Genesis 34:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.

NIV: His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.

NASB: But he was deeply attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her.

CSB: He became infatuated with Jacob’s daughter Dinah. He loved the young girl and spoke tenderly to her.

NLT: But then he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her affection with tender words.

KJV: And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.

NKJV: His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman.

Prior verses indicated in relatively graphic terms that Dinah, daughter of Jacob and Leah, was forcibly raped by Shechem, son of a local prince (Genesis 34:1–2). The terms used were crystal clear: there was no seduction or convincing involved. What happened was every bit an act of violation and brutality.

Now an already-tragic story takes an unexpected turn. One would expect such savagery to be inspired by hate, or indifferent lust. Instead, Shechem is said to have fallen in love with Dinah! Whether he loved her before, and simply would not take "no" for an answer, or became fond of her after his assault, Scripture is not entirely clear. What we are told is that "his soul was drawn to her." Bizarrely, what Shechem feels now is sincere love for Dinah; his "soul is drawn to" her.

Immediately after treating her with depraved violence, Shechem speaks tenderly to Dinah. Neither this statement, nor the events which happen later, are posed in order to justify Shechem's action in any way. Rape is abhorrent in every time and place. The as-yet-future law of Moses will sentence rapists to either death or a life sentence of financial support (Deuteronomy 22:25–29). The fact that Shechem suddenly loves Dinah does nothing to make the situation more honorable. He is still a man driven beyond self-control by his own desires, even if that desire is now to marry the woman he humiliated.

The following verses will further show that Shechem is a man who feels entitled to get what he wants, no matter what. He expects his powerful father to deliver it to him.

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.