Genesis 34:5

3 His soul¹ was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke² kindly to the young woman.

4 So Shechem ^aspoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this young woman as a wife.”

5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Jacob ^aheld his peace until they came.

6 Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him.

7 And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved and very angry, because he ^ahad done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, ^ba thing which ought not to be done.

8 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife.

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?

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What Does Genesis 34:5 Mean?

Genesis 34:5-6

We do not know what Jacob thought at this point, for he kept silent. His only daughter had been raped and was now held "captive." A thousand things must have gone through his head, yet he said nothing. In light of this, it is interesting to consider how the dynamics of Jacob's life have changed: Now he "kept his peace" until the sons came home.

Hamor and Shechem soon visit Jacob to speak to him. That the princes of the land humbled themselves to go to the tents of the nomadic visitors implies that at least Hamor knew that a wrong had been committed. Bible commentator Adam Clarke feels that Hamor did not have enough people to overwhelm Jacob's entourage, and thus he had to negotiate.

Mike Ford
The Rape of Dinah

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What Does Genesis 34:5 Mean?

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