A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
Genesis 34
Genesis 34 is the thirty-fourth chapter of the book of Genesis and a violent chapter that begins with the rape of Dinah and ends with the slaughter of the men of Shechem by Simeon and Levi. The 31-verse chapter unfolds in three stages: the assault and the prince's request for marriage, the brothers' deceitful condition of circumcision, and the revenge.
The chapter opens with Dinah, Leah's daughter, going out to visit the women of the land. Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, sees her, takes her, and lies with her by force. Afterward he is drawn to her, loves her, and speaks to her tenderly. He tells his father Hamor, "Get me this girl as a wife."
Jacob hears that Dinah has been defiled, but his sons are with the livestock in the field. He says nothing until they return. Meanwhile Hamor comes to Jacob to negotiate. Jacob's sons come back from the field, grieved and furious because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel.
Hamor and Shechem propose intermarriage between the two peoples. Shechem offers any bride-price they name. Jacob's sons answer deceitfully. They cannot give their sister to an uncircumcised man, they say, but they will consent on one condition: every male in Shechem must be circumcised. Hamor and Shechem agree. They go to the city gate and persuade every man in the city to be circumcised, telling them that the livestock and possessions of Jacob's household will then be theirs.
Three days later, while the men are still in pain, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, take their swords, go into the unsuspecting city, and kill every male. They kill Hamor and Shechem, take Dinah out of Shechem's house, and leave. The rest of Jacob's sons come behind them and plunder the city, taking flocks, herds, donkeys, wealth, women, and children.
Jacob rebukes Simeon and Levi: "You have brought trouble on me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites." He fears that the surrounding peoples will gather against his small household and destroy it. They answer, "Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?"
Verse 1. Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land.
Verse 2. When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.
Verse 3. And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly.
Verse 4. So Shechem told his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as a wife.”
Verse 5. Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, he remained silent about it until they returned.
Verse 6. Meanwhile, Shechem’s father Hamor came to speak with Jacob.
Verse 7. When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.
Verse 8. But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.
Verse 9. Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.
Verse 10. You may settle among us, and the land will be open to you. Live here, move about freely, and acquire your own property.”
Verse 11. Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Grant me this favor, and I will give you whatever you ask.
Verse 12. Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!”
Verse 13. But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully.
Verse 14. “We cannot do such a thing,” they said. “To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace to us.
Verse 15. We will consent to this on one condition, that you become circumcised like us—every one of your males.
Verse 16. Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We will dwell among you and become one people.
Verse 17. But if you will not agree to be circumcised, then we will take our sister and go.”
Verse 18. Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.
Verse 19. The young man, who was the most respected of all his father’s household, did not hesitate to fulfill this request, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.
Verse 20. So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and addressed the men of their city:
Verse 21. “These men are at peace with us. Let them live and trade in our land; indeed, it is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters in marriage and give our daughters to them.
Verse 22. But only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us and be one people: if all our men are circumcised as they are.
Verse 23. Will not their livestock, their possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell among us.”
Verse 24. All the men who went out of the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male of the city was circumcised.
Verse 25. Three days later, while they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons (Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi) took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and slaughtered every male.
Verse 26. They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away.
Verse 27. Jacob’s other sons came upon the slaughter and looted the city, because their sister had been defiled.
Verse 28. They took their flocks and herds and donkeys, and everything else in the city or in the field.
Verse 29. They carried off all their possessions and women and children, and they plundered everything in their houses.
Verse 30. Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people of this land. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”
Verse 31. But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”
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