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Genesis 34:5

in Genesis 34

Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, he remained silent about it until they returned.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; and his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they came.

KJV

And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.

This verse in Genesis 34

Commentary

4 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Jacob held his peace--Jacob, as a father and a good man, must have been deeply distressed. In the case of a family by different wives, it is not the father, but the full brothers, on whom the protection of the daughters devolves--they are the guardians of a sister's welfare and the avengers of her wrongs.

This site's exposition

he remained silent about it until they returned

on Genesis 34:5-7

Jacob heard it and remained silent until his sons returned from the field. Verse 7 calls what Shechem did an outrage in Israel, the Hebrew nebalah, a word for an act that breaks a people's own law. This is the first time the word stands in Scripture. Tamar puts it to Amnon in nearly the same words at 2 Samuel 13:12, over another violated sister.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Jacob's sons, when they heard of the injury done to Dinah, showed a very great resentment of it, influenced perhaps rather by jealousy for the honour of their family than by a sense of virtue. Many are concerned at the shamefulness of sin that never lay to heart the sinfulness of it.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter,....

The words behind it

16 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וְיַעֲקֹ֣בand Jacob

    veyaakoH3290 →350 times

  • שָׁמַ֗עhe heard

    shama'H8085 →1159 times

  • כִּ֤יthat

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • טִמֵּא֙he had defiled

    time'H2930 →162 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • דִּינָ֣הDinah

    dinahH1783 →8 times

  • בִתּ֔וֹdaughter his

    vitoH1323 →588 times

  • וּבָנָ֛יוand sons his

    uvanavH1121 →4930 times

  • הָי֥וּthey were

    hayuH1961 →3559 times

  • אֶת־with

    ʾet-H854 →929 times

  • מִקְנֵ֖הוּlivestock his

    miknehuH4735 →76 times

  • בַּשָּׂדֶ֑הin the field

    basadehH7704 →334 times

  • וְהֶחֱרִ֥שׁand he kept silent

    vehecherishH2790 →74 times

  • יַעֲקֹ֖בJacob

    yaakoH3290 →350 times

  • עַד־until

    ʾad-H5704 →1261 times

  • בֹּאָֽם׃came they

    boamH935 →2568 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    1 Samuel 10:27

    But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.

    it leads to

    • Deuteronomy 13:13

      that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known),

    • 2 Chronicles 17:5

      So the LORD established the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah brought him tribute, so that he had an abundance of riches and honor.

    • 1 Kings 10:25

      Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

    • Matthew 27:12–14

      And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer.

    • 1 Samuel 2:12

      Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD

  • Through

    1 Samuel 16:11

    And Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied, “but he is tending the sheep.” “Send for him,” Samuel replied. “For we will not sit…

    it leads to

  • Through

    2 Samuel 13:22

    And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon for disgracing his sister Tamar.

    it leads to

    • Genesis 31:24

      But that night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

    • Leviticus 19:17–18

      You must not harbor hatred against your brother in your heart. Directly rebuke your neighbor, so that you will not incur guilt on account of him.

Where this verse is studied

About Genesis

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 (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.