33 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Genesis 34 This chapter gives an account of the ravishment of Dinah by Shechem, Genesis 34:1; of his father Hamor and him treating with Jacob and his sons about the marriage of her, Genesis 34:6; of the condition proposed by Jacob's sons, circumcision of all the males in Shechem, which was agreed to by Shechem and his father,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Ver. 1 And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob,.... Who is supposed to be at this time about fourteen or fifteen years of age: for that she was but about nine or ten years old is not to be credited, as some compute it (z): she is observed to be the daughter of Leah, partly that the following miscarriage might bring to mind her...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
At this chapter begins the story of Jacob's afflictions in his children, which were very great, and are recorded to show, 1. The vanity of this world. That which is dearest to us may prove our greatest vexation, and we may meet with the greatest crosses in those things of which we said, "This same shall comfort us." 2. The common griefs of good...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when Shechem the son of Hamor,.... From whom the city had its name, near which Jacob and his family now were: the Hivite, prince of the country; Hamor was an Hivite, which was one of the nations of the land of Canaan, and this man was the prince or a principal man of that nation, as well as of Shechem. Josephus (c) calls him a king: when the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob,.... His inclination was to her, she was always in his thoughts; it was not a mere lustful desire that was suddenly raised, and soon over, but a constant and continued affection he bore to her, as follows: and he loved the damsel; sincerely and heartily: and spake kindly unto the damsel; or "to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor,.... And told him the whole affair, at least what a strong affection he had for Dinah: saying, get me this damsel to wife; by which he meant not only that he would give his consent that he might marry her, but that he would get her parents' consent unto it, and settle the matter with them; by which it...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter,.... That is, that Shechem had defiled her; the report of this was brought him very probably by one of the maids which attended her to the city; for it was hardly to be thought that she should go thither alone, and which must be very distressing to Jacob to hear of: this was his first...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Hamor, the father of Shechem, went out unto Jacob,.... Unto the tent of Jacob without the city: to commune with him; to talk with him about the affair of Dinah, to pacify him, and endeavour to gain his consent, that his son might marry her, and to settle the, terms and conditions of the marriage.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the sons of Jacob came out of the field, when they heard [it],..... Either by a messenger Jacob sent to them, to acquaint them with it, or by some other hand: however, be it as it will, as soon as they heard of the abuse of their sister, they immediately left their flocks to the care of their servants, and came to their father's tent: and the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Hamor communed with them,.... With Jacob and his sons, who came in just at that time: saying, the soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: the daughter of the family, and the only daughter in it; for her Shechem had a vehement affection, a strong desire to marry her, and could not be satisfied without her: I pray you, give her him to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And make ye marriages with us,.... There was no objection on their side, it lay on the other; Abraham's servant was charged by him not to take a wife of the Canaanites to his son Isaac; and the same charge was given Jacob by Isaac, Genesis 24:3; and therefore Jacob would never agree that his children should marry any of that nation; and marriages...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And ye shall dwell with us,..... Peaceably and quietly, not as sojourners only, but as inhabitants: and the land shall be before you; to choose what part of it they pleased to dwell in, and which they should have in their own power and possession: dwell and trade you therein; in any sort of traffic and commerce the land would admit of, and they...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren,.... To the father and brethren of Dinah; he addressed them after his father Hamor had done speaking: let me find grace in your eyes; forgive the offence committed, the injury done to Dinah, and grant the request of her marriage, and it will be considered as a great favour: and what ye shall...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Ask me never so much dowry and gift,.... Or "multiply [them] exceedingly" (i), fix them at as high a rate as may be thought fit; the "dowry" was what a man gave to a woman at her marriage; for in those times and countries, instead of a man having a portion with his wife, as with us in our times, he gave one to his wife, or to her parents for her;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor deceitfully,.... Proposing the marriage of their sister on terms after mentioned, when they never intended it should ever be: Onkelos, Jonathan, and Jarchi interpret it, "with wisdom", as if they answered wisely and prudently, but the word is never used in a good sense; and if it was wisdom, it was...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they said unto them,.... Levi and Simeon, to Hamor and Shechem: we cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; not that there was any law against it at that time; and there were, on the other hand, precedents for it both in Isaac and Jacob, who had married the daughters of uncircumcised persons; nor indeed do they...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But in this will we consent unto you,.... Upon the following condition, that Dinah should be given in marriage: if ye will be as we [be], that every male of you be circumcised; as the sons of Jacob were, according to the command given to Abraham their great grandfather, Genesis 17:10.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then will we give our daughters unto you,.... Meaning Dinah, whom they call their daughter, Genesis 34:17; because she was the daughter of their family, and because they were entreating in the name of their father, and in conformity to the language used by those they were treating with, Genesis 34:9; and we will take your daughters to us; in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But if ye will not hearken to us to be circumcised,.... Will not agree to this condition, circumcision: then will we take our daughter; by force, as the Targum of Jonathan adds: and we will be gone: depart from this part of the country, and go elsewhere.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son. The condition proposed was acceptable to them both, and they agreed to comply with it; Hamor, because of the great love he had for his son; Shechem, because of the great love he had for Dinah.