34:1 Dinah the daughter of Leah Dinah is known from 30:21, where she was a peripheral character. Here, she is of central importance. The specific reference to Dinah’s mother establishes that Simeon and Levi (v. 25) are her full brothers, not half-brothers. This helps explain why Simeon and Levi are especially incensed at the rape of their sister in this chapter.

to see the daughters of the land It would have been unusual in the ancient Near East for young girls (or women) to leave the camp without a chaperone, especially when going to a city in a new land. Dinah’s act represents a youthful indiscretion, as it placed her in the company of women not bound to the covenant that Jacob and his family were. Elsewhere, the phrase “women of the land” and other similar phrases have negative undertones (24:3, 37; 27:46; 28:1, 6, 8). However, the narrative does not suggest that Dinah bears responsibility for what happened to her—she is a victim.

34:2 the son of Hamor The Hebrew term means “donkey,” but it is unlikely that a negative connotation was intended. In the Mari texts, the phrase “to kill a donkey” meant “to conclude a covenant.” As a result, while Hamor is a personal name in 33:19, it may have a double meaning.

Hivite Nothing is known of the Hivites outside of the biblical account. They appear in the Table of Nations (10:17) and are often listed among the Canaanite nations (Deut 7:1; Josh 3:10; Judg 3:3–5).

the prince of the land Hamor is not described as a king, since this title describes a leadership role over a wide area of land, not just the city. Instead, it seems that Hamor is the leader of the region—perhaps of a tribal confederacy.

he took her and lay with her and raped her The language makes the forcible rape of Dinah quite clear.

34:3 and spoke tenderly to the girl The perverse Shechem, who has already raped Dinah, now seems to change his approach from forceful and brutal to attempted kindness.

34:5 had been defiled In Hebrew, the term for religious impurity is used here (compare Lev 11:24–44). Its use here suggests that Dinah has been violated in a way that makes her unacceptable to her culture.

kept silent Jacob remains silent throughout this story. He speaks only after Simeon and Levi kill all the males of the city (Gen 34:30).

34:7 a disgraceful thing The Hebrew word nevalah typically refers to a particularly serious sexual sin (Deut 22:21; Judg 19:22–23). It is related to the word naval, which means “fool” but can also indicate a willful rejection of God (see Psa 14:1 and note).

34:9 Make marriages with us In addition to asking for Dinah on behalf of his son, Hamor proposes a mutually beneficial relationship: neither side would prohibit marriage with the sons and daughters of either tribe.

34:12 the bride price The Hebrew term used here, mohar, does not refer to purchase money, but compensation for the loss of a daughter whose labor contributed to the tribe—such an action was expected in the ancient Near East in any marriage (see note on Exod 22:16; compare Gen 29:18). It is unclear whether Shechem’s offer also included compensation for the loss of an unbetrothed virgin—which would have been expected (compare Deut 22:28–29). Like his father moments earlier, Shechem never actually mentions the crime—there is no apology. Since Dinah was being kept inside the city (Gen 34:17, 26), the payment may also have acted as a personal bribe for Jacob to forget the incident and avoid further escalation.

34:15 be circumcised God instructed Abraham to circumcise all males born to him or within his household as a sign of the covenant (see 17:10 and note).

34:20 the gate of their city The gate was the social and commercial hub of a city. See note on Ruth 4:1.

34:23 ours It is unclear whether Hamor and Shechem plan to take the livestock of Jacob’s family. Most likely they are presenting their scheme in the best possible light to convince the men of their city.

34:25 on the third day By waiting until all the males are circumcised, Simeon and Levi ensure that they are all incapacitated.

34:26 and they took Dinah from the house of Shechem Dinah had not been allowed to leave the city since her rape. See Gen 34:17.

34:27 came upon the slain The wording distinguishes the rest of Jacob’s sons from Simeon and Levi, indicating that only Simeon and Levi did the killing. The other sons came into the city and, seeing the slain men, plundered it (vv. 28–29). Jacob later singles out and pairs Simeon and Levi in his deathbed reprimand, recalling the treachery (49:5–7).

34:30 You have brought trouble on me After remaining silent throughout the narrative, Jacob finally speaks. His chief concern is not the welfare of his daughter or even his sons’ slaughter of innocent people. Instead, Jacob is concerned that their actions may bring trouble against him.

the inhabitants of the land Jacob’s comment may reflect that Shechem was a city formed on the basis of tribal confederacy, meaning that the people of the town could have had extended family throughout Canaan.

Perizzites According to Joshua 11:3 and Gen 17:15, the Perizzites occupied Canaan’s central hill country, which included the region of Shechem. See note on 13:7.