Dinah and the Shechemites
Genesis 34:1-31
Gen.34.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,f,sg
- דינה: NOUN,f,sg,abs,prop
- בת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- לאה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- ילדה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- ליעקב: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg
- לראות: VERB,qal,inf
- בבנות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Judges 19:1-30 (thematic): Narrative of sexual violence against a woman who had been away from the household; both stories depict rape/assault in the land of Israel and provoke communal outrage and violent retaliation, highlighting lawlessness and consequences for families/tribes.
- 2 Samuel 13:1-22 (thematic): Tamar, a daughter of the patriarch (David), is raped by a local man (Amnon); parallels Dinah’s assault in that a patriarch’s daughter is violated by a member of the household/community, triggering family conflict and revenge.
- Deuteronomy 22:28-29 (allusion): Legal provision requiring payment and marriage when a man seizes/forces a virgin; provides the legal background often referenced or debated in narratives like Shechem’s claim to marry Dinah and questions of consent and restitution.
- Exodus 22:16-17 (allusion): Law concerning a man who seduces or lies with a virgin and the obligation to marry her (or pay); another legal parallel that illuminates how ancient law frames incidents like the Dinah–Shechem episode.
- Judges 21:10-14 (thematic): Account of Israelites abducting women to provide wives after a massacre; parallels the motif of forced marriage/abduction and communal responses to sexual violence and marriage arrangements in Israelite narratives.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Dinah, the daughter of Leah whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.
- And Dinah, the daughter of Leah whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.
Gen.34.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וירא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- שכם: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חמור: PNOUN,m,sg
- החוי: NOUN,m,sg,def
- נשיא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ויקח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- וישכב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- ויענה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 13:14 (verbal): Amnon’s assault on Tamar uses closely similar Hebrew phrasing (e.g., וירבץ בה ויענה / ויקח אתה וישכב אתה ויענה), making this a near-verbal parallel of a brother–sister sexual assault within a patriarchal household context.
- Deuteronomy 22:25-29 (structural): Law passages addressing a man who seizes and lies with a woman (rape/abduction) and the required remedies/penalties; provides a legal-ethical framework for interpreting incidents like Dinah’s defilement.
- Judges 19:22-30 (thematic): The brutal gang-rape of the Levite’s concubine and the ensuing outrage and civil war echo themes of sexual violence, dishonor to a household, and violent communal consequences found in Genesis 34.
- Judges 21:10-11 (structural): The mass seizure/abduction of the virgins of Shiloh to provide wives after inter-tribal conflict parallels the pattern of taking women by force and the social/communal responses that follow in Genesis 34.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the land, saw her; and he took her and lay with her and violated her.
- And Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, a prince of the land, saw her, and he took her and lay with her and humiliated her.
Gen.34.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותדבק: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- נפשו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- בדינה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ויאהב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- הנער: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וידבר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- לב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הנער: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 13:1-2 (thematic): Amnon’s fixation on Tamar (‘loved her’) leads to pursuit and sexual violence; parallels Shechem’s intense desire for Dinah and the ensuing exploitative outcome.
- Genesis 39:7-12 (thematic): Potiphar’s wife becomes enamored of Joseph and repeatedly speaks to him, paralleling the pattern of sexual desire, verbal solicitation, and the testing of boundaries shown in Genesis 34:3.
- Genesis 29:20 (verbal): Uses the verb ‘loved’ of Jacob for Rachel (“Jacob loved Rachel”), providing a verbal parallel for the same verb (יאהב) describing strong attachment to a woman.
- Genesis 2:24 (structural): The verb ‘cleave’/‘cling’ (דבק) in the marriage/union formula (‘and he shall cleave to his wife’) echoes the language of attachment (‘ותדבק נפשו’) used of Shechem’s clinging desire for Dinah.
- Song of Songs 2:16 (thematic): Expressions of exclusive attachment and mutual belonging (‘My beloved is mine and I am his’) offer a literary-theological parallel for the intense personal claim and emotional fixation displayed in Genesis 34:3, though Song frames it positively and consensually.
Alternative generated candidates
- And his soul clung to Dinah, daughter of Jacob; and he loved the girl and spoke to the girl's heart.
- And his soul clung to Dinah, daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to the young woman.
Gen.34.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שכם: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- חמור: PNOUN,m,sg
- אביו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- קח: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- הילדה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הזאת: DEM,f,sg,def
- לאשה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Gen.34.2 (verbal): Immediately preceding verse: records the sexual violation of Dinah by Shechem, which provides the context for Shechem's request to have her as a wife.
- Gen.34.8-12 (structural): Continuation of the episode: Shechem (through his father Hamor) negotiates with Jacob's household to secure Dinah as a wife; parallels this verse by expanding the same demand into a communal negotiation.
- 2 Sam.13:1-4 (thematic): Amnon's assault of his half-sister Tamar and subsequent desire to possess her echo the pattern of sexual violence within a family and the perpetrator's claim to marry the victim.
- Judg.19:22-30 (thematic): The brutal rape and abuse of the Levite's concubine and its communal fallout parallel the themes of sexual violence, shame, and social crisis found in Dinah's story.
- Judg.21:10-23 (thematic): The mass seizure/abduction of women to provide wives for the Benjaminites reflects the motif of taking women as wives through force or coercion and the wider social consequences.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Shechem said to Hamor his father, saying, Get me this girl as a wife.
- And Shechem said to Hamor his father, saying, Take this girl for me as a wife.
Gen.34.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויעקב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שמע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- טמא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- דינה: NOUN,f,sg,abs,prop
- בתו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- ובניו: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- היו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- מקנהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- בשדה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והחרש: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- עד: PREP
- באם: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Genesis 34:25–31 (structural): Immediate literary parallel — the verse’s silence sets the stage for Simeon and Levi’s violent revenge against Shechem and Hamor; the episode’s consequences and Jacob’s later rebuke (Gen 49:5–7) grow out of this pause.
- 2 Samuel 13:20–22 (thematic): Tamar is raped by Amnon; David (father) hears of the defilement but takes no effective action, and the crime is followed by intra-family vengeance (Absalom kills Amnon) — parallels the pattern of a father’s inaction and later violent retribution by sons.
- Judges 19:25–30 (thematic): The gang-rape of the Levite’s concubine and the subsequent outrage of kin and tribes echoes Gen 34’s motif of sexual violence against a woman causing communal/kin retaliation and wider social consequences.
- Deuteronomy 22:28–29 (verbal): Law concerning a man who seizes a virgin and the obligations to pay and marry her — provides legal/cultural background to Shechem’s offer to take Dinah as a wife and the different ways communities treated sexual violations in ancient Israelite law.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; and his sons were with his livestock in the field, and Jacob held his peace until they came.
- And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; and his sons were with his livestock in the field, and Jacob kept silent until they came.
Gen.34.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- חמור: PNOUN,m,sg
- אבי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- שכם: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- לדבר: INF,qal
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
Parallels
- Gen.34:8-12 (structural): Immediate continuation: Hamor (Shechem's father) speaks directly with Jacob to negotiate marriage and intermarriage—expands the action introduced in v.6.
- Gen.34:13-17 (structural): Direct narrative follow-up showing Jacob's sons' response to Hamor's approach and the ensuing deceptive terms—part of the same episode begun when Hamor comes out to speak.
- Josh.9:3-15 (thematic): Leaders of a city (the Gibeonites) approach Israelic leaders to negotiate a treaty/marriage-like pact; parallels the motif of urban delegates seeking covenantal arrangements with Israel's household.
- Judg.19:22-30 (thematic): A violent sexual crime in a town and the subsequent involvement of local leaders and Israelite kin—parallels the themes of sexual violence at Shechem and the communal/political repercussions that follow.
- Judg.9:1-6 (thematic): Shechem's civic leaders actively engage with a would-be ruler (Abimelech) to secure support and political marriage ties—parallels the role of Shechem's local leadership (Hamor, the city's father) negotiating with an external family.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Hamor, father of Shechem, went out to Jacob to speak with him.
- And Hamor, father of Shechem, went out to Jacob to speak with him.
Gen.34.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ובני: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- באו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- מן: PREP
- השדה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- כשמעם: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- ויתעצבו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- האנשים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ויחר: VERB,qal,imf,3,m,sg
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- מאד: ADV
- כי: CONJ
- נבלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לשכב: VERB,qal,inf
- את: PRT,acc
- בת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- וכן: ADV
- לא: PART_NEG
- יעשה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 22:25-27 (thematic): Law addressing rape and the community's responsibility—parallels Genesis 34's concern over a sexual violation as a 'trespass in Israel' and the idea that such acts are intolerable in the covenant people.
- Judges 19:25-30 (structural): Narrative of a brutal sexual assault on a woman and the subsequent outrage by the victim's kin; parallels Gen 34 in theme (honor violated), communal grief, and violent reprisal.
- Judges 20:1-11 (structural): The Israelite assembly's response to the atrocity in Judges 19—calling for judgment and waging war—parallels the collective anger and the escalation to violent action after Dinah's defilement.
- 2 Samuel 13:1-22 (thematic): Amnon's rape of Tamar and the resulting family fury (leading to Absalom's revenge) parallels the pattern of sexual violation of a sister/daughter and the brothers' intense, violent reaction.
- Leviticus 19:18 (thematic): Legal/ethical injunction against revenge and bearing a grudge; serves as a contrast to Simeon and Levi's retaliatory violence and frames the incident within Israelite norms about vengeance.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry, because an outrage had been done in Israel—to lie with Jacob's daughter—and such a thing must not be done.
- And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry, for an outrageous thing has been done in Israel—to lie with the daughter of Jacob—and such a thing ought not to be done.
Gen.34.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וידבר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- חמור: PNOUN,m,sg
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- שכם: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- חשקה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- נפשו: NOUN,f,sg,abs,3,m
- בבתכם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,2,pl
- תנו: VERB,qal,imp,2,pl
- נא: PART
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- לאשה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 34:2-3 (structural): Immediate narrative context: these verses report that Shechem ‘had his desire’ for Dinah and loved her, and that he spoke to his father about taking her—setting up Hamor’s marriage proposal in v.8.
- Genesis 34:10-12 (verbal): Hamor’s extended proposal to Jacob’s sons echoes v.8’s offer to give Dinah in marriage and adds promises of intermarriage and economic terms—closely related language and intent.
- Exodus 22:16-17 (22:15-16 LXX/MT variants) (verbal): A legal provision requiring a man who seduces a virgin to pay a bride-price and marry her if the father consents—parallels the idea of marriage as a remedy or settlement after a sexual transgression.
- Deuteronomy 22:28-29 (thematic): Law prescribing that a man who violates an unbetrothed virgin must pay and take her as wife—addresses the social-legal handling of sexual assault, resonant with Hamor’s marriage proposal.
- 2 Samuel 13:1-22 (thematic): The rape of Tamar by her half-brother Amnon and the ensuing family crisis parallel Shechem’s assault of Dinah: sexual violence within a household, the victim’s marginalization, and fraught familial responses.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Hamor spoke with them, saying, My son Shechem's soul longs for your daughter; please give her to him as a wife.
- And Hamor spoke with them, saying, My son Shechem’s soul longs for your daughter; please give her to him as a wife.
Gen.34.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והתחתנו: VERB,hitpael,impf,2,m,pl
- אתנו: PRON,1,pl
- בנתיכם: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- תתנו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- ואת: CONJ
- בנתינו: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- תקחו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- לכם: PREP,2,m,pl
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 7:3-4 (thematic): Explicit prohibition against intermarriage with the Canaanite nations; warns that taking their daughters will turn Israel to other gods, thematically opposing Shechem’s proposal to intermarry.
- Ezra 9–10 (thematic): Postexilic crisis over Israelite men marrying foreign women and the demand to separate from those marriages — a later institutional response to the same social problem of intermarriage.
- Judges 14:2 (thematic): Samson’s desire to marry a Philistine woman (a foreign bride) illustrates tensions and consequences of taking wives from neighboring peoples, parallel to Shechem’s request.
- Numbers 25:1-3 (thematic): Israelites consort with Moabite women, leading to idolatry and plague; shows the perceived religious danger of intermarriage with local populations.
- Genesis 28:1 (verbal): Isaac’s command to Jacob not to take a wife from the Canaanites uses the same social vocabulary of 'taking' wives/daughters, offering a direct verbal/thematic contrast to Shechem’s offer to take Israelite daughters.
Alternative generated candidates
- And intermarry with us: your daughters give to us, and our daughters take for yourselves.
- And intermarry with us: your daughters you shall give to us, and our daughters you shall take for yourselves.
Gen.34.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואתנו: PREP,1,pl
- תשבו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- והארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- תהיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,f,sg
- לפניכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- שבו: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- וסחרוה: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- והאחזו: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- בה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Gen.34.12 (verbal): Immediate parallel within the same chapter: Hamor’s further proposals use similar language (marry our daughters / dwell together) and continue the negotiation about living and intermarriage.
- Josh.9:6-15 (thematic): The Gibeonites seek a treaty with Israel in order to dwell among them and secure their possessions—another instance of outsiders negotiating to live under Israel’s protection.
- Gen.17:8 (thematic): God’s promise to Abraham that the land of Canaan will be given to his descendants as an everlasting possession; contrasts the patriarchal divine grant with Hamor’s offer to Jacob to take possession.
- Deut.7:3-4 (thematic): The prohibition against intermarriage with Canaanite nations directly contrasts Hamor’s request that Jacob intermarry and live together with the local people.
- Lev.25:23 (thematic): The principle that the land belongs to Yahweh and the Israelites are sojourners underscores a theological counterpoint to Hamor’s encouragement to ‘dwell, trade, and possess’ the land on his terms.
Alternative generated candidates
- And dwell with us, and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade in it and acquire holdings in it.
- And with us you shall dwell, and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade in it, and take holdings in it.
Gen.34.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שכם: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- אביה: NOUN,m,sg,suff
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- אחיה: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אמצא: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- חן: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בעיניכם: PREP+NOUN,pl,f,cons+PRON,2,pl
- ואשר: CONJ+PRON,rel
- תאמרו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- אתן: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
Parallels
- Ruth 2:10 (verbal): Ruth uses the same verbal motif—’I have found favor in your eyes’—appealing for kindness; Boaz responds with protection and provision, paralleling Shechem’s appeal for acceptance and promise of gifts.
- Genesis 39:4 (verbal): The formula ‘found favor in his eyes’ is used of Joseph with Potiphar (and later with Pharaoh’s officials), showing a common Hebraic idiom for gaining another’s goodwill—similar language and social dynamic as Shechem’s petition.
- Genesis 6:8 (verbal): Noah ‘found favor in the eyes of the LORD’—an earlier instance of the same formula, illustrating the biblical trope of seeking and receiving divine or human goodwill that Shechem invokes in a familial/marital context.
- Genesis 24:52–54 (structural): Abraham’s servant negotiates Rebekah’s marriage by approaching her family and offering gifts on his master’s behalf; structurally similar to Shechem’s approach to Dinah’s father and brothers—seeking consent and promising recompense.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give.
- And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give.
Gen.34.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הרבו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- עלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- מאד: ADV
- מהר: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- ומתן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואתנה: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- כאשר: CONJ
- תאמרו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- ותנו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- הנער: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לאשה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 34:9-11 (structural): Immediate context: Hamor and Shechem propose marriages and economic arrangements to Jacob’s sons—verse 12 is part of this negotiation and repeats the offer to take Dinah as a wife and provide compensation.
- Exodus 22:16-17 (verbal): Legal parallel: the law requires a man who seduces a virgin to pay a bride-price and marry her, echoing Shechem’s offer to give the young woman as a wife in exchange for goods.
- Deuteronomy 22:28-29 (verbal): Another legal formulation: a man who seizes a virgin must pay and marry her; parallels the expectation invoked by Hamor and Shechem’s proposal.
- 2 Samuel 13:14-15 (thematic): Narrative contrast: Amnon’s rape of Tamar and subsequent refusal to marry her highlights social/legal tensions about rape, marriage, and honor that underlie Shechem’s offer.
Alternative generated candidates
- Pile upon me very much bride-price and gift, and I will give as you say to me; only give me the girl as a wife.
- Make the bride-price and the gift very large upon me, and I will give as you say to me; and give me the young woman as a wife.
Gen.34.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויענו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- שכם: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- ואת: CONJ
- חמור: PNOUN,m,sg
- אביו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- במרמה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וידברו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- אשר: PRON,rel
- טמא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- דינה: NOUN,f,sg,abs,prop
- אחתם: NOUN,f,sg,poss:3,m,pl
Parallels
- Gen.34:7 (structural): Gives the immediate factual charge — that Shechem 'defiled' Dinah — which is the motive the sons invoke when they answer deceptively in 34:13.
- Gen.34:25 (structural): Records the violent outcome of the deception in 34:13–17: Simeon and Levi slaughter the males of the city after the inhabitants are weakened by circumcision.
- 2 Sam.13:1-29 (thematic): Tamar’s rape by her half‑brother Amnon and the ensuing family vengeance (Absalom’s murder of Amnon) parallels the pattern of sexual assault of a sister followed by calculated, violent retribution by her brothers.
- Josh.9:3-27 (thematic): The Gibeonites employ deceptive treaty‑making to secure a covenant with Israel; parallels the use of deceit by Jacob’s sons in 34:13 to secure a relationship with Shechem/Hamor for their own ends.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and they spoke because he had defiled Dinah their sister.
- And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister.
Gen.34.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמרו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,pl
- אליהם: PREP,3,m,pl
- לא: PART_NEG
- נוכל: VERB,qal,impf,1,pl
- לעשות: VERB,qal,inf
- הדבר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
- לתת: VERB,qal,inf
- את: PRT,acc
- אחתנו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,1,pl
- לאיש: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- ערלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- חרפה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
Parallels
- Gen.34.13 (verbal): Immediate precursor: Jacob's sons set circumcision as the condition for marriage — the same concern about the bridegroom being uncircumcised and the proposed remedy is stated here.
- Gen.34.25-26 (structural): Direct continuation of the episode: Simeon and Levi exploit the circumcision condition to exact vengeance on the city, showing how the issue of 'uncircumcised' men becomes the pretext for violent retribution.
- Deut.7.3-4 (thematic): Law forbidding intermarriage with Canaanite peoples because such unions lead Israelites to other gods and bring disgrace — provides legal/theological rationale for refusing a marriage to an 'uncircumcised' outsider.
- Josh.23.12-13 (thematic): Joshua warns that taking foreign wives will be a snare causing Israelites to serve other gods; echoes the concern that marriage to non‑Israelites (uncircumcised) threatens covenantal integrity and communal honor.
- Ezra 10:2-3 (thematic): Post‑exilic reaction against intermarriage with foreign women: community leaders treat such marriages as a disgrace and move to separate — a later communal response paralleling the shame/honor logic in Gen 34:14.
Alternative generated candidates
- And they said to them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised, for that is a disgrace to us.
- And they said to them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised, for that is a disgrace to us.
Gen.34.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אך: PART
- בזאת: PREP+DEM
- נאות: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- לכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- אם: CONJ
- תהיו: VERB,qal,imf,2,pl
- כמנו: PREP+PRON,1,m,pl
- להמל: VERB,niphal,inf
- לכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- כל: DET
- זכר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 17:10-14 (verbal): Establishes circumcision as the covenant sign for every male—directly parallels the demand in Gen 34:15 that all males be circumcised as a condition for association/marriage.
- Exodus 12:48-49 (verbal): Requires a foreigner to be circumcised before participating in Passover and declares one law for native and stranger—parallels the idea that circumcision is required for outsiders to be fully included among Israel.
- Exodus 34:15-16 (thematic): Warns against intermarriage with surrounding nations because it leads to idolatry; relates thematically to the issues of marriage, assimilation, and religious danger raised by Gen 34.
- Deuteronomy 10:16 (thematic): Calls for the 'circumcision of the heart'—uses circumcision imagery to shift focus from physical rite to internal fidelity, offering a theological counterpoint to the purely physical requirement in Gen 34:15.
- Acts 15:1-21 (thematic): The Jerusalem Council debates whether Gentile believers must be circumcised—echoes and reinterprets the Old Testament practice of requiring circumcision for inclusion, providing a later New Testament perspective on the same issue.
Alternative generated candidates
- Only on this condition will we consent to you: if you will be as we are, by every male among you being circumcised.
- Only on this condition will we consent to you: if you will be like us, by every male among you being circumcised.
Gen.34.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ונתנו: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- בנתינו: NOUN,f,pl,abs+1,pl
- לכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- ואת: CONJ
- בנתיכם: NOUN,f,pl,abs+2,pl
- נקח: VERB,qal,impf,1,pl
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- וישבנו: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,1,pl
- אתכם: PRT+PRON,2,m,pl
- והיינו: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,1,pl
- לעם: PREP
- אחד: NUM,card,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen.34.12 (verbal): Shechem's earlier proposal to Jacob's family uses nearly identical language—offer to give daughters and take daughters, to intermarry and 'be one people.' (Same chapter; immediate verbal parallel).
- Deut.7.3-4 (verbal): Directly contrasts this pledge: the law forbids intermarriage ('do not give your daughters to their sons, and do not take their daughters for your sons'), reflecting the same matrimonial-exchange language but with prohibitive intent.
- Exod.34.15-16 (thematic): Warns against making covenants and intermarrying with Canaanite peoples because intermarriage leads to idolatry and alienation from Yahweh—themewise warning about assimilation behind the offer to 'be one people.'
- Ruth 1.16 (allusion): Naomi/Ruth's declaration 'Your people shall be my people' echoes the idea of becoming one people through marriage/ affiliation, but here framed positively as covenantal loyalty rather than assimilation.
- Ezra 9:1-2 (thematic): Postexilic reaction to Israelites taking foreign wives (and the problems this brought) parallels the social and religious tensions implicit in the proposal to intermarry and 'become one people.'
Alternative generated candidates
- Then we will give our daughters to you, and your daughters we will take for ourselves; and we will dwell with you and we will be one people.
- Then we will give our daughters to you, and your daughters we will take for ourselves, and we will dwell with you and become one people.
Gen.34.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואם: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- תשמעו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- אלינו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- להמול: INF,qal
- ולקחנו: VERB,qal,perf,1,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- בתנו: NOUN,f,sg,poss,1,pl
- והלכנו: VERB,qal,perf,1,m,pl
Parallels
- Gen.34.15 (verbal): Immediate parallel in the same exchange: Jacob’s sons demand that the men of the city be circumcised before any marriage, the same conditional stipulation elaborated just prior to v.17.
- Gen.34.25-29 (structural): Direct narrative sequel: Simeon and Levi deceive and then slaughter the males of the city in response to Dinah’s defilement — the violent outcome of the demand/threat in v.17.
- Judges 19–20 (thematic): Episode of the Levite’s concubine: a woman’s sexual violation provokes tribal outrage, a national council, and inter-tribal war — parallels the pattern of outrage, communal negotiation, and violent retaliation in Gen 34.
- 2 Samuel 13 (thematic): Amnon’s rape of Tamar and Absalom’s subsequent revenge: sexual assault within a family leading to intra-family vengeance and long-term fracturing, thematically similar to Dinah’s rape and Jacob’s sons’ violent response.
- Exodus 4:24-26 (thematic): Zipporah’s urgent circumcision of her son to avert divine/ritual danger underscores circumcision as a decisive covenant marker tied to physical survival and community status — background to the demand in Gen 34 that outsiders undergo circumcision.
Alternative generated candidates
- But if you will not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.
- But if you will not listen to us, to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.
Gen.34.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וייטבו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- דבריהם: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3mp
- בעיני: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- חמור: PNOUN,m,sg
- ובעיני: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,pl,cstr
- שכם: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חמור: PNOUN,m,sg
Parallels
- Exodus 22:16-17 (thematic): Law concerning a man who seduces a virgin—requires marriage or payment; parallels Shechem’s proposal to marry Dinah and Hamor’s willingness to agree to a marital resolution after sexual violation.
- Deuteronomy 22:28-29 (thematic): Similar legislation about a man who lies with an unbetrothed woman obliging him to marry her; echoes the social-legal context invoked by Hamor and Shechem’s proposal.
- 2 Samuel 13:1-22 (thematic): Amnon’s rape of Tamar and the family’s subsequent turmoil; thematically parallels Dinah’s assault and the familial negotiations, outrage, and consequences that follow sexual violence within a family.
- Judges 14:1-4 (structural): Samson’s desire to marry a Philistine woman and the parental negotiation over marriage with a foreigner; structurally parallels the proposal for intermarriage and community integration offered by Hamor and Shechem.
- Genesis 26:34-35 (thematic): Esau’s marriages to Hittite women and Isaac/Rebekah’s displeasure; parallels issues of intermarriage with local populations and parental/familial responses to such unions.
Alternative generated candidates
- And their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem son of Hamor.
- And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem son of Hamor.
Gen.34.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולא: CONJ
- אחר: PREP
- הנער: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לעשות: VERB,qal,inf
- הדבר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- כי: CONJ
- חפץ: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בבת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,cons
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- והוא: CONJ+PRON,3,m,sg
- נכבד: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- מכל: PREP
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אביו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen.34:7-9 (verbal): Immediate context: describes Shechem’s act toward Dinah, his love/desire for Jacob’s daughter, and his approach to his father—directly connects to the statement that he desired Jacob’s daughter and was notable among his family.
- Gen.34:20-24 (structural): Immediate narrative continuation: the deception and massacre by Simeon and Levi respond to the situation created by Shechem’s desire and proposed marriage—shows consequences of the episode described in v.19.
- Deut.22:28-29 (structural): Legal parallel: law prescribing marriage and payment if a man seizes a virgin—provides the later legal framework often read against incidents of premarital rape/forced intercourse like Shechem’s.
- Exod.22:16-17 (structural): Related legal provision: obligation of a man who seduces/defiles a virgin to marry her (with conditions)—another covenant-law parallel to the social/legal issues raised by Shechem’s act and proposal.
- 2 Sam.13:1-22 (thematic): Narrative parallel: Amnon’s rape of his sister Tamar, his obsessive desire, and the familial fallout mirror themes of sexual violence within a household, desires for a woman of one’s family, and ensuing revenge and rupture.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the young man did not delay to do the thing, for he delighted in Jacob's daughter; and he was honored above all his father's house.
- And the young man did not delay to do the thing, for he delighted in the daughter of Jacob; and he was honored above all the house of his father.
Gen.34.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויבא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- חמור: PNOUN,m,sg
- ושכם: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בנו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- אל: NEG
- שער: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עירם: NOUN,f,sg,abs,3,m,pl
- וידברו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- אנשי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- עירם: NOUN,f,sg,abs,3,m,pl
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
Parallels
- Gen.34.13-17 (structural): Immediate narrative parallel — Hamor and Shechem negotiate terms with the men of the city (offers of marriage/wealth) leading up to their appeal at the gate.
- Ruth 4:1-11 (structural): Boaz convenes the town elders at the city gate to transact a legally binding marital/property settlement; the gate functions as the communal forum for negotiation and decision.
- Judges 19:22-30 (thematic): The men of Gibeah gather and act collectively at the town’s public space (house/gate), illustrating how cities’ male assemblies handle matters of honor, violence, and communal judgment — a social dynamic present in Genesis 34.
- Deuteronomy 21:18-21 (verbal): The command to bring a wayward son “to the elders of his city” parallels the recurring biblical motif of taking disputes and decisions to the city elders/gate as the seat of communal authority.
- Gen.19:1-3 (thematic): Lot’s presence at the gate of Sodom and the reception of strangers highlights the gate as the locus of public hospitality, negotiation, and civic interaction — the same social space where Hamor and Shechem appeal to the city’s men.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying,
- And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying:
Gen.34.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- האנשים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- האלה: DEM,pl
- שלמים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- הם: PRON,personal,3,m,pl
- אתנו: PRON,1,pl
- וישבו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- בארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,def
- ויסחרו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- והארץ: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- הנה: PART
- רחבת: NOUN,f,sg,const
- ידים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- לפניהם: PREP,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- בנתם: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,3,m,pl
- נקח: VERB,qal,impf,1,,pl
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- לנשים: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- בנתינו: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,1,pl
- נתן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Genesis 34:8–12 (verbal): Hamor and Shechem’s original proposal to Jacob’s sons uses the same language — offering their daughters and asking for Israelite daughters and trade — which Genesis 34:21 echoes and summarizes.
- Genesis 34:15–17 (structural): Continues the same episode: the plan to have the men circumcised so they could intermarry and then be attacked; shows the practical and violent outcome of the intermarriage proposal in 34:21.
- Exodus 34:12–16 (thematic): God’s command warns Israel not to make covenants or intermarry with the inhabitants lest they turn to other gods — thematically opposing the openness to intermarriage expressed in Gen 34:21.
- Deuteronomy 7:3–4 (thematic): Explicit prohibition against marrying the peoples of the land to prevent turning away to foreign gods; parallels the concern behind later biblical restrictions on the kind of intermarriage proposed in Gen 34:21.
- Ezra 9:1–2 (thematic): Reports Israelite men marrying foreign women and the resulting religious crisis and reform under Ezra — a later instance of the same issue of intermarriage and its perceived dangers that Genesis 34.21 raises.
Alternative generated candidates
- These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, and behold, the land is wide before them. Their daughters we will take for ourselves as wives, and our daughters we will give to them.
- These men are peaceable with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, and behold, the land is broad before them. Their daughters let us take for ourselves as wives, and our daughters let us give to them.
Gen.34.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אך: PART
- בזאת: PREP
- יאתו: VERB,qal,imperf,3,m,pl
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- האנשים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- לשבת: PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- אתנו: PRON,1,pl
- להיות: VERB,qal,inf,NA,NA,NA
- לעם: PREP
- אחד: NUM,card,m,sg
- בהמול: PREP
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- כל: DET
- זכר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כאשר: CONJ
- הם: PRON,personal,3,m,pl
- נמלים: VERB,niphal,imperf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Gen.17:9-14 (verbal): Genesis 17 establishes the covenant of circumcision and prescribes that every male among Abraham's household be circumcised—language and function (mark of membership) parallel Gen. 34:22's demand that all males be circumcised to become one people.
- Exod.12:48 (thematic): A resident alien must be circumcised before eating the Passover; like Gen. 34:22, this treats circumcision as a prerequisite for full participation in the covenant-community.
- Josh.5:2-9 (structural): Joshua orders a mass circumcision of Israel at Gilgal so the nation can enter the land ritually fit; parallels the idea in Gen. 34:22 of using circumcision to incorporate outsiders and secure communal unity.
- Acts 15:1-5 (thematic): Early Christian dispute over whether Gentile converts must be circumcised to belong to God's people echoes Hamor's proposal that foreigners submit to circumcision to be ‘one people’ with Israel.
Alternative generated candidates
- Only on this condition will the men consent to dwell with us, to become one people: that every male among us be circumcised as they are circumcised.
- Only on this condition will the men consent to dwell with us, to become one people: if every male among us is circumcised, as they are circumcised.
Gen.34.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מקנהם: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3,m,pl
- וקנינם: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs,3,m,pl
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- בהמתם: NOUN,f,sg,abs,3,m,pl
- הלוא: PART
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- הם: PRON,personal,3,m,pl
- אך: PART
- נאותה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- וישבו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- אתנו: PRON,1,pl
Parallels
- Genesis 47:20-23 (thematic): Joseph buys all the land and the people become Pharaoh’s dependents/servants — a parallel transfer of land, goods and personal status into another’s possession.
- Deuteronomy 20:14 (verbal): In the rules for war the text lists “the women, the little ones, the cattle, and all that they have” as spoil — language closely echoing the seizure of goods and persons.
- Joshua 9:21-23 (structural): The Gibeonites are made hewers of wood and drawers of water for the assembly — a negotiated arrangement that reduces a people to servile status, echoing “they shall be our servants.”},{
- Judges 1:27-28 (thematic): Several Canaanite groups are left in the land and become tributaries/servants to Israel — similar outcome of inhabitants dwelling among and serving another people.
- Exodus 12:35-36 (thematic): The Egyptians give the Israelites silver, gold and clothing when they depart — another instance of transfer of movable goods between peoples under pressure/negotiation.
Alternative generated candidates
- Their livestock and their possessions and all their animals—will they not be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.
- Their livestock and their possessions and all their animals—will they not be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.
Gen.34.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישמעו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- חמור: PNOUN,m,sg
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- שכם: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- בנו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- כל: DET
- יצאי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- שער: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עירו: NOUN,f,sg,abs,poss:3,m,sg
- וימלו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- כל: DET
- זכר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כל: DET
- יצאי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- שער: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עירו: NOUN,f,sg,abs,poss:3,m,sg
Parallels
- Genesis 34:10-12 (verbal): Hamor and Shechem's proposal and promises to Jacob's sons — the speech to which the men of the city respond in 34:24.
- Genesis 34:25-29 (structural): Immediate narrative consequence: Simeon and Levi's massacre of the city follows the men's agreement in 34:24, showing cause and effect within the same episode.
- Judges 19:22-30 (thematic): A city mob's sexual violence against a woman (the Levite's concubine) and the ensuing outrage and inter-tribal conflict parallel the themes of communal complicity and violent reprisal.
- 2 Samuel 13:1-22 (thematic): Amnon's rape of Tamar and the subsequent familial vengeance by Absalom echo the motifs of sexual assault within a kinship group and retaliatory violence by brothers.
- Judges 21:10-14 (thematic): After a massacre, Israel seizes women to remedy losses—parallels the aftermath logic in Genesis 34 where city-level violence and the fate of women are central concerns.
Alternative generated candidates
- And all who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to Shechem his son, and every male was circumcised—all who went out of the gate of his city.
- And all who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to Shechem his son, and every male, all who went out of the gate of his city, was circumcised.
Gen.34.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ביום: PREP
- השלישי: ADJ,m,sg,def
- בהיותם: PREP+VERB,qal,ptcp,3,m,pl
- כאבים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ויקחו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- שני: NUM,m,pl,construct
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- שמעון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולוי: CONJ+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אחי: NOUN,m,pl,suff
- דינה: NOUN,f,sg,abs,prop
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חרבו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m
- ויבאו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- על: PREP
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- בטח: ADV
- ויהרגו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- כל: DET
- זכר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 13:28–29 (thematic): Brother avenges sister’s rape by a plotted, lethal attack at a gathering — Absalom’s men kill Amnon in retribution for Tamar, echoing Simeon and Levi’s retaliatory slaughter.
- Judges 19–21 (esp. 20:48) (thematic): Narrative of mass violence in response to a sexual assault (the rape of the Levite’s concubine) leading to a near-extermination of a tribe — parallels communal outrage and wholesale killing of males.
- Exodus 32:25–29 (verbal): The Levites take up the sword and slay fellow Israelites after the golden calf incident — notable verbal and tribal parallel (the tribe of Levi carrying out deadly retribution).
- 2 Kings 10:11–17 (cf. 10:25–28) (thematic): Jehu’s purge of Ahab’s house and extermination of opponents — a purposeful, violent massacre carried out to settle scores and secure communal/political aims, comparable in motive and outcome.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it happened on the third day, when they were in pain, that two sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, brothers of Dinah, each took his sword and came upon the city while it felt secure, and they killed every male.
- And it happened on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, brothers of Dinah, each took his sword and came upon the city unguarded, and they slew every male.
Gen.34.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואת: CONJ
- חמור: PNOUN,m,sg
- ואת: CONJ
- שכם: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- בנו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- הרגו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- לפי: PREP
- חרב: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ויקחו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- דינה: NOUN,f,sg,abs,prop
- מבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שכם: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- ויצאו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Genesis 34:25 (verbal): Immediate narrative parallel — same incident described in the preceding verse: Jacob's sons (Simeon and Levi) attack the city, kill Hamor and Shechem, seize Dinah and plunder the town.
- Genesis 34:2 (structural): Antecedent to 34:26 — Shechem's seizure/sexual violation of Dinah that provokes the violent retaliation by Jacob's sons.
- 2 Samuel 13:28-29 (thematic): Absalom's murder of Amnon in retaliation for Amnon's rape of their sister Tamar parallels the pattern of family vengeance taken for sexual assault (sister violated → brother kills perpetrator).
- Judges 19:25-30 (thematic): The gang rape of the Levite's concubine at Gibeah and the horrific aftermath (dismemberment, civil war and mass killing of Benjamin) echoes themes of sexual violence, communal outrage, and retaliatory slaughter against perpetrators/population.
- Deuteronomy 22:25-27 (thematic): Legal treatment of sexual assault outside a town — distinguishes rape from consensual relations and prescribes condemnation of the assailant; provides legal/ethical background to the question of culpability and community response to sexual violence reflected in Genesis 34.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Hamor and Shechem his son they killed by the edge of the sword; and they took Dinah from Shechem's house and went out.
- And Hamor and Shechem his son they killed by the edge of the sword, and they took Dinah from the house of Shechem and went out.
Gen.34.27 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- באו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- על: PREP
- החללים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ויבזו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- טמאו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אחותם: NOUN,f,sg,abs,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Genesis 34:25-26 (verbal): Immediate narrative context — describes Simeon and Levi's attack, killing of the males, and the plunder of the city that dishonored their sister (same episode and language).
- Judges 19:25-30 (thematic): Parallel episode of sexual violence against a woman, public outrage, and communal violent response that leads to massacre and upheaval among Israelite tribes.
- 2 Samuel 13:28-29 (thematic): Private revenge for a sister's rape — Absalom arranges the murder of Amnon in retaliation for Tamar's violation, echoing the motif of violent retribution for sexual dishonor.
- Numbers 31:7-18 (thematic): Account of war in which Israel slaughters enemy males, seizes captives and plunder, and later deals with the status of women associated with sexual transgression — similar combination of killing and taking spoil.
Alternative generated candidates
- The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister.
- The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister.
Gen.34.28 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- את: PRT,acc
- צאנם: NOUN,f,sg,abs,3,m,pl
- ואת: CONJ
- בקרם: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs,3,m,pl
- ואת: CONJ
- חמריהם: NOUN,m,pl,abs,3,m,pl
- ואת: CONJ
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בעיר: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בשדה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לקחו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Gen.34:25-27 (structural): Immediate narrative context: same episode (Simeon and Levi’s attack on Shechem) describing the slaughter and the seizure of flocks, herds, donkeys and everything in the city and field — essentially the same action continued.
- Judges 20:48 (verbal): After the civil fighting the Israelites take captives and plunder, including people and livestock — the verse uses a similar formula listing animals and ‘all that was in the cities,’ paralleling the catalog of goods seized.
- 1 Samuel 30:18-19 (thematic): David recovers all that the Amalekites had taken, explicitly including flocks and herds and other spoil; thematically parallels the seizure and transfer of livestock and possessions after a violent episode.
- Deuteronomy 21:10-14 (thematic): Regulatory text governing the taking of women and spoil in wartime; provides a legal/ethical backdrop to episodes where persons and movable property (including animals and household goods) are taken from cities and fields.
Alternative generated candidates
- Their flocks and their herds and their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and whatever was in the field, they took.
- Their flocks and their herds and their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and whatever was in the field, they took.
Gen.34.29 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואת: CONJ
- כל: DET
- חילם: NOUN,m,sg,abs,prsfx=3mp
- ואת: CONJ
- כל: DET
- טפם: NOUN,m,pl,abs,prsfx=3mp
- ואת: CONJ
- נשיהם: NOUN,f,pl,abs,prsfx=3mp
- שבו: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- ויבזו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ואת: CONJ
- כל: DET
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Numbers 31:7-9 (verbal): After the battle with Midian Israel kills the males and “took captive the women of Midian and their little ones,” and seized the spoil — language and actions (men killed, children/wives taken, booty seized) closely parallel Genesis 34:29.
- Deuteronomy 21:10-14 (structural): A law regulating the treatment of captive women taken in war (how a soldier may take a captive woman as wife) provides a legal/structural parallel to Gen 34’s seizure of women after a violent encounter.
- Judges 21:10-14 (thematic): In the aftermath of the civil war against Benjamin Israelites seize women (and take spoils) to provide wives — a thematic parallel of post-conflict capture and appropriation of women and resources similar to Gen 34:29.
- 1 Samuel 30:18-19 (thematic): David recovers what the Amalekites had taken, including wives and captives; the passage parallels Gen 34:29 in its focus on spouses/children and movable wealth as the objects of wartime seizure or recovery.
Alternative generated candidates
- And all their wealth and all their little ones and their women they took captive and plundered, and all that was in the houses.
- And all their wealth, and all their little ones and their women they took captive and plundered, and all that was in the house.
Gen.34.30 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- שמעון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- לוי: PROPN,m,sg
- עכרתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- אתי: PRON,1,sg
- להבאישני: VERB,hif,inf+PRON,1,sg
- בישב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- בכנעני: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ובפרזי: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ואני: PRON,1,sg
- מתי: ADV,int
- מספר: VERB,qal,impf,1,m,sg
- ונאספו: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,pl
- עלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- והכוני: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- ונשמדתי: VERB,niphal,perf,1,m,sg
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- וביתי: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Gen.34.25-29 (structural): Immediate narrative background: Simeon and Levi’s slaughter of Shechem and the seizure of the city’s wealth — the violent deed that directly produces Jacob’s fear and complaint in v.30.
- Gen.34.31 (verbal): Direct response from Simeon and Levi to Jacob’s rebuke (continuation of the scene); shows the sons’ defense of their action and Jacob’s constrained position as family head.
- Josh.7:1-12 (thematic): Achan’s private sin brings disaster on the whole community (Israel routed at Ai); parallels the idea that one family’s wrongdoing can provoke the hostility of surrounding peoples and endanger the wider group.
- Judg.6:15 (thematic): Gideon’s protest that he and his clan are too few/weak to save Israel expresses the same fear of vulnerability because of small numbers and potential attack by stronger neighbors, echoing Jacob’s ‘‘I being few… they will gather against me.’’
Alternative generated candidates
- And Jacob said to Simeon and to Levi, You have brought trouble upon me, making me a stench among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanite and the Perizzite; and I am few in number, and they will gather against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed—I and my household.
- And Jacob said to Simeon and to Levi, You have brought trouble on me, to make me stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanite and the Perizzite; and I am few in number, and they will gather against me and strike me, and I shall be destroyed, I and my household.
Gen.34.31 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמרו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,pl
- הכזונה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- יעשה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- אחותנו: NOUN,f,sg,prsuf
Parallels
- Gen.34:2 (verbal): The immediate narrative report that Shechem 'lay with her and humbled her' (וַיְּעַנֶּהָ) supplies the factual act that the brothers cite in v.31 when protesting that he treated their sister like a harlot.
- Deut.22:23-27 (thematic): Legal treatment of sexual violence and the language distinguishing consensual prostitution from forcible rape; echoes the moral/communal concern about a sister's 'dishonor' and the social category of a 'harlot.'
- Judg.19:22-30 (thematic): The Levite's concubine is abused and the ensuing outrage leads to violent retribution and civil crisis—a parallel motif of sexual violence to a woman of the household provoking communal/kin vengeance.
- 2 Sam.13:1-33 (thematic): Amnon's rape of Tamar and Absalom's subsequent murder of Amnon as fraternal/kin revenge for a sister's dishonor echoes the brothers' justification in Gen 34:31 for violent retaliation.
- Gen.34:30 (structural): Jacob's rebuke ('You have brought trouble on me and on my house') and the brothers' defensive reply in v.31 form a tight narrative pair that frames their motivation and the moral dispute within the family.
Alternative generated candidates
- And they said, Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?
- And they said, Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?
And Dinah, daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the land, saw her; and he took her and lay with her and violated her. And his soul clung to Dinah, daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to the young woman. And Shechem said to Hamor his father, “Take for me this girl as a wife.” And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; and his sons were with his livestock in the field, and Jacob kept silent until they came. And Hamor, father of Shechem, went out to Jacob to speak with him. And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard, and the men were distressed and very angry, because a disgrace had been committed in Israel—to lie with Jacob’s daughter—for such a thing ought not to be done. And Hamor spoke with them, saying, “Shechem my son—his soul longs for your daughter; please give her to him as a wife. And intermarry with us: your daughters you will give to us, and our daughters you will take for yourselves. And with us you shall dwell, and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade in it and acquire holdings in it.” And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give;
Make the bride-price and the gift very great, and I will give as you say to me; only give me the young woman as a wife.” And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and spoke because he had defiled Dinah their sister. And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing—to give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised—for that is a disgrace to us.
Only on this condition will we consent to you: if you will be as we are, by every male among you being circumcised.
Then we will give our daughters to you, and your daughters we will take for ourselves, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. But if you will not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.” And their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem son of Hamor. And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter; and he was honored more than all the house of his father. And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and they spoke to the men of their city, saying:
“These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, and behold, the land is wide-open before them. Their daughters we will take to ourselves as wives, and our daughters we will give to them.
Only on this condition will the men consent to dwell with us, to become one people: when every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised.
Will not their livestock and their property and all their beasts be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.” And they listened to Hamor and to Shechem his son, all who went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city. And it happened on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, brothers of Dinah, each took his sword and came upon the city unawares, and slew every male. And Hamor and Shechem his son they slew by the edge of the sword; and they took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and went out.
The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister.
Their flocks and their cattle and their donkeys, and that which was in the city and that which was in the field they took. And all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives they took captive, and they plundered—even all that was in the house. And Jacob said to Simeon and to Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me, to make me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanite and the Perizzite; and I am few in number, and they will gather against me and strike me, and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.” And they said, “Shall he treat our sister like a prostitute?”