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34:1 Egressa est autem Dina filia Liae ut videret mulieres regionis illius.
*H And Dina the daughter of Lia went out to see the women of that country.


Ver. 1. Country, when a great festival was celebrated. Josep. Ant. i. 18. Dina was urged by curiosity to see and to be seen. Let others take example from her, and beware of associating with infidels, and of opening their hearts to pleasure at fairs and nocturnal meetings.

A.M. circiter 2273, A.C. 1731.
34:2 Quam cum vidisset Sichem filius Hemor Hevaei, princeps terrae illius, adamavit eam : et rapuit, et dormivit cum illa, vi opprimens virginem.
*H And when Sichem the son of Hemor the Hevite, the prince of that land, saw her, he was in love with her: and took her away, and lay with her, ravishing the virgin.


Ver. 2. Virgin. Heb. and Sept. "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. H.

34:3 Et conglutinata est anima ejus cum ea, tristemque delinivit blanditiis.
And his soul was fast knit unto her; and whereas she was sad, he comforted her with sweet words.
34:4 Et pergens ad Hemor patrem suum : Accipe, inquit, mihi puellam hanc conjugem.
And going to Hemor his father, he said: Get me this damsel to wife.
34:5 Quod cum audisset Jacob absentibus filiis, et in pastu pecorum occupatis, siluit donec redirent.
*H But when Jacob had heard this, his sons being absent, and employed in feeding the cattle, he held his peace till they came back.


Ver. 5. Heard this, perhaps, from Dina's companion. M.

34:6 Egresso autem Hemor patre Sichem ut loqueretur ad Jacob,
And when Hemor the father of Sichem was come out to speak to Jacob,
34:7 ecce filii ejus veniebant de agro : auditoque quod acciderat, irati sunt valde, eo quod foedam rem operatus esset in Israel et, violata filia Jacob, rem illicitam perpetrasset.
*H Behold his sons came from the field: and hearing what had passed, they were exceeding angry, because he had done a foul thing in Israel, and committed an unlawful act, in ravishing Jacob's daughter.


Ver. 7. In Israel, or against the honour and peace of their father and all his family. — An unlawful act, which some nevertheless commit without scruple, and even dare to represent as a matter of small consequence if they marry afterwards!

34:8 Locutus est itaque Hemor ad eos : Sichem filii mei adhaesit anima filiae vestrae : date eam illi uxorem :
And Hemor spoke to them: The soul of my son Sichem has a longing for your daughter: give her him to wife:
34:9 et jungamus vicissim connubia : filias vestras tradite nobis, et filias nostras accipite,
And let us contract marriages one with another: give us your daughters, and take you our daughters.
34:10 et habitate nobiscum : terra in potestate vestra est : exercete, negotiamini, et possidete eam.
*H And dwell with us: the land is at your command, till, trade, and possess it.


Ver. 10. Command, or you are at liberty to purchase and till it as you please. H.

34:11 Sed et Sichem ad patrem et ad fratres ejus ait : Inveniam gratiam coram vobis : et quaecumque statueritis, dabo :
Sichem also said to her father and to her brethren: Let me find favour in your sight, and whatsoever you shall appoint I will give:
34:12 augete dotem, et munera postulate, et libenter tribuam quod petieritis : tantum date mihi puellam hanc uxorem.
*H Raise the dowry, and ask gifts, and I will gladly give what you shall demand: only give me this damsel to wife.


Ver. 12. Dowry for Dina. — Gifts for her parents and brothers. G. xxiv. 53. C.

34:13 Responderunt filii Jacob Sichem et patri ejus in dolo, saevientes ob stuprum sororis :
*H The sons of Jacob answered Sichem and his father deceitfully, being enraged at the deflowering of their sister:


Ver. 13. Deceitfully. The sons of Jacob, on this occasion, were guilty of a grievous sin, as well by falsely pretending religion, as by excess of their revenge. Though, otherwise their zeal against so foul a crime was commendable. Ch. — In this light it is viewed by Judith ix. 2. Simeon and Levi spoke on this occasion. Sept. as they were afterwards the chief actors, v. 25. They were commissioned by their father to speak for him; but Jacob was ignorant of their deceit. H.

34:14 Non possumus facere quod petitis, nec dare sororem nostram homini incircumciso : quod illicitum et nefarium est apud nos.
*H We cannot do what you demand, nor give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; which with us is unlawful and abominable.


Ver. 14. Abominable. To be uncircumcised, was a reproach among the Hebrews. Yet there was no law forbidding to marry such. Laban was of this description, and the Chanaanites also; whose daughters the sons of Jacob themselves espoused, at least Juda and this very Simeon, as the Scripture assures us.

34:15 Sed in hoc valebimus foederari, si volueritis esse similes nostri, et circumcidatur in vobis omne masculini sexus ;
But in this we may be allied with you, if you will be like us, and all the male sex among you be circumcised:
34:16 tunc dabimus et accipiemus mutuo filias vestras ac nostras : et habitabimus vobiscum, erimusque unus populus.
Then will we mutually give and take your daughters, and ours; and we will dwell with you, and will be one people:
34:17 Si autem circumcidi nolueritis, tollemus filiam nostram, et recedemus.
*H But if you will not be circumcised, we will take our daughter and depart.


Ver. 17. Our daughter, the only one of our father; who, it would hence appear, was detained by Hemor, v. 26. C.

34:18 Placuit oblatio eorum Hemor, et Sichem filio ejus,
Their offer pleased Hemor, and Sichem, his son:
34:19 nec distulit adolescens quin statim quod petebatur expleret : amabat enim puellam valde, et ipse erat inclytus in omni domo patris sui.
*H And the young man made no delay, but forthwith fulfilled what was required: for he loved the damsel exceedingly, and he was the greatest man in all his father's house.


Ver. 19. The greatest man, (inclytus) perhaps associated to his father in the government of the town. Yet he is willing to submit to this painful operation. H.

34:20 Ingressique portam urbis, locuti sunt ad populum :
*H And going into the gate of the city, they spoke to the people:


Ver. 20. Gate. Here judgment was given, the markets held, &c. They endeavoured to convince the people, that the conditions offered would be for their interest. M.

34:21 Viri isti pacifici sunt, et volunt habitare nobiscum : negotientur in terra, et exerceant eam, quae spatiosa et lata cultoribus indiget : filias eorum accipiemus uxores, et nostras illis dabimus.
These men are peaceable, and are willing to dwell with us: let them trade in the land, and till it, which being large and wide wanteth men to till it: we shall take their daughters for wives, and we will give them ours.
34:22 Unum est quo differtur tantum bonum : si circumcidamus masculos nostros, ritum gentis imitantes.
One thing there is for which so great a good is deferred: We must circumcise every male among us, following the manner of the nation.
34:23 Et substantia eorum, et pecora, et cuncta quae possident, nostra erunt : tantum in hoc acquiescamus, et habitantes simul, unum efficiemus populum.
*H And their substance, and cattle, and all that they possess, shall be ours; only in this let us condescend, and by dwelling together, we shall make one people.


Ver. 23. Ours, by mutual commerce. The Rabbin pretend the Sichemite designed to circumvent Jacob and his family. But their conduct seems to screen them from any reproach of this kind, and Jacob throws the blame upon his own sons. C. xlix. 6. If Hemor said more than he was authorized by them to do, this will not palliate their injustice and sacrilegious perfidy. C. M.

34:24 Assensique sunt omnes, circumcisis cunctis maribus.
And they all agreed, and circumcised all the males.
34:25 Et ecce, die tertio, quando gravissimus vulnerum dolor est : arreptis duo filii Jacob, Simeon et Levi fratres Dinae, gladiis, ingressi sunt urbem confidenter : interfectisque omnibus masculis,
*H And behold the third day, when the pain of the wound was greatest: two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, the brothers of Dina, taking their swords, entered boldly into the city and slew all the men.


Ver. 25. Greatest. On that day a fever and inflammation likewise often take place. See Hippocrates on fractures, Valesius sac. Phil. xii. M. — Brothers of Dina by Lia, and both of a fiery temper. They were assisted by some servants, (M.) and afterwards the other children helped to pillage the city. Theodot. ap. Eus. ix. 22.

34:26 Hemor et Sichem pariter necaverunt, tollentes Dinam de domo Sichem sororem suam.
And they killed also Hemor and Sichem, and took away their sister Dina out of Sichem's house.
34:27 Quibus egressis, irruerunt super occisos ceteri filii Jacob : et depopulati sunt urbem in ultionem stupri.
And when they were gone out, the other sons of Jacob came upon the slain; and plundered the city in revenge of the rape.
34:28 Oves eorum, et armenta, et asinos, cunctaque vastantes quae in domibus et in agris erant,
And they took their sheep, and their herds, and their asses, wasting all they had in their houses and in their fields.
34:29 parvulos quoque eorum et uxores duxerunt captivas.
*H And their children and wives they took captive.


Ver. 29. Captive. No doubt Jacob would force them to restore such ill-gotten goods. C. — They had acted without authority, and even contrary to the known disposition of their father. They rashly exposed him to destruction, which would inevitably have taken place, if God had not protected him. C. xxxv. 5. H.

34:30 Quibus patratis audacter, Jacob dixit ad Simeon et Levi : Turbastis me, et odiosum fecistis me Chananaeis, et Pherezaeis habitatoribus terrae hujus : nos pauci sumus ; illi congregati percutient me, et delebor ego, et domus mea.
And when they had boldly perpetrated these things, Jacob said to Simeon and Levi: You have troubled me, and made me hateful to the Chanaanites and Pherezites, the inhabitants of this land. We are few: they will gather themselves together and kill me; and both I, and my house shall be destroyed.
34:31 Responderunt : Numquid ut scorto abuti debuere sorore nostra ?
*H They answered: Should they abuse our sister as a strumpet?


Ver. 31. Should they, &c. This answer, full of insolence, to a father who was as much hurt by the indignity offered to Dina as they could be, heightens their crime. Sichem was the only one among the citizens really guilty, unless perhaps some of his servants might have given him assistance; and Hemor, the king, might contract some stain by not causing a better police to be observed, and by not punishing his son with greater severity, and not sending Dina home, &c. But why are the harmless citizens to be involved in ruin? unless

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