Genesis 34:5
in Genesis 34Jacob 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.
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This verse in Genesis 34
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
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
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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְיַעֲקֹ֣ב | veyaako | and Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| שָׁמַ֗ע | shama' | he heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| כִּ֤י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| טִמֵּא֙ | time' | he had defiled | H2930 → | 162 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דִּינָ֣ה | dinah | Dinah | H1783 → | 8 times |
| בִתּ֔וֹ | vito | daughter his | H1323 → | 588 times |
| וּבָנָ֛יו | uvanav | and sons his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הָי֥וּ | hayu | they were | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| מִקְנֵ֖הוּ | miknehu | livestock his | H4735 → | 76 times |
| בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה | basadeh | in the field | H7704 → | 334 times |
| וְהֶחֱרִ֥שׁ | vehecherish | and he kept silent | H2790 → | 74 times |
| יַעֲקֹ֖ב | yaako | Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| בֹּאָֽם׃ | boam | came they | H935 → | 2568 times |
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 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
1 Samuel 10:27But 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
- Deuteronomy 13:13
Through
1 Samuel 16:11And 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
- Psalms 78:70–71
He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds;
- Psalms 78:70–71
Through
2 Samuel 13:22And 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.
- Genesis 31:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Genesis

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJacobThe heel-grasping supplanter reshaped at Peniel into 'Israel, he who strives with God' — father of the twelve tribes.
- PlaceCentral hill countryShechemThe city between Ebal and Gerizim where Abram built his first altar in the land, where Joshua set the people to choose whom they w…
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.
