Commentary on Genesis, Chapter 34
CHAP. XXXIV.
Ver. 1. WEnt out.] From her Mother's Tent, which was without the City, XXXIII. 18.
To ſee the Daughters of the Land.] Into the City of Shechem, to look about her with the young Women, (as the Hebrew word imports) who, as Joſephus relates, celebrated a Feſtival at this time, where ſome fine Spectacles were preſented.
Ver. 2. And when Shechem.] From whom the City, perhaps, had its Name.
Prince of the Country.] Or, one of the Prime Nobility of the Country, verſe 19.
Took her, &c.] By force (as both the Targum's and many others underſtand it) and raviſhed her. From whence we learn, that this was done ſome Years after Jacob's return into Canaan: For then Dinah was not much older than Joſeph; and now we muſt ſuppoſe her, at leaſt fifteen. And indeed the bloody Fact of her Brethren ſhows as much, who muſt be grown up to be Men: Which they were not when Jacob returned to Canaan; the eldeſt of them being then ſcarce a ſtripling of fourteen Years old.
Ver. 3. His Soul clave unto Dinah.] He could think of nothing elſe but her: For he loved her extreamly, as it follows in the next words.
Spake kindly to the Damſel.] Courted her to marry him; with ſuch profeſſions of ſincere Affection, as might gain her Heart, notwithſtanding the Injury he had done her.
Ver. 4. Get me this Damſel to Wife.] Treat with her Father about our Marriage.
Ver. 5. And Jacob heard, &c.] By ſome of Dinah's Servants, or Companions; for it is not to be thought, that ſhe went out alone.
Now his Sons were with the Cattle in the Field.] Which he had lately purchaſed, XXXIII. 19. or, in ſome hired Ground remote from the City.
Held his peace, &c.] Took no notice of what he heard; till he could have their Advice and Aſſiſtance.
Ver. 6. And Hamor went out.] Of the City, to treat with Jacob in his Tent, XXXIII. 18.
Ver. 7. And the Sons of Jacob, &c.] As they were treating, in came Jacob's Sons: Who, hearing how their Siſter had been abuſed, were very much afflicted, and no leſs angry.
Wrought folly in Iſrael.] Or, againſt Iſrael. Committed a Wickedneſs, highly to the diſgrace and injury of Iſrael's Family.
Which thing ought not to be done.] Contrary to the Law of Nations; That a Virgin ſhould be violated without Puniſhment. So Raſi.
Ver. 8. Hamor communed with them.] With the whole Family, Jacob, Leah, and Dinah's Brethren.
Longeth.] Is extreamly in Love.
For your Daughter.] The Daughter of Jacob and Leah; unto whom he ſpeaks in the preſence of her Brethren.
Ver. 9. And make ye marriages with us, &c.] Become one People with us, verſe 16.
Ver. 10. And ye ſhall dwell with us.] Settle your ſelves among us.
And the Land ſhall be before you.] In any part of our Country.
Dwell ye.] He repeats it again, to beget in them a confidence of a Settlement among them; in the injoyment of all their Rights and Privileges; as much as if they had been Natives.
And trade ye.] Exerciſe what Traffick you pleaſe up and down the Country, without any lett or impediment.
And get you poſſeſſions therein.] Purchace Land.
Ver. 11. Let me find grace in your Eyes.] Grant this Petition, which my Father makes in my behalf, XXXIII. 15.
And what ye ſhall ſay unto me, &c.] Make your own Terms, I will agree to them.
Ver. 12. Ask me never ſo much Dowry and Gift.] This ſhows more fully, That the Cuſtom of thoſe times was (as was noted upon XXIX. 18.) for Men to give Money for their Wives. But there was a greater reaſon for a Dowry now, and a large one too; that he might make compenſation, for the wrong he had done. For there was a natural Equity in thoſe Laws of Moſes, (Exod. XXII. 16. Deut. XXII. 28.) by which Men were bound to make ſatisfaction to the Fathers; if either by Inticement or Violence, they had abuſed their Daughters.
Dowry and Gift, ſeem to be diſtinct things: The Dowry being given to the Parents; the Gift, to the Kindred.
Ver. 13. The Sons of Jacob anſwered, &c.] Hence ſome inferr that by the Cuſtom of thoſe Days, the Conſent of the Brethren was required, rather than of the Parents: For the Sons of Jacob here make the Contract, as Laban had done with Abraham's Servant XXIV. 50. But it is more reaſonable to think, that Jacob left it to them to conſider what was fit to be done, in a matter which required great deliberation; and then to report their Opinion to him: Who had the greateſt intereſt in her, and right to diſpoſe of her.
Ver. 14. We cannot do this thing.] It is againſt our Religion. Which was partly true; for though Jacob himſelf had married one whoſe Father was uncircumciſed (as Iſaac had done before him) yet by degrees this Opinion prevailed among them; till it was eſtabliſhed by the Law of Moſes.
For that were a reproach to us.] They plead Honour, as well as Conſcience.
Ver. 15. In this will we conſent unto you.] Upon theſe Terms, we will agree to the Match.
Ver. 17. We will take our Daughter, and be gone.] By this it appears they treated in their Father's Name, as was noted before, verſe 13.
Ver. 18. And their words pleaſed Hamor, &c.] It may ſeem ſtrange, they ſhould ſo eaſily conſent to be circumciſed, till we conſider how paſſionately Shechem loved Dinah, and the great Affection Hamor had to Shechem: Who was his beloved Son, verſe 19. Beſides, this was but a poor Prince, and his City little and mean: Which he thought to inrich and ſtrengthen by Jacob's Family (who were very wealthy) being incorporated with them, verſe 23.
Ver. 19. He was more honourable.] In greater eſteem with his Father, and all the Family, than any other belonging to it.
Ver. 20. Came unto the Gate of their City.] Where all Publick Affairs were tranſacted.
And communed with the Men of the City.] Such great Matters could not be concluded without the Publick Conſent. See XXIII. 18. XXIX. 22.
Ver. 21. Theſe Men are peaceable.] They uſe many Arguments to perſuade the People to Conſent: And the firſt is that the Iſraelites had hitherto lived inoffenſively among them.
Let them dwell in the Land and trade therein.] By a Publick Decree, or Law.
For the Land is large enough.] This is the ſecond Argument, there was Land enough in their Country uncultivated; which theſe Men would improve.
Ver. 23. Shall not their Cattle, &c.] This is the greateſt Argument of all; taken from the Profit they ſhould have by them; the gain of no leſs than all they had. Which is not to be underſtood, as if they intended to over-power them, and ſeize upon all their Stock: But that by inter-marriages, their Eſtates would be inherited by them, as much as by the Iſraelites.
Ver. 24. All that went out of the Gate of his City.] i. e. All the Citizens (XXIII. 18.) who were met together in the Common-Hall (or Place of Publick Aſſemblies) and were ſoon perſuaded to yield to the Reaſons, which had perſuaded their Rulers.
Ver. 25. On the third Day, when they were ſore.] And began to be a little Feveriſh. For the greateſt Pain and Anguiſh, the Jews obſerve, was upon the third Day after Circumciſion; which very much indiſpoſed them. See Pirke Elieſ. cap. 29. and Vorſtius his Annotations, p. 195. And indeed Hippocrates obſerves the ſame of all Wounds and Ulcers; that they are then moſt inflamed, by a conflux of ſharp Humors to them.
Two of the Sons of Jacob, &c.] With their Servants: For they two alone, could not deſtroy a whole City, though but ſmall.
Slew all the Males.] The Women and Children in thoſe Days were always ſpared in the moſt deadly Wars: As when the Midianites were killed, Numb. XXXI. 7, 9. and the Edomites, 1 Kings XI. 16. And ſo Moſes commanded they ſhould do even with the Canaanites, Deut. XX. 13, 4. See Bochart, P. I. Hierozoic. L. II. cap. 56. Selden de Jure N. & G. Lib. VI. cap. 16. p. 745. and de Synedr. L. I. p. 81.
Ver. 26. Took Dinah out of Shechem's Houſe.] Where it ſeems ſhe remained, after the Rape he had committed, in hope of a Marriage.
And went out.] Carried her home.
Ver. 27. And the Sons of Jacob.] The reſt of his Sons (who were able to bear Arms) came after the ſlaughter; and helpt to plunder the City. Thus they were all involved in the Guilt; which was very great and manifold; as Bonfrerius, and, out of him, Menochius have obſerved.
Becauſe they had defiled.] Their Prince had defiled her: Whoſe Fact, it ſeems, they did not diſapprove: And therefore it is imputed to them all, as the cauſe of their ſlaughter.
Ver. 28. They took their Sheep, &c.] It is a reaſonable Conjecture of Bonfrerius, That Jacob cauſed all theſe to be reſtored to the Wives and Children of the ſlain: Whom he ſet at liberty.
And ſpoiled even all that was in the Houſe.] Of Hamor and Shechem: Which, perhaps, they kept to themſelves, in compenſation of the wrong he had done; and none of the Family, perhaps, ſurviving to own them.
Ver. 30. Ye have troubled me.] Diſturbed my Quiet, and made it unſafe for me to live in this Country; where I hoped to have ſetled.
Made me to ſtink, &c.] Made me odious to all the Country, as a Murderer, a Robber, and a breaker of my Faith.
Ver. 31. Should he deal with our Siſter, as with an Harlot?] As with a common Whore, that proſtituted her ſelf to his Luſt? If ſhe had done ſo there had been no ground for their Quarrel, (according to the Hebrew Doctors) becauſe Shechem had not then offended againſt the Laws of the Sons of Noah, (as they ſpeak) i. e. The right of Nations: Which was not violated by a Man's lying with a ſingle Woman, by her free Conſent. But Dinah being forced and violently raviſhed, (as they take the Sence of verſe 2. to be) they tell their Father they might right themſelves by making War upon them. For there was no other way to deal with Princes, whom they could not implead in any Court; and therefore betook themſelves to Arms. See Mr Selden, L. VII. de Jure N & G. juxta Hebr. cap. 5.