They answered with deceit due to an intense grievance and a desire for vindication.
When “Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with deceit, because he had defiled Dinah their sister” (v.13), the biblical narrative highlights the overwhelming sense of injustice felt by Dinah’s brothers. Shechem and his father Hamor approached Jacob’s family seeking a peaceful resolution after Shechem had violated Dinah (Genesis 34:2), but the sons saw this proposal as an opportunity to carry out a scheme. Their response reveals not only their anger and protectiveness but also their willingness to use deception—indicating that their wrath overshadowed any immediate consideration of mercy. In the broader context of the book of Genesis, this event underscores the significance placed on family honor and the seriousness with which such offenses were handled.
Shechem, the individual, shares his name with the city in which these events took place. The city of Shechem was located in the land of Canaan, in an area modern scholarship often associates with the region around present-day Nablus, situated in the West Bank. At this time in history, around the early second millennium BC (Jacob is believed to have lived roughly between 2006 BC and 1859 BC), Canaan was inhabited by various peoples, including the Hivites—a group Hamor and his son Shechem belonged to. By naming both the man and the city as “Shechem,” Genesis emphasizes how deeply-localized and personal this conflict was, tying the tragic episode of Dinah’s defilement to the place itself.
Jacob, also called Israel, was a central figure in biblical history, being the grandson of Abraham (Genesis 25:19-26) and the father of the twelve sons who became the heads of the tribes of Israel (Genesis 49). The deceitful answer given to Shechem and Hamor is a pivotal moment that foreshadows the violence that will occur later in Genesis 34, revealing the complex interplay of justice, revenge, and covenant loyalty that threads through the Old Testament. This kind of retaliation contrasts with the New Testament teaching to “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44), inviting reflection on how drastically intra-family and inter-tribal conflicts were handled under the ancient patriarchal system.
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Genesis 34:13 meaning
When “Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with deceit, because he had defiled Dinah their sister” (v.13), the biblical narrative highlights the overwhelming sense of injustice felt by Dinah’s brothers. Shechem and his father Hamor approached Jacob’s family seeking a peaceful resolution after Shechem had violated Dinah (Genesis 34:2), but the sons saw this proposal as an opportunity to carry out a scheme. Their response reveals not only their anger and protectiveness but also their willingness to use deception—indicating that their wrath overshadowed any immediate consideration of mercy. In the broader context of the book of Genesis, this event underscores the significance placed on family honor and the seriousness with which such offenses were handled.
Shechem, the individual, shares his name with the city in which these events took place. The city of Shechem was located in the land of Canaan, in an area modern scholarship often associates with the region around present-day Nablus, situated in the West Bank. At this time in history, around the early second millennium BC (Jacob is believed to have lived roughly between 2006 BC and 1859 BC), Canaan was inhabited by various peoples, including the Hivites—a group Hamor and his son Shechem belonged to. By naming both the man and the city as “Shechem,” Genesis emphasizes how deeply-localized and personal this conflict was, tying the tragic episode of Dinah’s defilement to the place itself.
Jacob, also called Israel, was a central figure in biblical history, being the grandson of Abraham (Genesis 25:19-26) and the father of the twelve sons who became the heads of the tribes of Israel (Genesis 49). The deceitful answer given to Shechem and Hamor is a pivotal moment that foreshadows the violence that will occur later in Genesis 34, revealing the complex interplay of justice, revenge, and covenant loyalty that threads through the Old Testament. This kind of retaliation contrasts with the New Testament teaching to “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44), inviting reflection on how drastically intra-family and inter-tribal conflicts were handled under the ancient patriarchal system.