Verses 1–4: Although Jacob hasn’t journeyed far enough to reach his father, Isaac, in Hebron, he settles temporarily near the small town of Shechem in Canaan. He made it safely past his brother, Esau, but faces a new threat from the Shechemites. When Jacob’s daughter, Dinah, travels into the city to visit the women there, she is abducted and raped by Prince Shechem (for whom the town is named). Despite his violence, we’re told that he also “speaks tenderly” to her. He loves her, and asks his father (King Hamor) to acquire her as his wife.
5–7: When Jacob learns about the incident, he tries to keep it from Dinah’s brothers, who are still working in the fields. They hear of it, though, and immediately return to camp, grieved and outraged by their sister’s rape. Hamor and Shechem arrive as well to talk with Jacob.
8–12: Hamor speaks on Shechem's behalf, explaining his desire to marry Dinah. He proposes that the two peoples intermarry and become one—in essence, granting an open invitation for Jacob to permanently settle in the area—to live, trade, and gain property in it. Shechem joins in and pleads for Dinah's hand in marriage. Let Jacob and his sons name any price—he’ll pay it.
13–17: Still seething over their sister’s treatment, Jacob’s sons have hatched a plan for revenge. They agree to give Dinah in marriage on one condition: all the males in Shechem must be circumcised, sig- nifying that they, too, have committed themselves to God and his ways. Only then, they deceitfully claim, will they intermarry with the Shechemites and permanently settle in the land. Despite Dinah’s incredible captivity and violation, Jacob fails to step in decisively and take action. He goes along with their proposal, not recognizing that his sons never intend to honor it. This will end up costing him.
18–24: Hamor and Shechem agree to their offer, but must secure the support of the other townsmen. They meet with them at the city gate, explaining the opportunity to take advantage of Jacob and his family. They reason that intermarrying with Jacob’s people will eventually allow them to acquire all their livestock and property. The townsmen agree to this scheme, and every one is circumcised. Their gross self-interest at the expense of others, however, displays how truly unprepared their hearts are for devotion to God.
25–29: On the third day, while still recuperating, they realize in horror that their dream of slowly looting Jacob’s family would never materi- alize. All the males are murdered by Simeon and Levi, and Dinah is recovered from Prince Shechem’s home. In the aftermath of this massacre, the rest of Dinah’s brothers appear on the scene. Feeding on the adrenaline of vengeance, they loot the town and take all their possessions, livestock, women, and children captive.
30–31: While Jacob failed to properly respond to Dinah’s plight, he’s furious with his sons’ barbaric behavior. Their actions weren’t jus- tified, but they rightly object to Dinah’s treatment. Jacob’s failure to rectify the situation opened a door for their revenge, and for future war. They’ve exponentially escalated the conflict and in so doing invited a revenge attack by the neighboring Canaanites and Perizzites. He fears that now they’ll all be destroyed.
In chapter 35, we’ll see how God breaks into the midst of this chaos and uses it to propel Jacob into his destiny.
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