Esau and settled his family in the land of Canaan, in a city called Shechem. Some time passes and then Jacob's daughter Dinah is raped by the son of the ruler of the city. To exact revenge and defend their sister's honor, Jacob's sons trick the men of the city into being circumcised and then slaughter all of them when they are recovering, plundering all the wealth of the people. This creates fear in the local Canaanite communities, who avoid future confrontation with Jacob's family.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.