Genesis 34:7
in Genesis 34When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; which thing ought not to be done.
KJV
And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; which thing ought not to be done.
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This verse in Genesis 34
Commentary
6 notes on this verseHe had wrought folly in Israel - The land, afterwards generally called Israel, was not as yet so named; and the sons of Jacob were neither called Israel, Israelites nor Jews, till long after this. How then can it be said that Shechem had wrought folly in Israel? The words are capable of a more literal translation: בישראל beyisrael, may be translated, against Israel. The angel had said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob - not only Jacob, but Israel.
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.
This site's exposition
committed an outrage in Israel
In Israel names Jacob's household by the name given at Genesis 32:28, before any nation bore it. A thing that should not be done is Abimelech's charge against Abraham at Genesis 20:9. The household is already Israel.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Uncleanness is folly; for it sacrifices the favour of God, peace of conscience, and all the soul can pretend to that is sacred and honourable, to a base and brutish lust. This folly is most shameful in Israel, in a family of Israel, where God is known and worshipped, as he was in Jacob's tents, by the name of the God of Israel.
And the sons of Jacob came out of the field, when they heard it,.....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the men were grieved, and . . . very wroth--Good men in such a case could not but grieve; but it would have been well if their anger had been less, or that they had known the precept "let not the sun go down upon your wrath" [Eph 4:26]. No injury can justify revenge (De 32:35;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּבְנֵ֨י | uvenei | and [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יַעֲקֹ֜ב | yaako | Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| בָּ֤אוּ | bau | they came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַשָּׂדֶה֙ | hasadeh | the field | H7704 → | 334 times |
| כְּשָׁמְעָ֔ם | keshameam | when heard they | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| וַיִּֽתְעַצְּבוּ֙ | vaiyitatzevu | and they were indignant | H6087 → | 17 times |
| הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים | haanashim | the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| וַיִּ֥חַר | vaiyichar | and it burned | H2734 → | 91 times |
| לָהֶ֖ם | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| מְאֹ֑ד | meod | exceedingly | H3966 → | 300 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נְבָלָ֞ה | nevalah | a disgraceful folly | H5039 → | |
| עָשָׂ֣ה | ʾasah | he had done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | veyisrael | in Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לִשְׁכַּב֙ | lishkav | by lying with | H7901 → | 212 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בַּֽת־ | bat- | [the] daughter of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| יַעֲקֹ֔ב | yaako | Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| וְכֵ֖ן | vekhen | and thus | H3651 → | 771 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יֵעָשֶֽׂה׃ | yeaseh | it is done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
וּבְנֵ֨יand [the] sons of
uveneiH1121 →4930 times
יַעֲקֹ֜בJacob
yaakoH3290 →350 times
בָּ֤אוּthey came
bauH935 →2568 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַשָּׂדֶה֙the field
hasadehH7704 →334 times
כְּשָׁמְעָ֔םwhen heard they
keshameamH8085 →1159 times
וַיִּֽתְעַצְּבוּ֙and they were indignant
vaiyitatzevuH6087 →17 times
הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔יםthe men
haanashimH582 →566 times
וַיִּ֥חַרand it burned
vaiyicharH2734 →91 times
לָהֶ֖םto <the> them
lahem
מְאֹ֑דexceedingly
meodH3966 →300 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
נְבָלָ֞הa disgraceful folly
nevalahH5039 →
עָשָׂ֣הhe had done
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֗לin Israel
veyisraelH3478 →2507 times
לִשְׁכַּב֙by lying with
lishkavH7901 →212 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בַּֽת־[the] daughter of
bat-H1323 →588 times
יַעֲקֹ֔בJacob
yaakoH3290 →350 times
וְכֵ֖ןand thus
vekhenH3651 →771 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יֵעָשֶֽׂה׃it is done
yeasehH6213 →2628 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
Hebrews 13:4Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
it leads to
- Genesis 2:24
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
- Proverbs 5:15–23
Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well.
- 1 Corinthians 7:2–16
But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.
- Galatians 5:19
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery;
- Genesis 1:27–28
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
- Genesis 2:24
Through
Deuteronomy 22:21she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house, and there the men of her city will stone her to death. For she has committed an outrage in Israel by being promiscuous…
it leads to
- Judges 20:6
Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 13:5
Such a prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has advocated rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the…
- Judges 20:6
Through
Judges 20:6Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.
it leads to
- Judges 19:29
When he reached his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel.
- Judges 19:29
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.
