Dinah and the Shechemites

Anita Diamant's popular book, The Red Tent, is based
on the story in Genesis 34.

Genesis 34

Well, everyone seems to go a little crazy in this chapter.

Dinah, the daughter of Leah and Jacob, ventures out to visit the women of the land (who would be of a different culture to her). In return, she is kidnapped and raped by Shechen, sone of Hamor the Hivite, who also happens to be the ruler of that area.

Hamor realizes this is a volatile situation, and asks Jacob if he would give Dinah to Shechem as a wife, and offers to allow the two families to intermarry and live together.

And what is the response?

Genesis 34:13-16, NIV Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us. We will give our consent to you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males. Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We’ll settle among you and become one people with you.”

Key word here: deceitfully.

What really happens is Shechem’s family complies and all the men are circumcised. While they are recovering, Dinah’s brothers enact retribution, killing every male in the city, seize their flocks and herd, and carry off the women and children. Oh, and in the process they rescue Dinah from Shechem’s house and bring her home.

The rape of Dinah is a horrible thing. But so is the founders of Israel lying to a city, convincing them to circumcise only so that they will be weak and can be killed easily. The captured women and children from the city were likely forced into slavery, which is equally horrendous as what happened to Dinah.

Jacob condemns his sons actions, but out of fear of retribution. God is silent in this chapter.

Genesis 34:30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.