Shechem’s insistence on a quick marriage shows the turbulence in human relationships when God’s standards are forsaken.
In Genesis 34:4, the scripture states, “So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, ‘Get me this young girl for a wife.’” (v.4) Shechem is introduced as the son of Hamor, both of whom dwelled in the city of Shechem located in the central region of Canaan (modern-day northern West Bank), near Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Shechem was a Hivite city in the days of Jacob, who settled in that region with his family. Historically, this timeframe sits in the early second millennium BC during the patriarchal era of Israel, when Jacob’s descendants were nomadic herdsmen journeying through Canaan.
When Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, ‘Get me this young girl for a wife’ (v.4), he expressed strong desire to marry Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. Earlier, he had violated her (Genesis 34:2), then became emotionally attached to her. Shechem’s father, Hamor, appears here as a local ruler or leader of the region. Together, they approached Jacob and his sons to negotiate marriage terms, although the circumstances had already caused great distress to Dinah’s brothers. In that era and culture, marriages often involved the fathers negotiating terms and vows, further emphasizing the weight of Shechem’s direct plea.
Spiritually, the story of Shechem and Dinah reminds us that God calls His people to maintain purity and justice within relationships, an ideal prominently taught by Jesus, who underscores the sacredness of marriage and the need to treat others with dignity (Matthew 19:4-6). It foreshadows how human sin, if left unchecked, can lead to deceit and violence, while the Lord’s design for marriage is meant to reflect covenant love and faithfulness in fellowship with Him.
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Genesis 34:4 meaning
In Genesis 34:4, the scripture states, “So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, ‘Get me this young girl for a wife.’” (v.4) Shechem is introduced as the son of Hamor, both of whom dwelled in the city of Shechem located in the central region of Canaan (modern-day northern West Bank), near Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Shechem was a Hivite city in the days of Jacob, who settled in that region with his family. Historically, this timeframe sits in the early second millennium BC during the patriarchal era of Israel, when Jacob’s descendants were nomadic herdsmen journeying through Canaan.
When Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, ‘Get me this young girl for a wife’ (v.4), he expressed strong desire to marry Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. Earlier, he had violated her (Genesis 34:2), then became emotionally attached to her. Shechem’s father, Hamor, appears here as a local ruler or leader of the region. Together, they approached Jacob and his sons to negotiate marriage terms, although the circumstances had already caused great distress to Dinah’s brothers. In that era and culture, marriages often involved the fathers negotiating terms and vows, further emphasizing the weight of Shechem’s direct plea.
Spiritually, the story of Shechem and Dinah reminds us that God calls His people to maintain purity and justice within relationships, an ideal prominently taught by Jesus, who underscores the sacredness of marriage and the need to treat others with dignity (Matthew 19:4-6). It foreshadows how human sin, if left unchecked, can lead to deceit and violence, while the Lord’s design for marriage is meant to reflect covenant love and faithfulness in fellowship with Him.