The First Book of Moses: Genesis

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- Chapter 34 -

Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land.

When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.

And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly.

So Shechem told his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as a wife.”

Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, he remained silent about it until they returned.

Meanwhile, Shechem’s father Hamor came to speak with Jacob.

When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel

(a)

by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.

But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.

Intermarry with us; give us your daughters, and take our daughters for yourselves.

You may settle among us, and the land will be open to you. Live here, move about freely, and acquire your own property.”

Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Grant me this favor, and I will give you whatever you ask.

Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!”

The Revenge of Dinah’s Brothers

But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully.

“We cannot do such a thing,” they said. “To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace to us.

We will consent to this on one condition, that you become circumcised like us—every one of your males.

Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We will dwell among you and become one people.

But if you will not agree to be circumcised, then we will take our sister and go.”

Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.

The young man, who was the most respected of all his father’s household, did not hesitate to fulfill this request, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.

So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and addressed the men of their city:

“These men are at peace with us. Let them live and trade in our land; indeed, it is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters in marriage and give our daughters to them.

But only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us and be one people: if all our men are circumcised as they are.

Will not their livestock, their possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell among us.”

All the men who went out of the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male of the city was circumcised.

Three days later, while they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons (Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi) took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and slaughtered every male.

They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away.

Jacob’s other sons came upon the slaughter and looted the city, because their sister had been defiled.

They took their flocks and herds and donkeys, and everything else in the city or in the field.

They carried off all their possessions and women and children, and they plundered everything in their houses.

Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people of this land. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”

Footnotes

(a)34:7 Or against Israel

Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. He took her, lay with her, and humbled her.

His soul joined to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young lady, and spoke kindly to the young lady.

Shechem spoke to his father, Hamor, saying, “Get me this young lady as a wife.”

Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah, his daughter; and his sons were with his livestock in the field. Jacob held his peace until they came.

Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to talk with him.

The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. The men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had done folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter, a thing that ought not to be done.

Hamor talked with them, saying, “The soul of my son, Shechem, longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife.

Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.

You shall dwell with us, and the land will be before you. Live and trade in it, and get possessions in it.”

Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you will tell me I will give.

Ask me a great amount for a dowry, and I will give whatever you ask of me, but give me the young lady as a wife.”

The Revenge of Dinah’s Brothers

The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with deceit when they spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister,

and said to them, “We can’t do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised; for that is a reproach to us.

Only on this condition will we consent to you. If you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised,

then will we give our daughters to you; and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.

But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our sister,(a) and we will be gone.”

Their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.

The young man didn’t wait to do this thing, because he had delight in Jacob’s daughter, and he was honored above all the house of his father.

Hamor and Shechem, his son, came to the gate of their city, and talked with the men of their city, saying,

“These men are peaceful with us. Therefore let them live in the land and trade in it. For behold, the land is large enough for them. Let’s take their daughters to us for wives, and let’s give them our daughters.

Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people, if every male among us is circumcised, as they are circumcised.

Won’t their livestock and their possessions and all their animals be ours? Only let’s give our consent to them, and they will dwell with us.”

All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor, and to Shechem his son; and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

On the third day, when they were sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males.

They killed Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away.

Jacob’s sons came on the dead, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister.

They took their flocks, their herds, their donkeys, that which was in the city, that which was in the field,

and all their wealth. They took captive all their little ones and their wives, and took as plunder everything that was in the house.

Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number. They will gather themselves together against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed, I and my house.”

They said, “Should he deal with our sister as with a prostitute?”

Footnotes

(a)34:17 Hebrew has, literally, “daughter”