^32:1So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God¹ met him. ^32:2When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed,² “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.³

^32:3Jacob sent messengers on ahead⁴ to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the region⁵ of Edom. ^32:4He commanded them, “This is what you must say to my lord Esau: ‘This is what your servant⁶ Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban until now. ^32:5I have oxen, donkeys, sheep, and male and female servants. I have sent⁷ this message⁸ to inform my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.’ ”

^32:6The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you and has four hundred men with him.” ^32:7Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels. ^32:8“If Esau attacks one camp,”⁹ he thought,¹⁰ “then the other camp will be able to escape.”¹¹

^32:9Then Jacob prayed,¹² “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you said¹³ to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’¹⁴^32:10I am not worthy of all the faithful love¹⁵ you have shown¹⁶ your servant. With only my walking stick¹⁷ I crossed the Jordan,¹⁸ but now I have become two camps. ^32:11Rescue me,¹⁹ I pray, from the hand²⁰ of my brother Esau,²¹ for I am afraid he will come²² and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children.²³^32:12But you²⁴ said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper²⁵ and will make²⁶ your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’ ”²⁷

^32:13Jacob²⁸ stayed there that night. Then he sent²⁹ as a gift³⁰ to his brother Esau ^32:14two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, ^32:15thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. ^32:16He entrusted them to³¹ his servants, who divided them into herds.³² He told his servants, “Pass over before me, and keep some distance between one herd and the next.” ^32:17He instructed the servant leading the first herd,³³ “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong?³⁴ Where are you going? Whose herds are you driving?’³⁵^32:18then you must say,³⁶ ‘They belong³⁷ to your servant Jacob.³⁸ They have been sent as a gift to my lord Esau.³⁹ In fact Jacob himself is behind us.’ ”⁴⁰

^32:19He also gave these instructions to the second and third servants, as well as all those who were following the herds, saying, “You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him.⁴¹^32:20You must also say, ‘In fact your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ”⁴² Jacob thought,⁴³ “I will first appease him⁴⁴ by sending a gift ahead of me.⁴⁵ After that I will meet him.⁴⁶ Perhaps he will accept me.”⁴⁷^32:21So the gifts were sent on ahead of him⁴⁸ while he spent that night in the camp.⁴⁹

^32:22During the night Jacob quickly took⁵⁰ his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons⁵¹ and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.⁵²^32:23He took them and sent them across the stream along with all his possessions.⁵³^32:24So Jacob was left alone. Then a man⁵⁴ wrestled⁵⁵ with him until daybreak.⁵⁶^32:25When the man⁵⁷ saw that he could not defeat Jacob,⁵⁸ he struck⁵⁹ the socket of his hip so the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

^32:26Then the man⁶⁰ said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.”⁶¹ “I will not let you go,” Jacob replied,⁶² “unless you bless me.”⁶³^32:27The man asked him,⁶⁴ “What is your name?”⁶⁵ He answered, “Jacob.” ^32:28“No longer will your name be Jacob,” the man told him,⁶⁶ “but Israel,⁶⁷ because you have fought⁶⁸ with God and with men and have prevailed.”

^32:29Then Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.”⁶⁹ “Why⁷⁰ do you ask my name?” the man replied.⁷¹ Then he blessed⁷² Jacob⁷³ there. ^32:30So Jacob named the place Peniel,⁷⁴ explaining,⁷⁵ “Certainly⁷⁶ I have seen God face to face⁷⁷ and have survived.”⁷⁸

^32:31The sun rose⁷⁹ over him as he crossed over Penuel,⁸⁰ but⁸¹ he was limping because of his hip. ^32:32That is why to this day⁸² the Israelites do not eat the sinew which is attached to the socket of the hip, because he struck⁸³ the socket of Jacob’s hip near the attached sinew.

Jacob Meets Esau

^33:1Jacob looked up¹ and saw that Esau was coming² along with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants. ^33:2He put the servants and their children in front, with Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph behind them.³^33:3But Jacob⁴ himself went on ahead of them, and he bowed toward the ground seven times as he approached⁵ his brother. ^33:4But Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged his neck, and kissed him. Then they both wept. ^33:5When Esau⁶ looked up⁷ and saw the women and the children, he asked, “Who are these people with you?” Jacob⁸ replied, “The children whom God has graciously given⁹ your servant.” ^33:6The female servants came forward with their children and bowed down.¹⁰^33:7Then Leah came forward with her children and they bowed down. Finally Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed down.

^33:8Esau¹¹ then asked, “What did you intend¹² by sending all these herds to meet me?”¹³ Jacob¹⁴ replied, “To find favor in your sight, my lord.” ^33:9But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother. Keep what belongs to you.” ^33:10“No, please take them,” Jacob said.¹⁵ “If I have found favor in your sight, accept¹⁶ my gift from my hand. Now that I have seen your face and you have accepted me,¹⁷ it is as if I have seen the face of God.¹⁸^33:11Please take my present¹⁹ that was brought to you, for God has been generous²⁰ to me and I have all I need.”²¹ When Jacob urged him, he took it.²²

^33:12Then Esau²³ said, “Let’s be on our way!²⁴ I will go in front of you.” ^33:13But Jacob²⁵ said to him, “My lord knows that the children are young,²⁶ and that I have to look after the sheep and cattle that are nursing their young.²⁷ If they are driven too hard for even a single day, all the animals will die. ^33:14Let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the herds and the children,²⁸ until I come to my lord at Seir.”

^33:15So Esau said, “Let me leave some of my men with you.”²⁹ “Why do that?” Jacob replied.³⁰ “My lord has already been kind enough to me.”³¹

^33:16So that same day Esau made his way back³² to Seir. ^33:17But³³ Jacob traveled to Succoth³⁴ where he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was called³⁵ Succoth.³⁶

^33:18After he left Paddan Aram, Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped near³⁷ the city. ^33:19Then he purchased the portion of the field where he had pitched his tent; he bought it³⁸ from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of money.³⁹^33:20There he set up an altar and called it “The God of Israel is God.”⁴⁰

Dinah and the Shechemites

^34:1Now Dinah, Leah’s daughter whom she bore to Jacob, went to meet¹ the young women² of the land. ^34:2When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who ruled that area, saw her, he grabbed her, forced himself on her,³ and sexually assaulted her.⁴^34:3Then he became very attached⁵ to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. He fell in love with the young woman and spoke romantically to her.⁶^34:4Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Acquire this young girl as my wife.”⁷^34:5When⁸ Jacob heard that Shechem⁹ had violated his daughter Dinah, his sons were with the livestock in the field. So Jacob remained silent¹⁰ until they came in.

^34:6Then Shechem’s father Hamor went to speak with Jacob about Dinah.¹¹^34:7Now Jacob’s sons had come in from the field when they heard the news.¹² They¹³ were offended¹⁴ and very angry because Shechem¹⁵ had disgraced Israel¹⁶ by sexually assaulting¹⁷ Jacob’s daughter, a crime that should not be committed.¹⁸

^34:8But Hamor made this appeal to them: “My son Shechem is in love with your daughter.¹⁹ Please give her to him as his wife. ^34:9Intermarry with us.²⁰ Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves.²¹^34:10You may live²² among us, and the land will be open to you.²³ Live in it, travel freely in it,²⁴ and acquire property in it.”

^34:11Then Shechem said to Dinah’s²⁵ father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and whatever you require of me²⁶ I’ll give.²⁷^34:12You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive,²⁸ and I’ll give²⁹ whatever you ask³⁰ of me. Just give me the young woman as my wife!”

^34:13Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully when they spoke because Shechem³¹ had violated their sister Dinah. ^34:14They said to them, “We cannot give³² our sister to a man who is not circumcised, for it would be a disgrace³³ to us. ^34:15We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become³⁴ like us by circumcising³⁵ all your males. ^34:16Then we will give³⁶ you our daughters to marry,³⁷ and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people. ^34:17But if you do not agree to our terms³⁸ by being circumcised, then we will take³⁹ our sister⁴⁰ and depart.”

^34:18Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem.⁴¹^34:19The young man did not delay in doing what they asked⁴² because he wanted Jacob’s daughter Dinah⁴³ badly. (Now he was more important⁴⁴ than anyone in his father’s household.)⁴⁵^34:20So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate⁴⁶ of their city and spoke to the men of their city, ^34:21“These men are at peace with us. So let them live in the land and travel freely in it, for the land is wide enough⁴⁷ for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry.⁴⁸^34:22Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand⁴⁹ that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised. ^34:23If we do so,⁵⁰ won’t their livestock, their…

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Footnotes

1 The phrase angels of God occurs only here and in Gen 28:12 in the OT. Jacob saw a vision of angels just before he left the promised land. Now he encounters angels as he prepares to return to it. The text does not give the details of the encounter, but Jacob’s response suggests it was amicable. This location was a spot where heaven made contact with earth, and where God made his presence known to the patriarch. See C. Houtman, “Jacob at Mahanaim: Some Remarks on Genesis XXXII 2–3,” 28 (1978): 37–44.
2 Heb “and Jacob said when he saw them.”
3 The name Mahanaim apparently means “two camps.” Perhaps the two camps were those of God and of Jacob.
4 Heb “before him.”
5 Heb “field.”
6 Your servant. The narrative recounts Jacob’s groveling in fear before Esau as he calls his brother his “lord,” as if to minimize what had been done twenty years ago.
7 Or “I am sending.” The form is a preterite with the vav consecutive; it could be rendered as an English present tense—as the Hebrew perfect/preterite allows—much like an epistolary aorist in Greek. The form assumes the temporal perspective of the one who reads the message.
8 The words “this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
9 Heb “If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.”
10 Heb “and he said, ‘If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.” The Hebrew verb אָמַר (’amar) here represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “he thought.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
11 Heb “the surviving camp will be for escape.” The word “escape” is a feminine noun. The term most often refers to refugees from war.
12 Heb “said.”
13 Heb “the one who said.”
14 Heb “I will cause good” or “I will treat well [or “favorably”].” The idea includes more than prosperity, though that is its essential meaning. Here the form is subordinated to the preceding imperative and indicates purpose or result. Jacob is reminding God of his promise in the hope that God will honor his word.
15 Heb “the loving deeds and faithfulness” (see 24:27, 49).
16 Heb “you have done with.”
17 Heb “for with my staff.” The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally translated “staff,” has been rendered as “walking stick” because a “staff” in contemporary English refers typically to the support personnel in an organization.
18 Heb “this Jordan.”
19 The imperative has the force of a prayer here, not a command.
20 The “hand” here is a metonymy for “power.”
21 Heb “from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau.”
22 Heb “for I am afraid of him, lest he come.”
23 Heb “me, [the] mother upon [the] sons.” The first person pronoun “me” probably means here “me and mine,” as the following clause suggests.
24 Heb “But you, you said.” One of the occurrences of the pronoun “you” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons. Some commentators have thought this final verse of the prayer redundant, but it actually follows the predominant form of a lament in which God is motivated to act. The primary motivation Jacob can offer to God is God’s promise, and so he falls back on that at the end of the prayer.
25 Or “will certainly deal well with you.” The infinitive absolute appears before the imperfect, underscoring God’s promise to bless. The statement is more emphatic than in v. 9.
26 The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the nuance of the preceding verb forward.
27 Heb “which cannot be counted because of abundance.” The imperfect verbal form indicates potential here.
28 Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
29 Heb “and he took from that which was going into his hand,” meaning that he took some of what belonged to him.
30 The Hebrew noun translated gift can in some contexts refer to the tribute paid by a subject to his lord. Such a nuance is possible here, because Jacob refers to Esau as his lord and to himself as Esau’s servant (v. 4).
31 Heb “and he put them in the hand of.”
32 Heb “a herd, a herd, by itself,” or “each herd by itself.” The distributive sense is expressed by repetition.
33 Heb “the first”; this has been specified as “the servant leading the first herd” in the translation for clarity.
34 Heb “to whom are you?”
35 Heb “and to whom are these before you?”
36 The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive; it has the nuance of an imperfect of instruction.
37 The words “they belong” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
38 Heb “to your servant, to Jacob.”
39 Heb “to my lord, to Esau.”
40 Heb “and look, also he [is] behind us.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
41 Heb “And he commanded also the second, also the third, also all the ones going after the herds, saying: ‘According to this word you will speak when you find him.’ ”
42 Heb “and look, your servant Jacob [is] behind us.”
43 Heb “for he said.” The referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “thought.”
44 Heb “I will appease his face.” The cohortative here expresses Jacob’s resolve. In the Book of Leviticus the Hebrew verb translated “appease” has the idea of removing anger due to sin or guilt, a nuance that fits this passage very well. Jacob wanted to buy Esau off with a gift of more than five hundred and fifty animals.
45 Heb “with a gift going before me.”
46 Heb “I will see his face.”
47 Heb “Perhaps he will lift up my face.” In this context the idiom refers to acceptance.
48 Heb “and the gift passed over upon his face.”
49 The disjunctive clause is circumstantial/temporal.
50 Heb “and he arose in that night and he took.” The first verb is adverbial, indicating that he carried out the crossing right away.
51 The Hebrew term used here is יֶלֶד (yeled) which typically describes male offspring. Some translations render the term “children” but this is a problem because by this time Jacob had twelve children in all, including one daughter, Dinah, born to Leah (Gen 30:21). Benjamin, his twelfth son and thirteenth child, was not born until later (Gen 35:16–19).
52 Hebrew narrative style often includes a summary statement of the whole passage followed by a more detailed report of the event. Here v. 22 is the summary statement, while v. 23 begins the detailed account.
53 Heb “and he sent across what he had.”
54 Reflecting Jacob’s perspective at the beginning of the encounter, the narrator calls the opponent simply “a man.” Not until later in the struggle does Jacob realize his true identity.
55 The verb translated “wrestled” (וַיֵּאָבֵק, vayye’aveq) sounds in Hebrew like the names “Jacob” (יַעֲקֹב, ya’aqov) and “Jabbok” (יַבֹּק, yabboq). In this way the narrator links the setting, the main action, and the main participant together in the mind of the reader or hearer.
56 Heb “until the rising of the dawn.”
57 Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
58 Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
59 Or “injured”; traditionally “touched.” The Hebrew verb translated “struck” has the primary meanings “to touch; to reach; to strike.” It can, however, carry the connotation “to harm; to molest; to injure.” God’s “touch” cripples Jacob—it would be comparable to a devastating blow.
60 Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
61 Heb “dawn has arisen.”
62 Heb “and he said, ‘I will not let you go.’ ” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
63 Jacob wrestled with a man thinking him to be a mere man, and on that basis was equal to the task. But when it had gone on long enough, the night visitor touched Jacob and crippled him. Jacob’s request for a blessing can only mean that he now knew that his opponent was supernatural. Contrary to many allegorical interpretations of the passage that make fighting equivalent to prayer, this passage shows that Jacob stopped fighting, and then asked for a blessing.
64 Heb “and he said to him.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
65 What is your name? The question is rhetorical, since the Lord obviously knew Jacob’s identity. But since the Lord is going to change Jacob’s name, this question is designed to bring focus Jacob’s attention on all that his name had come to signify.
66 Heb “and he said.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
67 The name Israel is a common construction, using a verb with a theophoric element (אֵל, ’el) that usually indicates the subject of the verb. Here it means “God fights.” This name will replace the name Jacob; it will be both a promise and a call for faith. In essence, the Lord was saying that Jacob would have victory and receive the promises because God would fight for him.
68 You have fought. The explanation of the name Israel includes a sound play. In Hebrew the verb translated “you have fought” (שָׂרִיתָ, sarita) sounds like the name “Israel” (יִשְׂרָאֵל, yisra’el), meaning “God fights” (although some interpret the meaning as “he fights [with] God”). The name would evoke the memory of the fight and what it meant. A. Dillmann says that ever after this the name would tell the Israelites that, when Jacob contended successfully with God, he won the battle with man (Genesis, 2:). To be successful with God meant that he had to be crippled in his own self-sufficiency (A. P. Ross, “Jacob at the Jabboq, Israel at Peniel,” 142 [1985]: ).
69 Tell me your name. In primitive thought to know the name of a deity or supernatural being would enable one to use it for magical manipulation or power (A. S. Herbert, Genesis 12–50 [], 108). For a thorough structural analysis of the passage discussing the plays on the names and the request of Jacob, see R. Barthes, “The Struggle with the Angel: Textual Analysis of Genesis 32:23–33,” Structural Analysis and Biblical Exegesis (), 21–33.
70 The question uses the enclitic pronoun “this” to emphasize the import of the question.
71 Heb “and he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’ ” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
72 The verb here means that the Lord endowed Jacob with success; he would be successful in everything he did, including meeting Esau.
73 Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
74 The name Peniel means “face of God.” Since Jacob saw God face to face here, the name is appropriate.
75 The word “explaining” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
76 Or “because.”
77 I have seen God face to face. See the note on the name “Peniel” earlier in the verse.
78 Heb “and my soul [= life] has been preserved.” I have survived. It was commonly understood that no one could see God and live (Gen 48:16; Exod 19:21, 24:10; and Judg 6:11, 22). On the surface Jacob seems to be saying that he saw God and survived. But the statement may have a double meaning, in light of his prayer for deliverance in v. 11. Jacob recognizes that he has survived his encounter with God and that his safety has now been guaranteed.
79 Heb “shone.”
80 The name is spelled Penuel here, apparently a variant spelling of Peniel (see v. 30).
81 The disjunctive clause draws attention to an important fact: He may have crossed the stream, but he was limping.
82 On the use of the expression to this day, see B. S. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until This Day’,” 82 (1963): 279–92.
83 Or “because the socket of Jacob’s hip was struck.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive. On the translation of the word “struck” see the note on this term in v. .
1 Heb “and Jacob lifted up his eyes.”
2 Or “and look, Esau was coming.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.
3 This kind of ranking according to favoritism no doubt fed the jealousy over Joseph that later becomes an important element in the narrative. It must have been painful to the family to see that they were expendable.
4 Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 Heb “until his drawing near unto his brother.” The construction uses the preposition with the infinitive construct to express a temporal clause.
6 Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 Heb “lifted up his eyes.”
8 Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 The Hebrew verb means “to be gracious; to show favor”; here it carries the nuance “to give graciously.”
10 Heb “and the female servants drew near, they and their children and they bowed down.”
11 Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
12 Heb “Who to you?”
13 Heb “all this camp which I met.”
14 Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
15 Heb “and Jacob said, ‘No, please.’ ” The words “take them” have been supplied in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.
16 The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, expressing a contingent future nuance in the “then” section of the conditional sentence.
17 The verbal form is the preterite with a vav (ו) consecutive, indicating result here.
18 Heb “for therefore I have seen your face like seeing the face of God and you have accepted me.” This is an allusion to the preceding episode (32:22–31) in which Jacob saw the face of God and realized his prayer was answered.
19 Heb “blessing.” It is as if Jacob is trying to repay what he stole from his brother twenty years earlier.
20 Or “gracious,” but in the specific sense of prosperity.
21 Heb “all.”
22 Heb “and he urged him and he took.” The referent of the first pronoun in the sequence (“he”) has been specified as “Jacob” in the translation for clarity.
23 Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
24 Heb “let us travel and let us go.” The two cohortatives are used in combination with the sense, “let’s travel along, get going, be on our way.”
25 Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
26 Heb “weak.”
27 Heb “and the sheep and the cattle nursing [are] upon me.”
28 Heb “and I, I will move along according to my leisure at the foot of the property which is before me and at the foot of the children.”
29 The cohortative verbal form here indicates a polite offer of help.
30 Heb “and he said, ‘Why this?’ ” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
31 Heb “I am finding favor in the eyes of my lord.”
32 Heb “returned on his way.”
33 The disjunctive clause contrasts Jacob’s action with Esau’s.
34 But Jacob traveled to Succoth. There are several reasons why Jacob chose not to go to Mt. Seir after Esau. First, as he said, his herds and children probably could not keep up with the warriors. Second, he probably did not fully trust his brother. The current friendliness could change, and he could lose everything. And third, God did tell him to return to his land, not Seir. But Jacob is still not able to deal truthfully, probably because of fear of Esau.
35 Heb “why he called.” One could understand “Jacob” as the subject of the verb, but it is more likely that the subject is indefinite, in which case the verb is better translated as passive.
36 The name Succoth means “shelters,” an appropriate name in light of the shelters Jacob built there for his livestock.
37 Heb “in front of.”
38 The words “he bought it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 19 is one long sentence.
39 The Hebrew word קְשִׂיטָה (qésitah) is generally understood to refer to a unit of money, but the value is unknown. (However, cf. , which renders the term as “sheep”).
40 Heb “God, the God of Israel.” Rather than translating the name, a number of modern translations merely transliterate it from the Hebrew as “El Elohe Israel” (cf. , , ). It is not entirely clear how the name should be interpreted grammatically. One option is to supply an equative verb, as in the translation: “The God of Israel [is] God.” Another interpretive option is “the God of Israel [is] strong [or “mighty”].” Buying the land and settling down for a while was a momentous step for the patriarch, so the commemorative naming of the altar is significant.
1 Heb “went out to see.” The verb “to see,” followed by the preposition בְּ (bé), here has the idea of “look over.” The young girl wanted to meet these women and see what they were like.
2 Heb “daughters.”
3 Heb “and he took her and lay with her.” The suffixed form following the verb appears to be the sign of the accusative instead of the preposition, but see 1012 שָׁכַב.
4 The verb עָנָה (’anah) in the Piel stem can have various shades of meaning, depending on the context: “to defile; to mistreat; to violate; to rape; to shame; to afflict.” Here it means that Shechem violated or humiliated Dinah by raping her.
5 Heb “his soul stuck to [or “joined with”],” meaning Shechem became very attached to Dinah emotionally.
6 Heb “and he spoke to the heart of the young woman,” which apparently refers in this context to tender, romantic speech (Hos 2:14). Another option is to translate the expression “he reassured the young woman” (see Judg 19:3, 2 Sam 19:7; cf. “comforted her”).
7 Heb “Take for me this young woman for a wife.”
8 The two disjunctive clauses in this verse (“Now Jacob heard … and his sons were”) are juxtaposed to indicate synchronic action.
9 Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 The expected response would be anger or rage; but Jacob remained silent. He appears too indifferent or confused to act decisively. When the leader does not act decisively, the younger zealots will, and often with disastrous results.
11 Heb “went out to Jacob to speak with him.” The words “about Dinah” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
12 Heb “when they heard.” The words “the news” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
13 Heb “the men.” This sounds as if a new group has been introduced into the narrative, so it has been translated as “they” to indicate that it refers to Jacob’s sons, mentioned in the first part of the verse.
14 The Hebrew verb עָצַב (’atsav) can carry one of three semantic nuances depending on the context: (1) “to be injured” (Ps 56:5; Eccl 10:9; 1 Chr 4:10); (2) “to experience emotional pain; to be depressed emotionally; to be worried” (2 Sam 19:2; Isa 54:6; Neh 8:10–11); (3) “to be embarrassed; to be insulted; to be offended” (to the point of anger at another or oneself; Gen 6:6; 45:5; 1 Sam 20:3, 34; 1 Kgs 1:6; Isa 63:10; Ps 78:40). This third category develops from the second by metonymy. In certain contexts emotional pain leads to embarrassment and/or anger. In this last use the subject sometimes directs his anger against the source of grief (see especially Gen 6:6). The third category fits best in Gen 34:7 because Jacob’s sons were not merely wounded emotionally. On the contrary, Shechem’s action prompted them to strike out in judgment against the source of their distress.
15 Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
16 Heb “a disgraceful thing he did against Israel.”
17 Heb “by lying with the daughter of Jacob.” The infinitive here explains the preceding verb, indicating exactly how he had disgraced Jacob. The expression “to lie with” is a euphemism for sexual relations, or in this case, sexual assault.
18 Heb “and so it should not be done.” The negated imperfect has an obligatory nuance here, but there is also a generalizing tone. The narrator emphasizes that this particular type of crime (sexual assault) is especially reprehensible.
19 Heb “Shechem my son, his soul is attached to your daughter.” The verb means “to love” in the sense of being emotionally attached to or drawn to someone. This is a slightly different way of saying what was reported earlier (v. 3). However, there is no mention here of the offense. Even though Hamor is speaking to Dinah’s brothers, he refers to her as their daughter (see v. 17).
20 Heb “form marriage alliances with us.” Intermarry with us. This includes the idea of becoming allied by marriage. The incident foreshadows the temptations Israel would eventually face when they entered the promised land (see Deut 7:3; Josh 23:12).
21 Heb “Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.” In the translation the words “let … marry” and “as wives” are supplied for clarity.
22 The imperfect verbal form has a permissive nuance here.
23 Heb “before you.”
24 The verb seems to carry the basic meaning “travel about freely,” although the substantival participial form refers to a trader (see E. A. Speiser, “The Verb sḥr in Genesis and Early Hebrew Movements,” 164 [1961]: 23–28); cf. , “trade in it.”
25 Heb “her”; the referent (Dinah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
26 Heb “whatever you say.”
27 Or “pay.”
28 Heb “Make very great upon me the bride price and gift.” The imperatives are used in a rhetorical manner. Shechem’s point is that he will pay the price, no matter how expensive it might be.
29 The cohortative expresses Shechem’s resolve to have Dinah as his wife.
30 Heb “say.”
31 Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
32 Heb “we are not able to do this thing, to give.” The second infinitive is in apposition to the first, explaining what they are not able to do.
33 The Hebrew word translated “disgrace” usually means “ridicule; taunt; reproach.” It can also refer to the reason the condition of shame or disgrace causes ridicule or a reproach.
34 Heb “if you are like us.”
35 The infinitive here explains how they would become like them.
36 The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.
37 The words “to marry” (and the words “as wives” in the following clause) are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
38 Heb “listen to us.”
39 The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.
40 Heb “daughter.” Jacob’s sons call Dinah their daughter, even though she was their sister (see v. 8). This has been translated as “sister” for clarity.
41 Heb “and their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem son of Hamor.”
42 Heb “doing the thing.”
43 Heb “Jacob’s daughter.” The proper name “Dinah” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
44 The Hebrew verb כָּבֵד (kaved), translated “was … important,” has the primary meaning “to be heavy,” but here carries a secondary sense of “to be important” (that is, “heavy” in honor or respect).
45 The parenthetical disjunctive clause explains why the community would respond to him (see vv. 20–24).
46 The gate. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the location for conducting important public business.
47 Heb “wide on both hands,” that is, in both directions.
48 The words “to marry” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
49 Heb “when every one of our males is circumcised.”
50 The words “If we do so” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.