Genesis 34:29 - Printer Friendly

ESV: All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered.

NIV: They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses.

NASB: and they captured and looted all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives, even everything that was in the houses.

CSB: They captured all their possessions, dependents, and wives and plundered everything in the houses.

NLT: They looted all their wealth and plundered their houses. They also took all their little children and wives and led them away as captives.

KJV: And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.

NKJV: and all their wealth. All their little ones and their wives they took captive; and they plundered even all that was in the houses.

Jacob's sons plundered all the livestock that had belonged to the people of Shechem (Genesis 34:28). This was enabled by the previous slaughter of every fighting man in the city (Genesis 34:25). That action, itself, was revenge for the rape of Jacob's daughter, Dinah, by the son of a local prince (Genesis 34:1–8). The men of Shechem agreed to be circumcised, hoping to take part in Jacob's wealth (Genesis 34:13–16). Instead, they fell for a trap that resulted in their utter destruction.

Once the battle is over, Levi, Simeon, and the other brothers also plunder the city's wealth and possessions. In addition, they take as captives their wives and "little ones." In that era, it was extremely common for women to be taken into conquering nations as wives.

As a result of his sons' deceitful scheme and brutal revenge, Jacob's wealth has grown enormously. Readers should notice that Jacob has not been heard from since news first broke of his daughter's rape (Genesis 34:5). Now that all is said and done, the famously-passive leader will explain that he's unhappy about what others will think of his sons' revenge (Genesis 34:30).

Genesis 34:13–31 describes the response of Jacob's sons to the rape of his daughter, Dinah. The rapist, Shechem, has asked for her hand in marriage. Dinah's brothers suggest that if the men of the town will be circumcised, they will agree to marriages between the two groups. Shechem and his father, Hamor, gladly agree to these terms. But this is a trap. While the men are still sore from circumcision, Simeon and Levi spring an attack, killing all the men and looting the town. Jacob is afraid this will bring retaliation from the Canaanite and Perizzite people. His sons, however, are adamant that their actions were justified.

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.