A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Genesis · Chapter 34
CHAP. XXXIV.
Verſ. 1. ANd Dinah the daughter of Leah, &c.]
This muſt needs be ten years at leaſt ſince their coming from Laban, elſe Dinah could not be ſixteen years old.
Verſ. 5. And Jacob held his peace untill they were come.]
Not having any into whoſe boſome he might ſo fitly poure out his complaint for the raviſhing of his daughter, or whoſe counſel he might ſeek.
Verſ. 7. And the ſonnes of Jacob came out of the field, &c.]
By the computation of moſt Expoſitours, Reuben was now about two and twenty years old, Simeon one and twenty, Levi twenty, and Judah nineteen.
And they were wroth, becauſe he had wrought folly in Iſrael.]
The diſgrace of the Church was the chief ground of their anger.
Verſ. 13. And the ſonnes of Jacob anſwered Shechem, &c.]
Though there be mention made of Jacob, the father of Dinah, in Hamors treaty with Jacobs ſonnes, concerning Shechems marriage with Dinah, verſ. 11. And Shechem ſaid unto her father, &c. yet it is altogether improbable that Jacob knew any thing of this propoſition which his ſonnes made, that if the Shechemites would be all circumciſed then they would conſent to this match: for is it likely that he would conſent to ſuch an horrible profanation of the Sacrament of Circumciſion, the ſeal of Gods covenant? this they propounded apart by themſelves, not intending what they ſaid, but plotting their deſtruction, which to do they thought they had good reaſon: and therefore it is ſaid that they anſwered them deceitfully, becauſe he had defiled Dinah their ſister.
Verſ. 19. And he was more honourable then all the houſe of his father.]
The great eſteem he had amongſt the people is here mentioned as one ground of his prevailing ſo farre with them in ſo ſtrange a requeſt.
Verſ. 23. Shall not their cattell, &c. be ours.]
That is, by having commerce with them, by making marriages with them, by receiving them in to be as one people with us.
Verſ. 25. And it came to paſſe on the third day, when they were ſore.]
The third day is counted the criticall day by Phyſicians, when wounds are oft at the worſt, moſt painfull, &c. and therefore then they choſe to make this maſſacre in the city, as it is here ſaid, that then two of the ſonnes of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinahs br…thr…n took each man his ſword, &c. whether any of their ſervants joyned with them, as ſome think, we need not enquire; ſince it is probable enough that Simeon and Levi might do it alone, there not being a man able to ſtirre in the city. But that the other ſonnes of Jacob joyned not with them in this fact, is plain, 1. by theſe expreſſe words, two of the ſonnes of Jacob; 2. becauſe the boldneſſe of the fact is noted as obſervable, they came upon the city boldly; 3. becauſe the other are ſaid to come in to the ſpoil, which implies that in the former act they had no hand; 4. becauſe they onelyonly are mentioned, Gen. 49. 5. Sim…on and Levi are brethren, inſtruments of cruelty are in their habitations. Being the brethren of Dinah not onelyonly by the father, but by the mother, they were the more ſenſible of her diſhonour, and ready to revenge it; yea and perhaps they might be ſtirred up and encouraged to do it by their mother Leah.
Verſ. 30. And Jacob ſaid to Simeon and Levi, &c.]
Though Jacobs charging his ſonnes with the offenſe they had given to the inhabitants of the land, and the danger which thereby they h…d brought both upon him and all his family, be onelyonly here expreſſed, Ye have troubled me, to make me to ſtink amongst the inhabitants of the land, (and that to make way to the ſtory of his removing to Bethel, which follows in the next chapter) yet there is no queſtion to be made but that he did alſo charge upon them the grievouſneſſe of the ſin they had committed againſt God, as he did again at his death, Gen. 49. 5, 6, 7. Simeon and Levi are brethren, inſtruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my ſoul come not thou into their ſecret; unto their aſſembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they ſlew a man, and in their ſelf-will they digged down a wall. Curſed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel, &c. What ſhall we then think of the book of Judeth, but that it is Apocryphall, wherein by Judeth this fact of Simeons is ſo highly extolled, Judeth 9. 2. O Lord God of my father Simeon, to whom thou gaveſt a ſword to take vengeance of the ſtrangers, who looſened the girdle of a maid to defile her, &c.