Hello! Welcome to today’s bible study on Genesis 34 where we will read about what happened to Dinah in the land of Shechem and the events that ensued. According to Bible scholars, the events of Genesis 34 took place in 1906 B.C. approximately.
I encourage you to turn to Genesis 34 in your Bible. Kindly invite the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read and study Genesis 34. I mention this in all the Bible Studies because it is only through the Holy Spirit that we get fresh revelation and knowledge to understand the word of God. No one else can teach you better than the Holy Spirit Himself. I am using the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, just in case you want to know.
In the Bible Study on Genesis 33, we read about Jacob and Esau’s reunion and reconciliation and Jacob building booths at Succoth for his livestock and arriving safely in Canaan with his family. In the bible study on Genesis 34 we will learn about what happened with Dinah, Jacob’s daughter and the events that ensued.
Backstory on Genesis 33: Jacob meets Esau face-to-face and they embraced each other and wept. Jacob found favour in Esau’s eyes. The Lord brought about their reconciliation and delivered Jacob from the wrath of Esau. Jacob and Esau journey separately to Mount Seir. Jacob builds booths for his livestock at Succoth and later arrives safely with his household and family at Shechem in Canaan.
Without any further delay, let us study together Genesis Chapter 34, shall we?
Genesis 34 Summary
Dinah was the daughter of Leah and Jacob. One day, she went alone to visit the young women in the land of Shechem. While she was there, Shechem, who was the son of Hamor and the prince of the country, became strongly attracted to Dinah and violated her. Shechem loved Dinah and spoke kindly to her. Later, he spoke to his father, Hamor, and demanded that he arrange for Dinah to become his wife.
After learning about what Shechem did to his daughter, Dinah, Jacob remained silent. He waited for his sons to return from the field and let them deal with Hamor’s request for Shechem to marry Dinah. However, Jacob’s sons were furious with Shechem for what he had done to their sister.
Shechem expressed his love for Dinah and offered to pay any bride price Jacob requested. However, the sons of Jacob deceived Shechem and Hamor (out of revenge) by stating that they would only consent to the marriage if every male in their land was circumcised, just like them.
Shechem was the first person to undergo circumcision. Afterwards, Shechem and his father Hamor gathered all the men in their city and spoke to them about the peaceful nature of the Israelites. They suggested that they could engage in trade, live together, and even exchange daughters for marriage. However, they made it clear that the men of Israel would only agree to this proposal if every male in the land was circumcised.
They convinced the men of Shechem that circumcision would allow them to take possession of Israel’s livestock and animals. Therefore, all the men got circumcised in the land of Shechem.
On the third day when the men were sore and in pain, Simeon and Levi sons of Jacob and Leah (Dinah’s full-brothers) went to the land of Shechem and killed every male including Shechem and Hamor. They, then, took Dinah out of Shechem’s house where she had been all this time and departed with her.
Then the rest of Jacob’s eleven sons came upon the slain of the city and plundered the entire town to take revenge on Shechem’s land for their sister Dinah’s defilement. They took their flocks, herds, donkeys and everything in the town and field and also their wealth. They, also, took the little ones and wives (of the slain men) captive.
Jacob was heartbroken and expressed his concern with his sons Simeon and Levi. He explained that their actions had damaged his reputation among the Canaanites and Perizzites. Jacob was afraid that they would take revenge and attack him and his family, as they were outnumbered. However, Simeon and Levi justified their actions, stating that Shechem had violated their sister, treating her as if she was a harlot.
Genesis 34 Commentary
1. Genesis 34:1-4
Dinah made a huge mistake when she left without supervision to see the daughters of the land of Shechem. She did not anticipate the consequences of being among the non-covenant, immoral, and non-God-fearing population of Canaan. Perhaps, Dinah was too naive to think that nothing bad would happen to her. It is unclear whether her parents, Jacob and Leah, were aware of her venturing out alone or not.
Shechem behaved rashly towards Dinah. He must have believed that it was acceptable to take any unaccompanied young maiden and do as he pleased, which seems to have been a common practice among the immoral population of Canaan. This shows that his love for her was merely carnal and not a true love.
2. Genesis 34:7
This is the first time in the bible that we see the name Israel (which is Jacob’s name given to him by God) being used in the context of a group of people who were none other than Jacob and his family. Earlier, the name Israel referred only to Jacob when God changed his name after he wrestled with God.
3. Genesis 34:11-12
Shechem and his father, Hamor, showed no remorse for what Shechem did to Dinah. They did not apologize to Jacob or his sons for the wrongdoing. Shechem’s offer to pay any bride price for Dinah revealed his lack of respect and remorse for his actions towards her. He treated her as an object that he desired, without any regard for her feelings or well-being.
4. Genesis 34:13-16
Simeon and Levi also erred by agreeing to give Dinah in marriage even if it was just for deception and revenge. This is because the covenant they had with God was sacred and was not to be taken lightly. The idea of intermarrying with pagan Canaanites would put the entire covenant of God with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at risk.
Some may argue that Simeon and Levi’s actions were justified, but it cannot undo the harm done to Dinah by Shechem. While they sought to defend the family’s honor, in hindsight, it would have been better for them to exercise patience and seek the Lord before they did anything.
Note
Jacob did not personally handle the situation with Shechem or Hamor. Instead, he allowed his sons to deal with it. However, he did not expect them to react with such impulsive fury towards all the inhabitants of Shechem.
5. Genesis 34:20-29
Hamor and Shechem convinced the men of their city to undergo painful circumcision by promising them wealth through trade with Jacob and his family. Jacob was a wealthy man, and this was due to the Lord’s blessings during his service to his uncle Laban.
The sons of Jacob exploited the men’s pain and vulnerability after their circumcision. However, the men of Shechem were unaware of Shechem’s wrongdoing with Dinah. They assumed they were agreeing to a good trade deal and complied with all the requests of Shechem and Hamor, never suspecting that they would be killed. They had simply agreed to a bad deal.
6. Genesis 34:30
Jacob had reasonable concerns about the actions of Simeon and Levi towards Shechem, Hamor, and the men of the land. The news of their actions would have undoubtedly spread quickly. Simeon and Levi acted impulsively without seeking their father Jacob’s advice and guidance, demonstrating immaturity and haste, and their actions were fueled by anger and a desire for revenge.
They, along with their other brothers, looted what was not necessary, particularly, when God had not instructed them to do so. They did not consult God about this matter and this was a mistake on their part. However, their actions might have caused fear among the Canaanites and Perizzites in the surrounding area when they learned about how they had plundered Shechem and its people.
Genesis 34 Lessons
1. Discernment and wisdom is crucial
Both Dinah and Shechem should have exercised discernment and wisdom in their respective actions, especially Dinah being the daughter of God-fearing Jacob. Dinah should not have ventured unattended to Shechem, and Shechem should not have violated her just because he was the prince of the country. Unfortunately, Shechem paid a heavy price later with his life because of his implusive behaviour and Dinah was disgraced forever. Nothing could reverse what had happened.
2. Involve the Lord in everything you do
Jacob’s sons acted impulsively when they killed the men of Shechem without seeking the Lord’s guidance. It is essential to involve God and ask for His guidance in every aspect of our lives, regardless of the significance of the matter. This way, we can be assured of doing what is right in God’s eyes and prevent creating unnecessary enemies due to hasty decisions and actions.
Genesis 34: Common questions and answers
1. What happened in Genesis 34?
Genesis 34 recounts the story of Shechem (the prince of Shechem), Dinah (daughter of Jacob and Leah), and the inhabitants of Shechem. It is a tale of lust, deceit, and revenge.
2. What is the meaning of Dinah?
In Hebrew, Dinah is a girl’s name meaning ‘justified’ and ‘God will judge’. Dinah, in the bible, was Jacob’s only daughter. No tribe was created from her (also because she was a female). All the tribes of Israel came forth from Jacob’s twelve sons.
3. What is the meaning of Genesis 34:30?
Jacob was anxious about the looming confrontations that he and his sons might face due to the actions of Simeon, Levi, and his other sons against the people of Shechem. They had destroyed Shechem, and Jacob feared a possible retaliation from the Canaanites and Perizzites, especially because his family was small and outnumbered.
Conclusion
This concludes the bible study lesson on Genesis 34. I hope you enjoyed this free bible study and found it helpful in your Bible study journey. Feel free to share it with others. Also, share your thoughts about it and what the Holy Spirit has revealed to you about Genesis 34. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. I will get back to you as soon as I can.
What are your thoughts about Genesis 34?
Until next time!