Genesis 34:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Will not their livestock, their property and all their beasts be ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will dwell with us.”

NIV: Won't their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours? So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.'

NASB: Will their livestock and their property and all their animals not be ours? Let’s just consent to them, and they will live with us.'

CSB: Won't their livestock, their possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let's agree with them, and they will live with us."

NLT: But if we do this, all their livestock and possessions will eventually be ours. Come, let’s agree to their terms and let them settle here among us.'

KJV: Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us.

NKJV: Will not their livestock, their property, and every animal of theirs be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.”

Once again, Hamor and Shechem appeal to prosperity as a reason for all the city's men to be circumcised (Genesis 34:20–22). Jacob's extraordinary wealth (Genesis 30:43) would be open to the town through trade and marriage, on this condition (Genesis 34:14–16). That, at least, is what Hamor and Shechem have been led to believe (Genesis 34:13). This stipulation is actually a trap. After Shechem raped Dinah (Genesis 34:1–3), her brothers have set up their revenge using trickery (Genesis 34:7–8).

It's noteworthy that the brutal assault on Dinah isn't mentioned in this sales pitch. Scripture is notoriously concise, so it's possible that the subject came up during this discussion. The first point the Bible records, however, is a statement that Jacob's clan is "at peace." In the context of all that's happened, it's likely that news of Shechem's crime has spread. That, in turn, would lead to concerns about retaliation. It's entirely possible this reference to peace is just as much a bit of fear-mongering: they're not at war with us, yet, but…

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.

Accessed 4/29/2024 11:44:42 AM