Genesis 34:1-31 The Defiling of Dinah
“Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land. When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force. And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly. So Shechem told his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as a wife.”
Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, he remained silent about it until they returned. Meanwhile, Shechem’s father Hamor came to speak with Jacob. When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.
But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. Intermarry with us; give us your daughters, and take our daughters for yourselves. You may settle among us, and the land will be open to you. Live here, move about freely, and acquire your own property.”
Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Grant me this favor, and I will give you whatever you ask. Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!”
The Revenge of Dinah’s Brothers
But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully. “We cannot do such a thing,” they said. “To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace to us. We will consent to this on one condition, that you become circumcised like us—every one of your males. Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We will dwell among you and become one people. But if you will not agree to be circumcised, then we will take our sister and go.”
Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. The young man, who was the most respected of all his father’s household, did not hesitate to fulfill this request, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.
So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and addressed the men of their city: “These men are at peace with us. Let them live and trade in our land; indeed, it is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters in marriage and give our daughters to them. But only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us and be one people: if all our men are circumcised as they are. Will not their livestock, their possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell among us.”
All the men who went out of the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male of the city was circumcised.
Three days later, while they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons (Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi) took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and slaughtered every male. They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away.
Jacob’s other sons came upon the slaughter and looted the city, because their sister had been defiled. They took their flocks and herds and donkeys, and everything else in the city or in the field. They carried off all their possessions and women and children, and they plundered everything in their houses.
Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me by making me repugnant to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people of this land. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”
But Simeon and Levi answered, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”
Dinah goes out to visit the local girls in Shechem; however, she appears to have gone without a chaperone. Generally, Dinah should have been accompanied by an older woman or by one of her brothers; however, somehow that hasn’t happened. Perhaps Dinah is spoiled and willful; she meets a young man who is equally spoiled. The prince of the region falls in love with Dinah; however, he chooses to rape first and to propose later, a deadly mistake.
The action of the local prince is actually not that unusual and he belatedly promises to do the right thing. Notice that Dinah remains in his house until her brothers rescue her-what does Dinah think about this whole thing?.
Jacob waits until his sons return from the field and then informs them, knowing full well that they will take vengeance. As a hero of faith, Jacob is failing. Even though God has given Jacob a new name and even though Jacob has suffered under twenty years of his Uncle Laban’s manipulation, Jacob is still manipulating his sons to take vengeance without blatantly ordering them to do so. When Simeon and Levi hatch their diabolic plot, the other sons join them in plundering the city, carrying off everything including women and children. Later, when Jacob is pronouncing his blessings/predictions over his sons, he reminds Simeon and Levi of their horrible actions.
Does Jacob’s manipulation of his sons achieve peace? Far from it! After the men have been slaughtered and the city looted, Jacob suddenly realizes that his sons have endangered the entire family by taking revenge.
There are all kinds of foolish sayings about revenge, including “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” While such a saying might appear smart or crafty, it’s wrong. James 1:20 tells us that “the wrath of men does not produce the righteousness of God.” Romans 12:14-19 tells us “Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”
The longer we plot revenge on someone, the more we poison ourselves. As a father, Jacob should be leading his sons wisely, not inciting them to murder and mayhem. Jacob never stops to consider the long-term effects of his manipulation but simply wants revenge and uses his sons to get it. Then after Jacob’s sons have taken the revenge Jacob has sought for his daughter’s rape, Jacob can react in righteous indignation that they have gone too far. Not a prime example for good fatherhood!
I have written about forgiveness before and there’s good reason to do so. When we allow ourselves to become offended, we hand our heads to the Devil. It’s as if we cut off our own heads, place them on a platter, and hand them to Satan. Joyce Meyer tells the story of sitting on a platform with other speakers before a huge audience while she listened as one of the speakers viciously attacked another one verbally. Joyce was sitting close enough to the man under attack that she should hear him muttering to himself, “I will not be offended! I will not be offended!” That man was a spiritual giant whose ministry blessed thousands, all because he refused to take offense.
Are you smarting from some attack? Are you considering how you might fight back? STOP! Don’t do it! First, you don’t know what that other person is going through; perhaps they have spoken out of their great hurt. Second, only God can handle matters of the heart. Ask God to give you His mind about the situation and then leave it with Him.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us feel offended. Help us to leave these offenses with You and to allow You to sort things out. Help us to forgive and move forward. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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