Genesis 34:2
in Genesis 34When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her; and he took her, and lay with her, and humbled her.
KJV
And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.
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This verse in Genesis 34
Commentary
6 notes on this versePrince of the country - i.e., Hamor was prince; Shechem was the son of the prince or chief. Our version appears to represent Shechem as prince, but his father was the chief of the country. See Gen 34:6, Gen 34:8, etc.
This site's exposition
went out to visit the daughters of the land
on Genesis 34:1-2
Verse 1 names Dinah as Leah's daughter, borne to Jacob. The two brothers who act for her in verse 25 are Leah's sons. Shechem is Hamor's son, and Hamor the Hivite is prince of the region. He saw her and took her, and he lay with her by force.
This site's exposition
he took her and lay with her by force
Shechem saw her and took her, the pair of verbs used of the sons of God at Genesis 6:2. By force renders the Hebrew anah, to humble or afflict, the verb used of Amnon at 2 Samuel 13:14. The Hivites return at Joshua 9:7 as the people of Gibeon.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And when Shechem the son of Hamor,.... From whom the city had its name, near which Jacob and his family now were: the Hivite, prince of the country; Hamor was an Hivite, which was one of the nations of the land of Canaan, and this man was the prince or a principal man of that nation, as well as of Shechem.
Note, The beginning of sin is as the letting forth of water. How great a matter does a little fire kindle! We should therefore carefully avoid all occasions of sin and approaches to it.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
According to JOSEPHUS, she had been attending a festival; but it is highly probable that she had been often and freely mixing in the society of the place and that she, being a simple, inexperienced, and vain young woman, had been flattered by the attentions of the ruler's son.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
The reason [Scripture specifies the daughter of Leah ] is to state that she was the sister of Simeon and Levi, who were envious for her sake and avenged her cause.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Deenah went out, the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Yaakov, to see [visit] the local girls.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֨רְא | vaiyar' | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֹתָ֜הּ | ʾotah | <obj.> her | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שְׁכֶ֧ם | shekhem | Shechem | H7927 → | 63 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| חֲמ֛וֹר | chamor | Hamor | H2544 → | 13 times |
| הַֽחִוִּ֖י | hachivi | the Hivite | H2340 → | 25 times |
| נְשִׂ֣יא | nesi' | [the] chief of | H5387 → | 134 times |
| הָאָ֑רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וַיִּקַּ֥ח | vaiyikach | and he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֹתָ֛הּ | ʾotah | <obj.> her | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב | vaiyishkav | and he lay with | H7901 → | 212 times |
| אֹתָ֖הּ | ʾotah | with <the> her | H854 → | 929 times |
| וַיְעַנֶּֽהָ׃ | vayaneha | and he humiliated her | H6031 → | 82 times |
וַיַּ֨רְאand he saw
vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times
אֹתָ֜הּ<obj.> her
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
שְׁכֶ֧םShechem
shekhemH7927 →63 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
חֲמ֛וֹרHamor
chamorH2544 →13 times
הַֽחִוִּ֖יthe Hivite
hachiviH2340 →25 times
נְשִׂ֣יא[the] chief of
nesi'H5387 →134 times
הָאָ֑רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
וַיִּקַּ֥חand he took
vaiyikachH3947 →966 times
אֹתָ֛הּ<obj.> her
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥בand he lay with
vaiyishkavH7901 →212 times
אֹתָ֖הּwith <the> her
ʾotahH854 →929 times
וַיְעַנֶּֽהָ׃and he humiliated her
vayanehaH6031 →82 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 5:28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
it leads to
- 1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 1 John 2:16
Through
Proverbs 13:20He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 15:33–34
Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
- Proverbs 15:31
He who listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.
- Proverbs 9:6
Leave your folly behind, and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.”
- 2 Corinthians 6:14–18
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
- 1 Corinthians 15:33–34
Through
Job 31:1“I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?
it leads to
- Proverbs 6:25
Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- James 1:14–15
But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 119:37
Turn my eyes away from worthless things; revive me with Your word.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 6:25
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.