Genesis 34:1-17 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Genesis 34:1-17. Let’s go!
Genesis 34:1-4 (NIV)
1 Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land.
2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and violated her.
3 His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her.
4 And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”
On verses 1-4: Shechem was in love with Jacob’s daughter Dinah and wanted her more than anything, but he went about it in completely the wrong way, taking her and raping her (v2). That is what lust does. Lust says “now”. Love says “I’ll wait”. Lust says “me first”. Love says “you first”. Lust takes. Love gives. Lust violates. Love protects. Lust says “I don’t care if it’s wrong. It’s what I feel like doing.” Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth.
Genesis 34:5-12 (NIV)
5 When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he kept quiet about it until they came home.
6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.
7 Now Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter–a thing that should not be done.
8 But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.
9 Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.
10 You can settle among us; the land is open to you. Live in it, trade in it, and acquire property in it.”
11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask.
12 Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the girl as my wife.”
On verses 5-12: It seems that Shechem knew that he had done a horrible thing by raping Dinah. Shechem’s father tries to speak for his son and attempts to resolve this matter peaceably, going out and finding Dinah’s father Jacob and proposing not only that Shechem marry Dinah, but welcoming Jacob’s family to intermarry with his family and to settle in their land (v8-9). Shechem himself also tries to make amends for his terrible mistake, saying to Jacob and his sons, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask.” (v11).
What can we learn from this? When you’ve made a terrible mistake, the best thing you can do is ask for forgiveness and do whatever necessary to make amends for your wrongdoing. It will not be comfortable. You may be rejected. But you need to try. Swallow your pride and do your utmost to make things right, or as right as they can be.
Genesis 34:13-17 (NIV)
13 Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor.
14 They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us.
15 We will give our consent to you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males.
16 Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We’ll settle among you and become one people with you.
17 But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”
On verses 13-17: Jacob’s sons pretend to agree to the proposal of Shechem and his father Hamor, on the condition that Shechem, Hamor and all the males in their family get circumcised (v13-17). But in the verses that follow we will see that Jacob’s sons only had revenge on their minds. They would follow their father’s old deceitful ways but would end up stooping to a level that their father had never stooped to.
What can we learn from this? We are not responsible for the hurts others inflict on us, but we are responsible for how we respond to those hurts.
Heavenly Father, thank You for showing me today that I am not responsible for the hurts others inflict on me, but I am responsible for how I respond to those hurts. Whenever I make a mistake, please help me to apologize and to make things right as much as I can, as quickly as I can. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
