34:5 When8 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.
tn The two disjunctive clauses in this verse (“Now Jacob heard … and his sons were”) are juxtaposed to indicate synchronic action.
9
tnHeb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10
sn 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.