The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 3 · Section 31
SECT. XXXI.
DUring Jacob's abode here, his Daughter Dinah about 15 years(i)Sic Cornelius A lapide. of Age going forth out of Curioſity to ſee the Daughters of the Land, (probably at ſome Feaſt (k)Quae tunc ad Feſtum convenerunt, Joſeph. Antiq. lib. 1. c. 27.or Fair, or Publick Solemnity,) and to pleaſe her phanſie by gazing on Foreign Faſhions, was ſeiz'd upon by Shechem (Son of Hamor, Prince of the Country) and defiled. This young Prince was ſo greatly inamoured of Dinah, that his Soul clave to her, and he ſpake very kindly to her, to appeaſe her for the injury he had done her, and the Rape he had committed upon her, and ſtrove by all the fair words he could uſe to draw her to Conſent to marry him. And that he might ſucceed in his Deſign, he prayed his Father to procure that Damoſel for him to be his Wife. So that even among Heathens we ſee it was uſual for Children to marry with the Conſent and Direction of their Parents. Jacob underſtanding by ſome that went out with Dinah how it had fared with her, was exceedingly troubled at it, yet he vented not any paſſion, but in ſilence ruled his ſpirit till he could ſpeak with his Sons (who were then in the Field with the Cattel) and could adviſe with them what was fit to be done on ſo ſad an occaſion. The Sons of Jacob when they heard of it, were greatly vexed, and very wroth that Shechem had committed ſo great folly and iniquity, and thereby offended God, and brought ſuch a ſtain and blot on their Family. Notwithſtanding Hamor the Father of Shechem (who ſhould have expreſs'd his high Diſpleaſure againſt his Son for ſo great a Tranſgreſſion) comes to Jacob and his Sons, and Communes with them, and Requeſts them, That Dinah might be given to his Son to Wife; And further deſires, That they might freely make Marriages interchangeably between them, and ſo grow into a Kindred and Friendſhip the one with the other. He further tells them on theſe Conditions, the Land ſhould be free for them to dwell in, and to Trade in, and therein to get Poſſeſſions. Shechem alſo ſeconded his Fathers motion, and told them, If he might find ſo much favour in their eyes as to obtain their Siſter for his Wife, he would do any thing they ſhould deſire of him; Whatever Dowry they required he ſhould give Her, or whatever Gift in recompence of the Injury he had done her, he was willing to give her, provided he might have her. Jacob permitting his Sons to give the Anſwer, they having laid their Heads together, and being not only averſe to the Match, but deſigning Revenge, anſwered cunningly and deceitfully, and which was worſe, they covered their deceit with the colour of Religion. They tell Hamor and Shechem, That they could not without diſhonour to their Religion give their Siſter to a Perſon Ʋncircumciſed. But if they would conſent that all the Males among them ſhould be Circumciſed, and ſo become like unto them, then they would make Marriages with them,(t)Similis praetextus, 2 Sam. 15.7. Judah enim & Simeon Canaanitidas poſtea duxere, c. 38. 2. & 46. 10. and dwell with them, and they would become one People. (l) Thus they would have this holy Sacrament of Circumciſion (the Seal of Gods Covenant) profaned, and obtruded upon Ʋnbelievers; and all to accompliſh their wicked deſign of Revenge. But if they would not conſent to this, they would take the Daughter of their Family, and depart from them, and would have no more to do with them. Theſe hard Conditions Hamor and Shechem agree unto, and Shechem out of the great love and kindneſs he had for Dinah, immediately applies himſelf to get his Peoples conſent alſo. And being a young Prince greatly eſteemed and honoured among them, He with his Father came to the Gate of their City, (where their Civil Affairs were uſually tranſacted, and where were their Publick Aſſemblies and Courts of Juſtice) and there ſpake to them after this manner: Theſe Iſraelites that are lately come among us, are for ought I perceive, very peaceable and quiet Men. I ſee no reaſon therefore but that they ſhould be permitted to dwell in the Land, and to trade with us. Nay, I think it for our Intereſt to make a ſtraight League with them, and to make Marriages interchangeably with them, taking their Daughters to us for Wives, and giving our Daughters to them; And ſo by Commerce and Trafficking with them, and by making Marriages with them, in time their Cattel and Subſtance will come to be our. So that there is a fair Proſpect of great profit that will accrue to us by thus aſſociating with them. But there is one Difficulty in the Caſe; Theſe men being Jews, and ſo by the Rite of their Religion being all Circumcis'd, will by no means aſſociate with us, except we Conſent to be like them, and that all the Males among us will be Circumciſed. This I confeſs is ſomething hard for us to ſubmit unto. However go alone, conſider of the matter among your ſelves, and ſpeak your minds freely. This Condition undoubtedly could not but ſeem very hard to the Shechemites, but the honour and reſpect they had for Hamor and Shechem, and the Proſpect of Profit that was before them ſo prevail'd upon them, that they conſented to it; and accordingly all the Males of their City (that us'd to go in and out at the Gates of it) were forthwith Circumciſed. On the third day after this was done (when uſually Wounds are moſt ſore and painful) two of the Sons of Jacob, viz. Simeon and Levi (to whom Dinah was Siſter both by Father and Mother) taking their Swords in their hands,(m)Simeon about 21, Levi about 20 years of age. Hinc palam eſt …eam Jacobo Nuptam anno primo quo venerat ad Labanam, non ſeptimo. Ne que enim Simeon ſi tunc natus eſſet id atatis eſſe poterat ut hoc patraret. Anonym. in loc. and being attending, (as 'tis like) by ſome of their Brethren, and other Aſſiſtants, fell boldly and fiercely upon the City, and ſlew all the Males, (n)Non omnes Maſculi aut Circumciſi, aut interſecti erant, ſed ii tantum, q…i per portam egrediebantur ac nubiles erant. Walther. God might juſtly ſuffer this for the Shechemites own ſins, though he took occaſion to do it from the ſin of their Prince. See 2 Sam. 24.1, 15, 17. Quod unus fecit Civibus in genere imputatur, quod hoc flagitium nec impedirent, nec punirent, ſed de eo potius gloriati ſunt.(viz. that were of riper years and lately Circumciſed, and who by reaſon of their Soreneſs were not able to make Reſiſtance, and among them Hamor and Shechem) and took away their Siſter Dinah out of Shechem's Houſe, where ſhe had been kept ſince the day he had ſeiz'd upon her till now. Then they plundered the City, and carried away not only their Goods and Houſhold-ſtuff, but what was in the Fields, their Sheep, Oxen, and Aſſes, and took alſo their Wives and little Ones Captive.(o)'Tis very like that many of the Captive Women and Children were by Jacob ſent back to the City, with a proportion of the Spoil for their neceſſary Maintenance, keeping what he thought fit to ſerve as a Recompence for the wrong done to his deflowred Daughter. Jacob underſtanding this, was highly incens'd againſt his Sons, and told them that which they had done, did exceedingly trouble him, and vex him at the very heart. They had render'd him odious, and made him even ſtink among the Inhabitants of the Land. And his Family bring but few in compariſom of them, they had expos'd him and all that belonged to him to that eminent danger of being fallen upon and deſtroyed by them. And 'tis likely he ſhewed them alſo the hainouſneſs of their Sin againſt God, and the odiouſneſs of their Treachery (p)For this Fact 'tis like he deprived them of their Birthright, as he did Reuben for his ſin, and conferred it on Judah, Gen. 49.and Cruelty, which he afterwards ſolemnly Curſed, Gen. 49.5, 6, 7. Curſed be their wrath, for it was fierce; and their anger, for it was cruel, &c. But they gave him a ſtubborn and churliſh Anſwer, That they were not able to bear that their Siſter ſhould be ſo diſhonoured and abuſed, and upon that account they had done what they did.
Gen. 34. whole Chapter.