Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. (Genesis 34:1)
So many things went wrong during this time. First, Dinah shouldn't have been mixing in the company of the Hivite women. Their beliefs and culture were totally contrary to that of her family.
But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, and spoke deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us. But on this condition we will consent to you: If you will become as we are, if every male of you is circumcised, (Genesis 34:13-15)
We see the deceit had always been Jacob's downfall. First, with his own brother Easu, then the deceit of their grandfather Laban, giving fruit to yet more deceit, this time from Jacob's own sons. They knew they couldn't defeat the men of Shechem because they were outnumbered, so instead they trick them into getting circumcised, knowing full well that they wouldn't be able to fight back.
And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and spoke with the men of their city, saying:
Will not their livestock, their property, and every animal of theirs be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.” (Genesis 34:20,23)
On the surface, Shechem seems to appear more righteousness than Jacob. The patriarch failed to become Dinah’s advocate after she was attacked, but the perpetrator of the crime was willing to marry her, thereby obeying God’s law (Deut. 22:28–29).
However, Hamor and Shechems devious plans are exposed when they do not mention Shechem’s sin when presenting the case for circumcision. Also, they are more concerned about the economic advantages of intermarriage and the gain of property
Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males. (Genesis 34:25)
Had Simeon and Levi attacked only Shechem and his father, it would have been considered justice, an eye for an eye. But to kill every man in the city, and then destroy the town as they did, was uncalled for. This was no longer vengeance, it was murder.
Though Jacob was silent at that moment, later in Genesis 49, Jacob prophetically spoke concerning this event
“Simeon and Levi are brothers;
Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place.
Let not my soul enter their council;
Let not my honor be united to their assembly;
For in their anger they slew a man,
And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox.
Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
And their wrath, for it is cruell
I will divide them in Jacob
And scatter them in Israel. (Genesis 34:5-7)
Every action has a consequence. Their fierce anger was judged by the Lord. We always reap what we sow. How true are the following verses:
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. (Galatians 6:7-8)
Chapters
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Chapter 30
- Chapter 31
- Chapter 32
- Chapter 33
- Chapter 34
- Chapter 35
- Chapter 36
- Chapter 37
- Chapter 38
- Chapter 39
- Chapter 40
- Chapter 41
- Chapter 42
- Chapter 43
- Chapter 44
- Chapter 45
- Chapter 46
- Chapter 47
- Chapter 48
- Chapter 49
- Chapter 50