Genesis 34:13
WEB
The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with deceit when they spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister,
BSB
But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully.
KJV
And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H6030
v — eye, heed, pay attention, respond, begin to speak, sing, shout, testify, announce
Derivation: a primitive root;
properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extension to begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announce
KJV: give account, afflict (by mistake for 6031), (cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for 6031), cry, hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, × scholar, (give a) shout, sing (together by course), speak, testify, utter, (bear) witness. See also 1042, 1043.
vb — dwell
[עוּן] vb. dwell
vb — sing
עָנָה vb. sing
Qal sing, utter tunefully
Pi. sing sweetly of it
vb — answer
עָנָה 316 vb. answer, respond
Qal
1. answer, respond to sthg. said, actual or implied
2.
a. respond to an occasion, speak in view of circumstances
b. money meets all demands
3.
a. specif. respond as a witness, testify
b. less oft. make response as one accused (respondent)
Niph.
1. make answer
2. be answered
Hiph. wholly dub.; causes all things to respond in the joy of his heart
H1121
n-m — son
Derivation: from 1129;
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
KJV: afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ( ) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, (young) bullock, (young) calf, × came up in, child, colt, × common, × corn, daughter, × of first, firstborn, foal, very fruitful, postage, × in, kid, lamb, ( ) man, meet, mighty, nephew, old, ( ) people, rebel, robber, × servant born, × soldier, son, spark, steward, stranger, × surely, them of, tumultuous one, valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
n.m — son
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
1. son, male child, born of a woman
2. children (male and female)
3. youth, young men
4. the young of animals
5. of plant shoots
6. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
7.
a. member of a guild, order or class
b. of animals son of (the) herd
8. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
9. n. relat. of age
n.pr.m — his son
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
H3290
n-pr-m — Jaakob
Derivation: from 6117; heel-catcher (i.e. supplanter);
Jaakob, the Israelitish patriarch
KJV: Jacob.
n.pr.m — Jacob
יַעֲקֹב 344, יַעֲקוֹב 6 n.pr.m. et gent. Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, father of tribes of Isr.
1. as n.pr.m.
2. as n.pr.gent.
H853
prt — self, even, namely
Derivation: apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity;
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
KJV: [as such unrepresented in English].
mark of the accusative
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
H7927
n-pr-m n-pr-loc — Shekem
Derivation: the same as 7926; ridge;
Shekem, a place in Palestine
KJV: Shechem.
n.pr.loc — Shechem
שְׁכֶם n.pr.loc. 49 et m. 14
1. district in N. Palestine
2. n.pr.m. ‘son’ of Hamor
H2544
n-pr-m — Chamor
Derivation: the same as 2543; donkey;
Chamor, a Canaanite
KJV: Hamor.
n.pr.m — Hamor
חֲמוֹר n.pr.m. father of Shechem
H1
n-m — father
Derivation: a primitive word;
father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application
KJV: chief, (fore-) father(-less), × patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.
n.m — father
אָב 1101 n.m. father
1. father of individual
2. of God as father of his people
3. head of household, family or clan
4. ancestor
5. originator or patron of a class, profession, or art
6. fig. of producer, generator
7. fig. of benevolence & protection
8. term of respect & honor
9. specif., ruler, chief (late)
H4820
n-f — fraud
Derivation: from 7411 in the sense of deceiving;
fraud
KJV: craft, deceit(-ful, -fully), false, feigned, guile, subtilly, treachery.
n.f — deceit
מִרְמָה n.f. deceit, treachery
H1696
v — arrange, speak, subdue
Derivation: a primitive root;
perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
KJV: answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, × well, × work.
vb — speak
[דָבַר] 1142 vb. speak (original mng. dub.)
Qal speak
Niph. reciprocal sense, speak with one another, talk
Pi. speak
Pu. in the day when she may be spoken for
Hithp. speaking this word
Hiph. either leads subject, or puts to flight, fig. for subdues
H834
r — who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that
Derivation: a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
KJV: × after, × alike, as (soon as), because, × every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), × if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), × though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.
part. of relation — who
אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.
adv — in which
בַאֲשֶׁר
a. in (that) which
b. adv. in (the place) where
c. conj. in that, inasmuch as
d. on account of whom?
conj — according as
כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when
1. according to that which, according as, as
2. with a causal force, in so far as, since
3. with a temporal force, when
adv — who
מֵאֲשֶׁר
a. from (or than) that which
b. adv. from (the place) where
c. conj. from (the fact) that …, since
H2930
v — be foul
Derivation: a primitive root;
to be foul, especially in a ceremial or moral sense (contaminated)
KJV: defile (self), pollute (self), be (make, make self, pronounce) unclean, × utterly.
vb — be unclean
טָמֵא vb. be or become unclean
Qal be or become unclean
Niph. defile oneself, be defiled
Pi. defile
Pu. myself is not polluted
Hithp.—reflexive, defile oneself
Hothp. after that she has been defiled
H1783
n-pr-f — Dinah
Derivation: feminine of 1779; justice;
Dinah, the daughter of Jacob
KJV: Dinah.
n.pr.f — Dinah
דִּינָה n.pr.f. daughter of Jacob
H269
n-f — sister
Derivation: irregular feminine of 251;
a sister (used very widely [like 251], literally and figuratively)
KJV: (an-) other, sister, together.
n.f — sister
אָחוֹת 114 n.f. sister
1. sister
2. = beloved
3. symbol. of Judah, Samaria, Sodom & Jerusalem
4. fig. of intimate connection
5. another
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Verses 6–17
Genesis 34:6–17
Jacob's sons, when they heard of the injury done to Dinah, showed a very great resentment of it, influenced perhaps rather by jealousy for the honour of their family than by a sense of virtue. Many are concerned at the shamefulness of sin that never lay to heart the sinfulness of it. It is here called folly in Israel (Gen 34:7), according to the language of after-times; for Israel was not yet a people, but a family only. Note, 1. Uncleanness is folly; for it sacrifices the favour of God, peace of conscience, and all the soul can pretend to that is sacred and honourable, to a base and brutish lust. 2. This folly is most shameful in Israel, in a family of Israel, where God is known and worshipped, as he was in Jacob's tents, by the name of the God of Israel. Folly in Israel is scandalous indeed. 3. It is a good thing to have sin stamped with a bad name: uncleanness is here proverbially called folly in Israel, Sa2 13:12. Dinah is here called Jacob's daughter, for warning to all the daughters of Israel, that they betray not themselves to this folly.
Hamor came to treat with Jacob himself, but he turns him over to his sons; and here we have a particular account of the treaty, in which, it is a shame to say, the Canaanites were more honest than the Israelites.
I. Hamor and Shechem fairly propose this match, in order to a coalition in trade. Shechem is deeply in love with Dinah; he will have her upon any terms, Gen 34:11, Gen 34:12. His father not only consents, but solicits for him, and gravely insists upon the advantages that would follow from the union of the families, Gen 34:9, Gen 34:10. He shows no jealousy of Jacob, though he was a stranger, but rather an earnest desire to settle a correspondence with him and his family, making him that generous offer, The land shall be before you, trade you therein.
II. Jacob's sons basely pretend to insist upon a coalition in religion, when really they designed nothing less. If Jacob had taken the management of this affair into his own hands, it is probable that he and Hamor would soon have concluded it; but Jacob's sons meditate only revenge, and a strange project they have for the compassing of it - the Shechemites must be circumcised; not to make them holy (they never intended that), but to make them sore, that they might become an easier prey to their sword. 1. The pretence was specious. "It is the honour of Jacob's family that they carry about with them the token of God's covenant with them; and it will be a reproach to those that are thus dignified and distinguished to enter into such a strict alliance with those that are uncircumcised (Gen 34:14); and therefore, if you will be circumcised, then we will become one people with you," Gen 34:15, Gen 34:16. Had they been sincere herein their proposal of these terms would have had in it something commendable; for Israelites should not intermarry with Canaanites, professors with profane; it is a great sin, or at least the cause and inlet of a great deal, and has often been of pernicious consequence. The interest we have in any persons, and the hold we have of them, should be wisely improved by us, to bring them to the love and practice of religion (He that winneth souls is wise); but then we must not, like Jacob's sons, think it enough to persuade them to submit to the external rites of religion, but must endeavour to convince them of its reasonableness, and to bring them acquainted with the power of it. 2. The intention was malicious, as appears by the sequel of the story; all they aimed at was to prepare them for the day of slaughter. Note, Bloody designs have often been covered, and carried on, with a pretence of religion; thus they have been accomplished most plausibly and most securely: but this dissembled piety is, doubtless, double iniquity. Religion is never more injured, nor are God's sacraments more profaned, than when they are thus used for a cloak of maliciousness. Nay, if Jacob's sons had not had this bloody design, I do not see how they could justify their offering the sacred sign of circumcision, the seal of God's covenant, to these devoted Canaanites, who had no part nor lot in the matter. Those had no right to the seal that had no right to the promise. It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs: but Jacob's sons valued not this, while they could make it serve their turn.
Cross-references: Gen 34:7 · 2Sam 13:12 · Gen 34:11 · Gen 34:12 · Gen 34:9 · Gen 34:10 · Gen 34:14 · Gen 34:15 · Gen 34:16