Genesis 34

1 Now Dinah [the daughter of judgment], the daughter [female child, or woman] Leah had borne [given birth to, beget] to Jacob, went out [to come out, depart] to visit [see, look after] the daughters [female children, women] of the land [country, territory, earth]. word study 2 When Shechem [son of the prince, a ruler] son of Hamor the Hivite [a member of an ancient tribe], the prince [leader, high-ranking official] of the region [land, territory], saw her [with intention, to look upon], he took her [grabbed hold, seized] and lay with her [had connection, intimate relations] by force [violently, against her will, to humble her]. word study 3 And his soul [the essence of his being] was drawn [to cleave, vatidbaq] to Dinah [judgment, daughter of Jacob], the daughter [bat, female child] of Jacob [supplanter, son of Isaac]. He loved [to have affection] the young girl [maiden] and spoke [to communicate] to her tenderly. word study 4 So Shechem [the son of Hamor, a prince of the city] told his father Hamor [his earthly father and a Canaanite leader], “Get [take, acquire] me this girl [maiden, young woman] as a wife [to be my companion, partner].” word study 5 Jacob [the son of Isaac and Rebekah] heard that Shechem had defiled [violated, morally contaminated] his daughter Dinah [a child of judgment], but since his sons [descendants, male children] were with his livestock [cattle, domestic animals] in the field [a flat area of land, a habitat], he remained silent [held his peace, kept quiet] about it until they returned [came back, arrived]. word study 6 Meanwhile, Shechem’s father [the patriarch, head of the family] Hamor [a Canaanite prince, meaning he-ass] came to speak [to communicate, to converse] with [near, in the company of] Jacob [the son of Isaac and Rebekah]. word study 7 When Jacob’s sons [the descendants of Jacob, his family] heard what had happened, they returned from the field [the open land, the countryside]. They were filled with grief [deep sorrow, emotional pain] and fury [intense anger, indignation], because Shechem had committed an outrage [a wicked act, a folly] in Israel [the community of God’s people] by lying with [having sexual relations with, violating] Jacob’s daughter [his female child, a member of his family]—a thing that should not be done [not acceptable, morally wrong]. word study 8 But Hamor [the father of Shechem] said to them, “My son [descendant, offspring] Shechem [has a strong desire] longs for your daughter [female child, woman]. Please [I pray, I ask] give her to him as his wife [woman, partner]. word study 9 Intermarry [make marriages, contract affinitie] with us; give [put, set] us your daughters [female children, women], and take [get, receive] our daughters [women, female family members] for yourselves [as wives, in marriage]. word study 10 You may settle [live, dwell] among us, and the land [country, territory] will be open [before you, at your command] to you. Live [dwell, reside] here, move about [travel, trade] freely, and acquire [get, take possession of] your own property [possessions, inheritance].” word study 11 Then Shechem [the son of Hamor, a Hivite leader] said to Dinah’s father [Jacob, the patriarch] and brothers [her male relatives, kinsmen], “Grant me this favor [let me find grace, show me kindness], and I will give you whatever [all that, everything] you ask [request, desire, command]. word study 12 Demand [ask for, require] a high [exceedingly great, abundant] dowry [bride-price, gift for marriage] and an expensive [costly, valuable] gift [present, offering], and I will give [bestow, provide] you whatever [all that, everything] you ask [request, desire]. Only give [grant, allow] me the girl [maiden, young woman] as my wife [to be my companion, partner]!” word study 13 But because Shechem had defiled [violated, done a shameful thing to] their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered [responded, spoke deceitfully to] him and his father Hamor deceitfully [with guile, in a dishonest manner]. word study 14 “We cannot [are not able, have no power] do such a thing,” they said. “To give [hand over, entrust] our sister [biological sibling, close relative] to an uncircumcised [having a foreskin, not spiritually purified] man would be [result in, lead to] a disgrace [reproach, shame, scorn] to us [our family, our reputation]. word study 15 We will consent [agree, give permission] to this on one condition [stipulation, requirement], that you become [are, come to be] circumcised [cut off, dedicated] like us [similar to, in the same manner as]—every [all, each] one of your males [men, male children]. word study 16 Then we will give [mutually, as a gesture of unity] you our daughters [female children, or women] and take [receive, get] your daughters [female children, or women] for ourselves. We will dwell [reside, live among] among you and become [unite, be joined as] one [unified, single] people [a nation, or tribe]. word study 17 But if you will [refuse to, not be willing to] not agree [listen and obey, hearken] to be circumcised [to undergo the cutting off, to be cut off from sin], then we will take [get, receive, possess] our sister [daughter, female child] and go [walk, depart, leave this place].” word study 18 Their [pleasing, acceptable] offer [proposal, suggestion] seemed good [to be pleasing, joyful] to Hamor [the father of Shechem, a Canaanite prince] and his son [descendant, offspring] Shechem [a city in Palestine, a man who lived during the time of the Patriarchs]. word study 19 The young man [youth, a person in their early years], who was the most respected [honored, held in high esteem] of all his father’s household, did not hesitate [delay, put off] to fulfill this request, because he was delighted [had delight, pleased] with Jacob’s [the son of Isaac, a key figure] daughter [female child, woman]. word study 20 So Hamor [a Canaanite prince, the father of Shechem] and his son Shechem [a man who lived during the time of the Patriarchs] went [approached, came to] to the gate [city entrance, meeting place] of their city [town, settlement] and addressed [spoke to, communed with] the men [people, inhabitants] of their city [town, community]: word study 21 “These men [peaceable, friendly] are at peace [complete, whole] with us. Let them live [dwell, reside] and trade [travel around, do business] in our land [country, territory]; indeed, it is large [broad, spacious] enough for them. Let us take [get, receive] their daughters [female children, women] in marriage [as wives] and give [put, set] our daughters to them. word study 22 But only on [this one condition, this sole requirement] this condition will the men [our husbands, the males among us] agree [consent, give their permission] to dwell [live, reside, settle] with us [in our community, as one family] and be [become, unite as] one people [a single nation, a unified community]: if all [every single one, the entire group of] our men [males, husbands] are circumcised [cut off, spiritually purified] as they [the men of Shechem, the surrounding culture] are [practicing, observing the custom]. word study 23 Will not their livestock [cattle, possessions, and all their beasts], their possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let us consent [agree to, give permission] to them, and they will dwell [live, reside, and remain] among us [with us, in our midst].” word study 24 All [every single one, the entire group] the men who went out of the city [town, urban settlement] gate listened to Hamor [the father of Shechem, a Canaanite prince] and his son Shechem [a man of influence, a leader], and every [each and every, without exception] male [man, male person] of the city [town, community] was circumcised [cut off, surgically altered as a sign of covenant]. word study 25 Three days later [on the third day, when they were sore], while they were still in [physical and emotional] pain, two [a pair, a duo] of Jacob’s sons (Dinah’s brothers Simeon [Shimeon, a son of Jacob] and Levi [a son of Jacob and a brother of Reuben]) took their swords [cutting instruments, knives], went into the unsuspecting [unaware, off guard] city, and slaughtered [killed, slew] every male [man, male person]. word study 26 They killed [slew, put to death] Hamor [the Canaanite prince, he-ass] and his son [descendant] Shechem [the city, the man] with their swords [the edge of the sword, cutting instruments], took [got, seized] Dinah [judgment, daughter of Jacob] out of Shechem’s [the city, the man’s] house [dwelling place, family home], and went away [left, came out]. word study 27 Jacob’s [other descendants of] other sons came upon [approached, entered the scene of] the slaughter [the slain, dead bodies] and looted [plundered, violently took] the city [town, settlement], because their sister [biological sibling, close relative] had been defiled [morally contaminated, violated]. word study 28 They took their flocks [sheep and goats] and herds [cattle, oxen] and donkeys [asses], and everything else [all the goods, whatever was valuable] in the city [town, settlement] or in the field [countryside, open land]. word study 29 They carried off [took captive, seized] all their possessions [wealth, riches, strength] and women [wives, females] and children [little ones, infants], and they plundered [spoil, violently took] everything [all that was valuable] in their houses [homes, dwellings]. word study 30 Then Jacob [the supplanter, deceiver] said to Simeon [heard, listened to by God] and Levi [joined, attached to God], “You have brought trouble [distress, affliction] upon me by making me a stench [morally offensive, to smell bad] to the Canaanites [merchants, traders] and Perizzites [rural, village dwellers], the people of this land [the earth, territory]. We are few in number [a small quantity, limited]; if they unite [gather, assemble] against me and attack [strike, smite] me, I and my household [family, those belonging to me] will be destroyed [annihilated, devastated].” word study 31 But they replied, “Should he have treated [abused, dealt with] our sister [close relative, biological sibling] like [as with] a prostitute [harlot, one who commits fornication, to fornicate]?” word study