Genesis 34:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?”

NIV: But they replied, 'Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?'

NASB: But they said, 'Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?'

CSB: But they answered, "Should he treat our sister like a prostitute? "

NLT: But why should we let him treat our sister like a prostitute?' they retorted angrily.

KJV: And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

NKJV: But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?”

Jacob is angry at two of his sons, Levi and Simeon. He is furious that their brash and bloody act of revenge has left him and his large company exposed and vulnerable to retaliation from the people of the land (Genesis 34:25–30). Sadly, it seems his emotions are mostly over the damage this does to his reputation. No mention is made that Jacob is similarly outraged as his sons (Genesis 34:5–7), or that he is rebuking them for using trickery and violence.

Levi and Simeon respond with a single question: Should Shechem have been allowed to treat their sister like a prostitute? Their actions were in response to Shechem's rape of their sister, Dinah (Genesis 34:1–3). Using trickery (Genesis 34:13), they convinced the men of the town, those who were protecting the rapist, to be circumcised (Genesis 34:20–24). While the fighting men were sore, the two brothers swept in with their fighting forces and wiped out all resistance.

It's helpful to remember that Dinah is a full sister to Levi and Simeon. All three were born to Leah, Jacob's first wife. These siblings are aware that Jacob has never loved Leah, at least not to the extent he has treasured Rachel (Genesis 29:31). Their indignant response is not only a defense of their actions, but a criticism of Jacob. They seem to be turning the tables on him: were you even going to do anything at all?

Shechem did indeed treat Dinah with profound humiliation. He offered to pay large sums of money to marry her after he had raped her. No mention was made of him atoning for his crime, and he and his father even tried to turn the situation into financial gain (Genesis 34:8–12). Levi and Simeon seem to imply Jacob would have been guilty of selling Dinah as a prostitute if he had allowed that to happen.

Jacob gives every impression of acting entirely out of fear, throughout this entire episode. There is no sense that loyalty, protection, or love for Dinah or her mother Leah come into play. That is a strong contrast to his later reaction when a far-more favored child, Joseph, seems to have been lost (Genesis 37:33–35).

Likewise, while Jacob's sons were motivated, in a sense, by honor, their methods included deception, the breaking of a contract, and what could easily be called murder. One would have hoped to see Jacob overtly condemn their actions. Or, at least, to frame the problem in terms other than his reputation in the region. That reputation will prove useful, however, as the Canaanites will fearfully avoid conflict with Israel in the near future (Genesis 35:5).

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.