Genesis 34
1Now Dinah, Leah’s daughter whom she bore to Jacob, went to meet the young women of the land.
Dinah is the feminine name of “judge.” She was the daughter of Jacob and Leah. She was approximately 14-16 years old at this time. Her parents were allowing her to visit and make friends with the other Canaanite young women in the land. This will turn out to be a very poor parental decision, because it will result in devastating long-term effects. Christian parents should never let their children socialize with children of the satanic world system. They are to evangelize them, not socialize with them.
2When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who ruled that area, saw her, he grabbed her, forced himself on her, and sexually assaulted her.
Shechem was a prince, meaning that his father was the Canaanite king of the city of this region. In Hebrew, there was no indirect object used, so this was a forceful rape without the consent of Dinah. Canaanite kings and princes usually elevated themselves above the law. There are modern politicians all over the world who still rule in this way. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The rabbi taught that Jacob was being punished for withholding Dinah as wife for Esau, but there is no Biblical basis for this view.
3Then he became very attached to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. He fell in love with the young woman and spoke romantically to her.
This was the opposite attitude of Amnon, who would later rape his sister Tamar and abandon her. The prince was keeping Dinah locked in his palace under house arrest, attempting to woo her.
4Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Acquire this young girl as my wife.”
Dinah was given the opportunity of becoming a Canaanite queen. The Canaanite king of the region was going to offer Jacob a very handsome bridal price for his daughter. According to the human viewpoint of the satanic world system, this would make Jacob and his family not only rich and powerful, but they would become citizens and allies of the Canaanites. According to divine viewpoint, this intermarriage would place the nation of Israel at risk.
5When Jacob heard that Shechem had violated his daughter Dinah, his sons were with the livestock in the field. So Jacob remained silent until they came in.
The sons would be involved in the decision-making process.
6Then Shechem’s father Hamor went to speak with Jacob about Dinah.
The King of the Canaanites offered the bridal price.
7Now Jacob’s sons had come in from the field when they heard the news. They were offended and very angry because Shechem had disgraced Israel by sexually assaulting Jacob’s daughter, a crime that should not be committed.
The Jews were God's chosen people. They were to bring in the Messiah, who would bless all people. The Canaanites were a cursed race who had jet polluted the Jewish race. The prince of Canaan had committed a sexual crime against the God of Israel and the tribe of Israel. This Canaanite prince had violated the Abrahamic Covenant.
Notice that the word “Israel” is mentioned. This is the first time that this term is used of the family tribe. The family now saw themselves as a set-apart distinct tribe of God.
8But Hamor made this appeal to them: “My son Shechem is in love with your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.
This intermarriage would destroy Israel and mingle the Canaanite culture into the chosen people of God.
9Intermarry with us. Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves.
This was an offer of citizenship. Citizenship was something that the nomads living around the city greatly desired. Abraham and Isaac were never offered citizenship. This was an enticing offer that was made to Jacob and his family.
10You may live among us, and the land will be open to you. Live in it, travel freely in it, and acquire property in it.”
The King of Canaan offered the land of Canaan to Jacob, in exchange for his daughter. This was an enticing offer. He would not have to wait for God to give it to him.
11Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and whatever you require of me I’ll give.
Usually, both sides gave a bridal gift. Shechem would require no dowry, but he would give to Jacob whatever bridal dowry that he asked. Basically, Shechem is offering the entire Canaanite kingdom for Dinah.
12You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive, and I’ll give whatever you ask of me. Just give me the young woman as my wife!”
This was a very fair and tempting offer made by a prince with low morals. It was a very tempting offer to Jacob and his family.
13Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully when they spoke because Shechem had violated their sister Dinah.
The brothers took the lead in the negotiations, which was not unusual for ancient societies. Instead of going to God in prayer, they decided to take matters in their own hands. They chose deceit over prayer.
14They said to them, “We cannot give our sister to a man who is not circumcised, for it would be a disgrace to us.
This was a statement of deceit.
15We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become like us by circumcising all your males.
The brothers used the details of the Abrahamic Covenant as a means of deception.
16Then we will give you our daughters to marry, and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people.
This was a total deception in the name of God.
17But if you do not agree to our terms by being circumcised, then we will take our sister and depart.”
The brothers placed the Canaanites in a very desperate position.
18Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem.
King Hamor and Prince Shechem were expecting to pay a huge dowry out of their royal treasury. Instead, they just had to ask their citizens to become circumcised.
19The young man did not delay in doing what they asked because he wanted Jacob’s daughter Dinah badly. (Now he was more important than anyone in his father’s household.)
Shechem loved Dinah so much, that he was willing to go through this excruciating pain for her. He was willing to command his subjects to do the same.
20So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city,
The gate of the city was the place of business and the place of the official royal court.
21“These men are at peace with us. So let them live in the land and travel freely in it, for the land is wide enough for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry.
The request was to make Jacob’s family legal citizens. The Canaanite city state was large enough to support them.
22Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised.
This would be a painful condition for the citizens. They would not want to go through this painful ritual.
23If we do so, won’t their livestock, their property, and all their animals become ours? So let’s consent to their demand, so they will live among us.”
No pain, no gain. Jacob and his sons were a powerful and wealthy tribe.
24All the men who assembled at the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem. Every male who assembled at the city gate was circumcised.
The motive of these men was pure materialism.
25In three days, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and went to the unsuspecting city and slaughtered every male.
There was no anesthesia in that day. The third day was the most painful day. At this time, the men were completely helpless and incapacitated.
Simeon and Levi were full brothers of Dinah, not half-brothers. They were 21 and 20 years old at this time. They slew all of the men of the city. Shechem was the only person who was guilty of rape. Simeon and Levi killed an entire city of innocent men. This was a brutal act of revenge upon the innocent.
26They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left.
Dinah was rescued from house arrest.
27Jacob’s sons killed them and looted the city because their sister had been violated.
Simeon and Levi plundered the city. The whole town was responsible for the rape of Dinah, since they did not act responsibly.
28They took their flocks, herds, and donkeys, as well as everything in the city and in the surrounding fields.
Everything in the city was plundered.
29They captured as plunder all their wealth, all their little ones, and their wives, including everything in the houses.
The wives and children were taken as slaves.
30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought ruin on me by making me a foul odor among the inhabitants of the land – among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number; they will join forces against me and attack me, and both I and my family will be destroyed!”
According to human viewpoint, Jacob and his family were outnumbered and in danger. According to divine viewpoint, Jacob and his family were protected by the Abrahamic Covenant.
31But Simeon and Levi replied, “Should he treat our sister like a common prostitute?”
When Jacob allowed Dinah to be purchased with a dowry, he was making her a prostitute. Simeon and Levi were correct in their thinking, but they carried the punishment too far. Simeon and Levi will be cursed and not allotted land in the Promised Land.
On the other hand, Shechem violated the Abrahamic Covenant and it caused the extinction of his city’s male population. Often, God will use the sinful acts of even His chosen nation to keep His word of the Abrahamic Covenant. This sinful act also distanced the Canaanites from the Israelites. The Canaanites now feared Israel. They would refuse to trust them. This would keep the Canaanite influence more distant from the family of Jacob.
This chapter ends with no reference of God at all. The revenge of Simeon and Levi was strictly human viewpoint that God somehow turned into good. One of the unique characteristics of God is that He can take the actions of evil men and turn them into good. The next chapter will mention God’s name eleven different times.
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In conclusion, the human viewpoint of the satanic world system teaches that God condoned the sin of His chosen people, making God a sinner.
The divine viewpoint of the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God teaches that God often uses man’s sin in order to accomplish His purpose. All things work out for good.