Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. He took her, lay with her, and humbled her. His soul joined to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young lady, and spoke kindly to the young lady.
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Genesis 34:2-3 sits inside this longer paragraph.
Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. He took her, lay with her, and humbled her. His soul joined to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young lady, and spoke kindly to the young lady. Shechem spoke to his father, Hamor, saying, “Get me this young lady as a wife.”
Parallel Translations
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Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. He took her, lay with her, and humbled her.
His soul joined to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young lady, and spoke kindly to the young lady.
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And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.
And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.
Show all 3 translations
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And Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her; and he took her, and lay with her, and humbled her.
And his soul did cleave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spoke comfortingly unto the damsel.
Cross-references (22)
- Matthew 5:28 (v2) but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
- Judges 14:1 (v2) Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.
- Job 31:1 (v2) “I made a covenant with my eyes, how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?
- Job 31:9 (v2) “If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door,
- Proverbs 13:20 (v2) One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
Show all 22 cross-references
- Isaiah 40:2 (v3) “Speak comfortably to Jerusalem; and call out to her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received…
- Hosea 2:14 (v3) “Therefore behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.
- Genesis 6:2 (v2) God’s sons saw that men’s daughters were beautiful, and they took any that they wanted for themselves as wives.
- Genesis 10:17 (v2) the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites,
- Genesis 20:2 (v2) Abraham said about Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
- Genesis 33:19 (v2) He bought the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces…
- Genesis 39:6-7 (v2) He left all that he had in Joseph’s hand. He didn’t concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate. Joseph was well-built…
- Deuteronomy 21:14 (v2) It shall be, if you have no delight in her, then you shall let her go where she desires; but you shall not sell her at all for money. You…
- Deuteronomy 22:24 (v2) then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones; the lady, because she didn’t…
- Deuteronomy 22:29 (v2) then the man who lay with her shall give to the lady’s father fifty shekels of silver. She shall be his wife, because he has humbled her.…
- Judges 19:24-25 (v2) Behold, here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. I will bring them out now. Humble them, and do with them what seems good to you; but…
- Ruth 1:14 (v3) They lifted up their voices and wept again; then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth stayed with her.
- 1 Samuel 18:1 (v3) When he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
- 2 Samuel 11:2 (v2) At evening, David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was…
- 2 Samuel 19:7 (v3) Now therefore arise, go out, and speak to comfort your servants; for I swear by Yahweh, if you don’t go out, not a man will stay with you…
- 2 Chronicles 30:22 (v3) Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding in the service of Yahweh. So they ate throughout the feast for…
- Ezekiel 22:10-11 (v2) In you have they uncovered their fathers’ nakedness. In you have they humbled her who was unclean in her impurity. One has committed…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (12 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On v3 3. And his soul clave unto Dinah. Moses intimates…
3. And his soul clave unto Dinah. Moses intimates that she was not so forcibly violated, that Shechem having once abused her, treated her with contempt, as is usual with harlots; for he loved her as a wife; and did not even object to be circumcised that he might have her; but the fervor of lust had so prevailed, that he first subjected her to disgrace. And therefore although he embraced Dinah with real and sincere attachment, yet, in this want of self-government, he grievously sinned. Shechem “spoke to the heart” of the maid, that is, he addressed her courteously, to allure her to himself by his bland speeches: whence it follows, that when she was unwilling and resisted, he used violence towards her.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv2–3 Hebrew, humbled her.
Hebrew, humbled her.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv2–3 Gen 34:2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor…
Gen 34:2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.
Ver. 2. Saw her, he look her, and lay with her.] Ut vidit, periit. By those windows of the eyes and ears, sin and death often enter: through them the devil throws balls of wild fire into the soul, and sets all into a combustion. Visus, colloquium, contactus, osculum, concubitus, do too oft one succeed another. {a} See to the five senses, if ye would keep out the enemy. Shut up the five windows, if ye would have the house, the heart, full of light, saith the Arabian proverb. Joseph’s mistress cast her eyes upon him; but when she laid hands on him, she was the more inflamed, and set agog, as it were. The viewing, touching, or familiar talking with a woman, either without necessary occasion, or then, without prayer for holy affection, is dangerous, saith a grave divine. {b} Thou mayest not look intently upon what thou mayest not love. Democritus the philosopher pulled out his eyes, that he might not look upon forbidden beauties. This was no part of his wisdom: but it shall be ours, by mortification, to pluck the wanton eye out of old Adam, and to set it sober into the new man: to get that occulum irretortum, that well-ordered eye, that Job had; {Job 31:1} that Joseph had; that Gregory Nazianzen had, who could σοφρονιζειν τους οφθαλμους, tutor his eyes; that Charles V, Emperor of Germany, had, who would shut the casements, when at any time he saw fair women afar off, or heard that such were to pass by his window {c} It is not safe to pry into the beauty of a fair woman. Circe {d} often used allusively. may enchant us, the cockatrice slay us with her sight. "Let her not take thee with her eyelids," saith Solomon; {Pro 6:25} as larks, while they gaze in a glass, are taken in a hunter’s net. {See Trapp on "Gen 6:2"} {See Trapp on "Gen 26:7"}
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{a} Mars videt hanc, visamque cupit, potiturque cupita. - Ovid.
{b} Time Well Spent, by Ezek. Culverwel, p. 53.
{c} Saepe clausit fenestram, ne inspiceret formosiores foeminas, &c. - Par., Hist. Profan., p. 908.
{d} In Greek and Latin mythology the name of an enchantress who dwelt in the island of Aea, and transformed all who drank of her cup into swine.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On v3 Perceiving her to be exceedingly enraged and perplexed at…
Perceiving her to be exceedingly enraged and perplexed at this horrid violence, he endeavours to appease and sweeten her, and to get her consent to marry him.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv2–3 And when Shechem the son of Hamor,.... From whom…
And when Shechem the son of Hamor,.... From whom the city had its name, near which Jacob and his family now were:
the Hivite, prince of the country; Hamor was an Hivite, which was one of the nations of the land of Canaan, and this man was the prince or a principal man of that nation, as well as of Shechem. Josephus (c) calls him a king: when the son of this man
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saw her; that is, Dinah, what a beautiful person she was, and was enamoured with her:
he took her: by force, as the Targum of Jonathan:
and lay with her, and defiled her; or "humbled" or "afflicted her" (d); and it is a rule with the Jews, that every such act, which is done by force, is called an humiliation and affliction (e): the child begotten in this act of fornication is said (f) by them to be Asenath, who was had into Egypt, and brought up by Potipherah's wife as her daughter, and afterwards married to Joseph, Gen 41:45.
(c) Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 1. c. 21. sect. 1.) (d) , Sept. & afflixit eam, Pagninus, Montanus. (e) Gerundensis apud Munster, & Drusium in loc. (f) Pirke Eliezer, ut supra. (c. 33. fol. 42. 2.)
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv2–3 Verse 2. Prince of the country] i.e., Hamor was…
Verse 2. Prince of the country] i.e., Hamor was prince; Shechem was the son of the prince or chief. Our version appears to represent Shechem as prince, but his father was the chief of the country. See Ge 34:6; Ge 34:8, &c.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv2–3 Gen 34:2. Shechem took her, and defiled her —…
Gen 34:2. Shechem took her, and defiled her — Hebrew, humbled her. “The word,” says Bishop Kidder, “intimates his violence, as well as her dissent.” Young women may learn from this to be “chaste, keepers at home,” (Tit 2:5,) which qualities have a closer connection than many are willing to believe. They that are fond of going abroad, and intermixing in company with persons of whose piety and good conduct they have no proof, often expose their virtue to a snare. From what happened to Dinah, all may learn to avoid all occasions of falling into temptation, or leading others into it.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v2 Virgin. Hebrew and Septuagint, "He humbled or afflicted the…
Virgin. Hebrew and Septuagint, "He humbled or afflicted the virgin." It is well if she made all the resistance she was able, and resented the indignity; as she seems to have done, though Sichem tried all means to comfort her. (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On v3 3. Spake kindly — Hebrews, spoke to the heart…
3. Spake kindly — Hebrews, spoke to the heart of the girl. He won her by tender words. She appears not to have been an unwilling party to the sin. “A gadding girl,” says Schroder, “and a lad who has never gone beyond the precincts of home, are good for nothing.”
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv2–3 2. Hivite] See Gen_10:17. The name of a Canaanite…
2. Hivite] See Gen_10:17. The name of a Canaanite tribe. In Jos_9:7 the Hivites are found in Gibeon; but, from Jdg_3:3 and Jos_11:3, their dwelling-place was traditionally connected with Lebanon.
LXX has “Horite,” as in Jos_9:7.
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“Hamor,” as the name of an animal, means “he-ass.”
the prince] This word, in Heb. nasi, is used frequently by P, Gen_17:20, Gen_23:6, Gen_25:16. Lat. princeps.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv2–3 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite,…
And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the country, saw her (literally, and Shechem... saw her, and) he took her. "Dinah paid the full penalty of her carelessness. She suffered the fate which Sarah and Rebekah encountered in the land of Pharaoh and Abimelech; she was seen and taken by the son of the prince" (Kalisch); forcibly, i.e. against her will in the first instance, though not, it is apparent, without the blandishments of a lover. And lay with her, and defiled her literally, oppressed her, offered violence to her, whence humbled her ejtapeinwsen (LXX), vi opprimens (Vulgate).
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v3 34:3-4 While Shechem’s intense feelings for Dinah made him…
34:3-4 While Shechem’s intense feelings for Dinah made him willing to undergo significant hardship (34:11-12, 17-18, 24), the way he showed his “love” for her was selfish, impetuous, and in violation of customary decency (cp. Judg 14:2; see 1 Cor 13:4-7; 1 Jn 4:10). His character illustrated why Israel needed to remain separate from the Canaanites.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.