Genesis 34 Disgraceful Acts

We see several disgraceful acts today. Some done against Jacob and his family. And some done by his family. They will forever mark Simeon and Levi in Jacob’s eyes.

I’m curious to know why Simeon and Levi were the ones to take up for Dinah. Were her other brothers part of the plot, but only these two carried it out? I certainly understand their anger. I would be furious too if someone did this to my daughter; whether they claimed to love her or not.

But Simeon and Levi went too far. They made the whole town suffer for the sins of one family. Maybe because the men of the town sanctioned this action by agreeing to the brothers’ terms. By agreeing to be circumcised, they were saying ‘yes’ to Shechem’s plan of taking all Jacob had through the rites of marriage. Laban tried it and failed!

Let’s join this family as they go through very difficult events.

♥ ♦ ♥

Jacob was enjoying his time farming near the town of Shechem. His children were growing up to be extraordinary young men. Reuben and Simeon had both reached their second decade by now and Levi wasn’t far behind. Dinah, Jacob and Leah’s daughter, has become a woman. She has blossomed into a beautiful young woman, both inside and out, but still VERY young.

Leah and Dinah spend a lot of time together. Dinah is Leah’s only daughter. The only child she hasn’t lost to the world of men. Leah has invested her heart into teaching Dinah all she will need to become a good wife someday. But that day is still in the future.

When Leah goes to town, she often brings Dinah with her. Little does Leah know that this has put Dinah in the crosshairs of the leader of the city’s sights. He believes that he is in love with Dinah and wants to make her his own. But he can’t do anything when she is with her mother, except for watch and wait.

One day, Dinah asks to go with the girls of the city. Leah is resistant at first.

“Ima, I will be careful. And there will be a whole group of us” pleads Dinah.

Leah knows these girls. She has interacted with them and their mothers from time to time. She just doesn’t like the idea of Dinah going to meet them alone. “I don’t like you going alone.”

“I can see the camp from the city gates Ima. It’s not that far. And it’s broad daylight. Nothing is going to happen to me.”

“Alright. But be home before dark. Have one of their Abbas walk you home if it even starts to get dark.”

“I will Ima. And, thank you!” Dinah gives her Ima a hug and then hurries off.

Leah smiles and shakes her head as her daughter rushes off to her friends. “A woman, and still a little girl” thinks Leah. “One day she will stop running off as a child.”

Once out of the camp, Dinah slows down to a reasonable walk. The day is beautiful and she wants to take it in and enjoy the luxury of a free day.

Little did she know that she was being watched. Shechem was in the upper story of his father’s home, looking out the window when Dinah came into view. He nearly shouts with joy when he sees that she is alone. This is his chance to finally talk to her. He rushes down the stairs flies out the door, intent on reaching her before she can reach the city.

When he gets within a stone’s throw from Dinah, he slows to a walk. He does not want to scare her. When he is within speaking distance he says, “Hello.”

Dinah was distracted and didn’t see him approaching. She is startled by his greeting but quickly recovers. “Shalom” she replies back.

Shechem falls in beside her as she continues to make her way to the city.

“It’s a lovely day for a walk, isn’t it” offers Shechem.

“Yes. It is.” Dinah doesn’t know why but she is feeling uncomfortable with this man’s presence, but she doesn’t know how to make him go away.

“My name is Shechem, and this is my city. Actually, it’s my father’s city. He named it after me.”

“That’s nice” Dinah replies.

“Are you going to tell me your name?”

“I’m Dinah and that’s my camp behind us. Actually, it’s my Abba’s camp.”

“I have seen you in the city a few times with an older woman. Is she you mother?”

“Yes. She is my Ima. Her name is Leah.”

Dinah has had about all the pleasantries she can stand with this man. She quickens her step. Shechem easily matches her pace.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?”

“I’m meeting some friends in the city. Now if you will excuse me, I’m late.”

Just as Dinah starts to run, Shechem snatches her arm.

“Stay with me a while.”

“No. I want to go. Release me please.”

“But I want you to stay” says Shechem with a sneer. Shechem then shifts his grip until he has both Dinah’s shoulders under his hands. He begins to squeeze and draws her up against him.

Dinah is frozen in fear. She doesn’t know what to do. She can’t escape the grip of his hands. She feels as if her bones will snap beneath the strength of his grip.

Shechem inhales the scent of Dinah’s hair and his desire to have her as his own grows to proportions beyond comprehension; and decency. Shechem pushes Dinah to the ground and begins ripping at her clothing until she is exposed. He looks at her hungerly. He MUST have her. While holding Dinah pinned, Shechem pushes his clothing away and takes Dinah as a man driven by desire.

Dinah cries out for him to stop but Shechem is deaf to her pleas. Tears stream away from her eyes and fill her ears as she lies on the ground with Shechem on top of her.

Finally spent, Shechem raises himself up off of Dinah. He gently strokes her face. “You are mine now” he tells her.

Dinah lies frozen, unable to utter a single word.

Shechem finally stands to his feet and rearranges his clothing to cover himself. He reaches a hand down for Dinah to grasp so he can pull her up.

Dinah slaps his hand away and rolls to the side and rises on her own. As soon as her feet are under her, she sprints off in the direction of her camp. Shechem laughs as he watches her go. “You are mine! Remember that” he calls out to her retreating back.

Clutching her robes to herself, Dinah runs to where she had last seen her Ima. Leah looks up and sees her daughter approaching. Leah’s eyes go wide when she sees the state Dinah’s robe and hair are in. Without even having to ask, she knows what has happened. Leah opens her arms and welcomes her daughter into their safety. She helps Dinah into their tent where she sits and rocks her until her sobs subside.

“I’m sorry this happened to you. Tell me who did this shameful thing.”

“He said his name was Shechem. And he told me I was ‘his’ now” replies Dinah before breaking into another round of sobbing.

“Did you tell him ‘NO’” asks Leah, with a touch of fear in her voice.

“I cried it ‘NO’ and ‘STOP’ as loud and long as I could.”

“We will see what your Abba has to say about this” says Leah through clenched teeth while stroking Dinah’s back and plucking bits of grass from her hair.

Once Dinah stops sobbing, Leah rises to gather water, a rag and fresh clothing for her daughter. She brings all these to where Dinah is lying. She sets them beside her daughter and instructs her to wash and change. “I will be back shortly. I must go and inform your Abba of what has happened.”

“Don’t leave me Ima!

“I’ll be back soon. You do as I’ve told you.”

Leah goes to find Jacob. She locates him in the wheat field. She walks over to where he is working. “I must speak with you.”

Jacob looks up at the sound of Leah’s voice. He is about to ask her if it can wait, when he sees the distress written plainly across her face and the fire raging in her eyes. He quickly rises to his feet and gives her his full attention. “What is it? What has happened?”

Leah takes in a deep breath, holds it for few seconds, then releases it; steadying herself for what she is about to tell Jacob. “Dinah has been attacked by a man. By Shechem, the prince of the city. He forced himself on her and lay with her.”

Jacob’s teeth begin to grind in anger. How dare this man touch his daughter! “Did she resist?”

“With all her might and she says that she cried out for him to stop, but he wouldn’t.”

“Where is she now?”

“She is in my tent, cleaning herself up and changing her clothing. Her robe was ruined under his hands.”

Jacob nods his head.

“One more thing.”

Jacob looks in Leah’s eyes as she continues.

“She told me that he said ‘she was his now’.”

“We will see about that.”

As much as Leah and Jacob both hated to admit it, giving Dinah in marriage to this man may be the best thing for all of them. Dinah is no longer a virgin. It would not be easy to find her a husband after such a thing has happened to her.

Jacob sends Leah back to her tent to be with Dinah while he thinks about what to do next. Jacob also sent one of his servants out to the fields where Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun were. They needed to know of their sister’s plight. Jacob would do nothing before telling them what has happened.

Shechem, after leaving Dinah, had gone straight to his father. “I MUST have the girl, Dinah. She is in the camp of Jacob on the tract of land that you sold to him.”

Hamor had never denied his son anything he asked for, so the two of them set off for Jacob’s camp.

Dinah’s brothers were indignant because of Shechem’s actions. “NO ONE does this to our sister and gets away with it” resonated within each of their hearts and spilled from their lips. They all hurried back to camp as soon as they heard the news. They were just in time to see the arrival of Hamor and Shechem.

Hamor was in full diplomat form. Shechem had not told him what had transpired earlier, and he probably wouldn’t have changed his offer if he had. Hamor addresses Jacob.

“The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him to be his wife. Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. You shall swell with us, and the land shall be open to you. Dwell and trade in it, and get property in it” (verses 8b-10).

Before Jacob or his sons could respond, Shechem put forth his own plea.

“Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. Ask me for as great a bride-price and gift as you will, and I will give whatever you say to me. Only give me the young woman to be my wife” (verses 11b-12).

Outwardly, Jacob’s sons are maintaining a veneer of cooperation. Inwardly is a whole different situation. Simeon speaks for the group, and he already has a plan in place to make this monster pay for what he did to his sister.

“We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us. Only one this condition will we agree with you – that you will become as we are by every male among you being circumcised. Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to ourselves, and we will dwell with you and become one people. But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and we will be gone” (verses 14-16).

Simeon figured that, either way, Shechem would pay for his sins. He would never really have their sister. He would make certain of it.

“This sounds reasonable to me” Hamor replied. He and his son left immediately to speak with the men of the town. Hamor was certain he could get them to agree to this condition.

After the two men are out of hearing range, the brothers and Jacob all turn to Simeon. “Why did you agree to this?! He defiled our sister!” shouts Judah.

Jacob chimes in. “It may be better this way for Dinah. No other husband would have her after what Shechem has done to her. At least she will have a husband.”

The brothers deflate at their Abba’s words. Not Simeon though. He is not turning loose of his plan to avenge his sister’s honor.

Hamor and Shechem go directly to the city gate to present their case. It is not an easy thing they are asking of their men, but it will also gain them quite an advantage.

“These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives, and let us give them out daughters…”

Hamor waits until he sees heads nodding before continuing on. “…Only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us to become one people – when every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised…” Before anyone can object, Hamor rushes on to the ‘hook’ of his proposal. “…Will not their livestock, their property and all their beasts be ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will dwell with us” (verses 21-23).

Discussion breaks out among those who are listening. “This is too much” argues one man. “Have you seen the size of their herds” asks another. “They are HUGE” comments yet another. “We will gain so much, and it will only hurt for a few days. Imagine your household blessed like Jacob’s. And the beautiful Dinah will be always by my side” urges Shechem.

There is finally consensus. “We will do this thing that they require.”

“It has to be EVERY man. Not just a select few” reminds Hamor.

“We will see to it that all know and come here for this purpose.”

“It will begin at first light tomorrow, and I will be the first, as it is for my sake that they have made this agreement” says Shechem.

“And I will be second” offer’s Hamor, “As the leader of this land, I will set the example.”

The word goes out that day, with the stamp of the approval of Hamor, to every household in the territory. Included in the order is also the incentive by which the leaders agreed to this condition.

By morning, men are filing into the city from all over. Simeon watches as the line inches forward. “They are doing it” he thinks with glee. Soon he begins to see men exiting the city too, walking gently. The sight almost pulls laughter from Simeon’s throat, but he keeps it locked inside; for now.

Levi joins Simeon as he watches the proceedings.

“We are actually gong to give Dinah to him?”

“Patients little brother. I have a plan.”

That evening Hamor and Shechem appear at Jacob’s camp. Jacob and Simeon greet them politely.

“We have done as you instructed” says Shechem. “I have come to collect my bride.”

“Go and fetch your sister” Jacob instructs Simeon.

“Yes, Abba” Simeon says, then rushes off to get Dinah.

Leah had spent the day explaining the facts of life to Dinah. The hard facts. That Dinah would be marrying Shechem and would indeed be his. How his act had changed her prospects for marriage. “You are no longer a virgin”, Leah says, then quickly adds “through no fault of your own.”

Leah looks into Dinah’s eyes, looking for comprehension and agreement. What she sees instead is sorrow and bitterness. Leah holds her daughter to her breast, trying to soften the blow.

By the time Simeon arrives, Dinah is resigned to her fate. She is anything but joyous, but she sees no other options open to her.

“It’s time to go” announces Leah when she sees Simeon just inside the door. “Simeon will walk with you.”

On the way back to Shechem, Simeon puts his arm around his sister’s shoulders. “Be strong my sister. All will be well in time.”

Another tear slips its way past Dinah’s eyelids as she allows her brother to lead her to her future. “Maybe it won’t be so bad” she tries to convince herself. “There were tender moments.”

Shechem beams with pride as Dinah’s hand is placed in his. As they leave Jacob’s company, Shechem whispers to Dinah, “I told you that you were mine.”

Dinah’s heart sinks a little more but she refuses to cry. Afterall, she IS Shechem’s now. He speaks the truth.

Two days have passed since Dinah left with Shechem. Simeon knows the progression sequence with this event. He has witnessed it each time their Abba has brought another male servant into their household. First is the immediate pain. It subsides in a couple of hours. And a few days later, there is the excruciating soreness that sets in. This pain leaves men writhing on their beds for nearly a full day. THAT is the day Simeon is waiting for.

Simeon draws Levi aside after their evening meal. “We need to talk. Walk with me for a bit.”

Levi doesn’t even argue. He would do anything for Simeon.

Simeon takes Levi far enough away that they will not be overheard. Then he lays his plan out for Levi.

“Remember how the men that Abba has circumcised over the years go through the pain of healing? How on the third day, they are as weak as babes?”

“Yes.”

“Guess what tomorrow is for the men of the city.”

“The third day” offers Levi, wondering what Simeon has in mind.

“And we are going in there on ‘the third day’ and avenging Dinah’s honor.”

“How? What do you have in mind?”

“We are going to make every one of them pay for Dinah’s disgrace with their lives. They won’t be able to put up a fight. We will go in with swords and fall on every one of them.”

“Who is ‘We’?”

“You and me, dear brother.”

“I like it” Levi says with a gleam in his eyes.

The next morning, before the sun is up, Levi and Simeon steal away from camp. Carrying their swords and knives, they make their way to the farthest houses from the city. They sneak in quietly and quickly slice the throats of the men while they lie on their beds.

They have to work fast before anyone raises the alarm. Even if one was raised, there would be none to answer it. By midmorning Simeon and Levi have reached the home of Hamor and Shechem.

“This one I want to personally do” says Simeon. “And it won’t be quick either.”

“No Simeon. Justice only; not revenge.”

“Fine” Simeon agrees. “But I will still enjoy it.”

Shechem is the last man dispatched and Simeon slits his throat the same as they had done to all the others. Simeon doesn’t feel the release he expected. He still needs more. He has another idea.

“Let’s take the spoils” he urges Levi.

“What do you mean?”

“We will take EVERYTHING they have. It is ours by right of victory.”

Levi likes the idea. The two of them begin searching for valuables everywhere. They ransack the home of Homer before realizing that they will need some help. There is no way that they can carry all that they are gathering, as well as taking the women and children captive.

“Levi, you sneak back into camp and bring twenty of the servants. We are going to need help here.”

Levi does as Simeon directed, making sure that no one noticed him coming or going.

While Levi was gone, Simeon found Dinah. She was in a room all by herself.

“Dinah!” Simeon exclaims as he rushes to her. “You’re safe now” he says as he settles beside her on the bed. “I’m going to take you home. We have to wait for Levi to get back first.”

Dinah looks up as Simeon. “What about Shechem?”

“He will never bother you again.

“But what will become of me? I’m no longer… desirable as a wife” Dinah says as she hangs her head in shame.

“You are a widow now. Which makes everything alright again.”

Dinah looks up as Simeon and gives him a watery smile.

It wasn’t long before Levi arrived with help. Simeon was loathe to send Dinah home alone so he kept her close to him as they continued to plunder the rest of the city and all of the houses he and Levi had snuck into. There was a vast haul, especially in women and children. There would be no sneaking back into camp this time.

Simeon, Levi, and Dinah led the way back to camp that evening. Trailing them were all the flocks, herds, donkeys and whatever else they felt was valuable from both the city and the fields around it. All of the people’s “wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered” (verse 29).

Jacob couldn’t help but hear them as they made their way home. He ran out to meet them. He was furious! Jacob pointed his finger at his two sons and said, “You have brought trouble on me by making me stink to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites…” Jacob then turned around and swept his arm across his company, “…My numbers are few, and if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I AND my household” (verse 30).

Simeon put his arm around Dinah and drew her next to himself. With a look of fierce determination, he faced his Abba. “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?”

Yes. What was done to Dinah was reprehensible. But what Simeon and Levi had just done would likely have lasting consequences; of which, Jacob could not possibly predict. “I will not forget this” Jacob promised his sons.

Simeon returned Dinah to Leah’s arms where the two embraced for a very long time. Simeon quietly looked on. Finally, Leah raises her head and mouths the words “Thank you” to Simeon. She may never admit this to Jacob, or even fully to herself, but she is pleased with her son’s actions in support of their sister. She knows Dinah will always be safe under their care.

(to be continued)

I’m wondering why Jacob didn’t answer Homor and Shechem when they came for Dinah. Did Jacob feel removed from responsibility for her because she was his less than favorite wife? Did he not know what to say? Did Simeon, or whatever brother spoke, step in too quickly for Jacob to react? Did the conversation we read about take place after Jacob had his say?

With my personality, I would not stay silent if this were done to my daughter. Whomever even attempted such an act would find themselves in serious danger. Probably not the same kind of danger that Shechem received, but certainly prosecuted to the FULLEST of the law!

I’m still wondering about the women and children taken by Levi and Simeon. What became of them? Were the eventually let go? Did some of Jacob’s sons take wives from them? Were they killed? Did they become slaves? We don’t hear any more about them or Dinah after this story ends. Did Dinah finally marry? Did she stay in Jacob’s camp the rest of her life? And did this affect her relationship with her Ima?

Father God, THANK YOU for protecting my children from sexual assault! I pray that NONE of my children or grandchildren EVER face this kind crime against them. I pray that they would be able to come to me for help if they were ever attacked, or molested in any way. Just saying those words brings anger to my heart.

There are so many in this world who face events just like Dinah’s. I ask You to comfort them and help them heal. To right what was done so wrong to them. To even remove it from their conscious minds as much as possible; as You have done for me.

One day Father God, this will NEVER take place again. No one will be made to suffer the humiliation Dinah endured. I’m looking forward to that day.