Genesis 34 - Prayer Tents

Revenge against Shechem

34One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area.H1783H1323H3812H3205H3290H3318H7200H1323H7762But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her.H7927H1121H2544H2340H5387H776H7200H3947H7901H60313But then he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her affection with tender words.H5315H1692H1783H1323H3290H157H5291H1696H3820H52914He said to his father, Hamor, "Get me this young girl. I want to marry her."H7927H559H1H2544H559H3947H3207H8025Soon Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter, Dinah. But since his sons were out in the fields herding his livestock, he said nothing until they returned.H3290H8085H2930H1783H1323H1121H4735H7704H3290H2790H9356Hamor, Shechem's father, came to discuss the matter with Jacob.H2544H1H7927H3318H3290H1696H8547Meanwhile, Jacob's sons had come in from the field as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob's family

, something that should never be done.H1121H3290H935H7704H8085H582H6087H3966H2734H6213H5039H3478H7901H3290H1323H62138Hamor tried to speak with Jacob and his sons. "My son Shechem is truly in love with your daughter," he said. "Please let him marry her.H2544H1696H559H5315H1121H7927H2836H1323H5414H8029In fact, let's arrange other marriages, too. You give us your daughters for our sons, and we will give you our daughters for your sons.H2859H5414H1323H3947H132310And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Settle here and trade with us. And feel free to buy property in the area."H3427H776H1961H6440H3427H5503H27011Then Shechem himself spoke to Dinah's father and brothers. "Please be kind to me, and let me marry her," he begged. "I will give you whatever you ask.H7927H559H1H251H4672H2580H5869H559H541412No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will gladly pay it—just give me the girl as my wife."H7235H3966H4119H4976H5414H559H5414H5291H80213But since Shechem had defiled their sister, Dinah, Jacob's sons responded deceitfully to Shechem and his father, Hamor.H1121H3290H6030H7927H2544H1H4820H1696H2930H1783H26914They said to them, "We couldn't possibly allow this, because you're not circumcised. It would be a disgrace for our sister to marry a man like you!H559H3808H3201H6213H1697H5414H269H376H6190H278115But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are,H2063H225H2145H413516then we will give you our daughters, and we'll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live among you and become one people.H5414H1323H3947H1323H3427H259H597117But if you don't agree to be circumcised, we will take her and be on our way."H8085H4135H3947H1323H198018Hamor and his son Shechem agreed to their proposal.H1697H3190H5869H2544H7927H2544H112119Shechem wasted no time in acting on this request, for he wanted Jacob's daughter desperately. Shechem was a highly respected member of his family,H5288H309H6213H1697H2654H3290H1323H3513H1004H120and he went with his father, Hamor, to present this proposal to the leaders at the town gate.H2544H7927H1121H935H8179H5892H1696H582H5892H55921"These men are our friends," they said. "Let's invite them to live here among us and trade freely. Look, the land is large enough to hold them. We can take their daughters as wives and let them marry ours.H582H8003H854H3427H776H5503H776H7342H3027H6440H3947H1323H802H5414H132322But they will consider staying here and becoming one people with us only if all of our men are circumcised, just as they are.H2063H582H225H3427H259H5971H2145H4135H413523But 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."H4735H7075H929H225H342724So all the men in the town council agreed with Hamor and Shechem, and every male in the town was circumcised.H2544H7927H1121H8085H3318H8179H5892H2145H4135H3318H8179H589225But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, who were Dinah's full brothers, took their swords and entered the town without opposition. Then they slaughtered every male there,H7992H3117H3510H8147H1121H3290H8095H3878H1783H251H3947H376H2719H935H5892H983H2026H214526including Hamor and his son Shechem. They killed them with their swords, then took Dinah from Shechem's house and returned to their camp.H2026H2544H7927H1121H6310H2719H3947H1783H3947H7927H1004H331827Meanwhile, the rest of Jacob's sons arrived. Finding the men slaughtered, they plundered the town because their sister had been defiled there.H1121H3290H935H2491H962H5892H2930H26928They seized all the flocks and herds and donkeys—everything they could lay their hands on, both inside the town and outside in the fields.H3947H6629H1241H2543H5892H770429They looted all their wealth and plundered their houses. They also took all their little children and wives and led them away as captives.H2428H2945H802H7617H962H100430Afterward Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have ruined me! You've made me stink among all the people of this land—among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will join forces and crush us. I will be ruined, and my entire household will be wiped out!"H3290H559H8095H3878H5916H887H3427H776H3669H6522H4962H4557H622H5221H8045H100431"But why should we let him treat our sister like a prostitute?" they retorted angrily.H559H6213H269H2181