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Genesis 34:30

in Genesis 34

Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people of this land. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and, I being few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and smite me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

KJV

And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

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This verse in Genesis 34

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

A commentator

Cyril of Alexandria

GLAPHYRA ON GENESIS, 5.4-5 · Written before 444.

Those who are brothers according to faith to the injured one, if they are in the priestly order, like Levi, are among the subjects (Simon, in fact, is interpreted as "obedience"). They are extremely displeased if somebody who is their intimate friend according to faith is offended. However, they should not proceed to demand blood, nor should they expect extremely severe punishments for the corruptors, so as not to listen to Christ, who said to them, "You have made me hateful, so that I am now evil in the eyes of all the inhabitants of the land."

This site's exposition

You have brought trouble upon me

Jacob speaks at last, and what he names is the danger to himself from the Canaanites and Perizzites. He says they have made him a stench to the people of this land, and that his household will be destroyed if the land unites against him. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the argument as the one likely to reach sons in this state, and Henry takes the fear as a father seeing the ruin his children cannot. Genesis 35:5 answers that fear.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Jacob knew indeed that God had promised to preserve and perpetuate his house; but he might justly fear that these vile practices of his children would amount to a forfeiture, and cut off the entail. Note, When sin is in the house, there is reason to fear ruin at the door. The tender parents foresee those bad consequences of sin which the wicked children have no dread of.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Ye have troubled me - Brought my mind into great distress, and endangered my personal safety; to make me to stink - to render me odious to the surrounding tribes, so that there is every reason to suspect that when this deed is come abroad they will join in a confederacy against me, and extirpate my whole family. And had he not been under the peculiar protection of God, this in all human probability would have been the case; but he had prevailed with God, and he was also to prevail with men.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

We may wonder that, in speaking of it to his sons, he did not represent it as a heinous sin, an atrocious violation of the laws of God and man, but dwelt solely on the present consequences. It was probably because that was the only view likely to rouse the cold-blooded apathy, the hardened consciences of those ruffian sons.

The words behind it

22 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.

  • וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said

    vaiyomerH559 →5305 times

  • יַעֲקֹ֜בJacob

    yaakoH3290 →350 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • שִׁמְע֣וֹןSimeon

    shimonH8095 →44 times

  • וְאֶל־and to

    veel-H413 →5510 times

  • לֵוִי֮Levi

    leviH3878 →59 times

  • עֲכַרְתֶּ֣םyou have troubled

    ʾakhartemH5916 →

  • אֹתִי֒<obj.> me

    ʾotiH853 →10935 times

  • לְהַבְאִישֵׁ֙נִי֙by making odious me

    lehavisheniH887 →

  • בְּיֹשֵׁ֣בamong [the] inhabitant[s] of

    beyoshevH3427 →1079 times

  • הָאָ֔רֶץthe land

    haaretzH776 →2504 times

  • בַּֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖יamong the Canaanite[s]

    bakenaaniH3669 →73 times

  • וּבַפְּרִזִּ֑יand among the Perizzite[s]

    uvapperiziH6522 →23 times

  • וַאֲנִי֙and I

    vaaniH589 →874 times

  • מְתֵ֣י[am] men of

    meteiH4962 →

  • מִסְפָּ֔רnumber

    misparH4557 →

  • וְנֶאֶסְפ֤וּand they will gather

    veneesfuH622 →200 times

  • עָלַי֙on me

    ʾalaiH5921 →5755 times

  • וְהִכּ֔וּנִיand they will attack me

    vehikuniH5221 →499 times

  • וְנִשְׁמַדְתִּ֖יand I will be destroyed

    venishmadtiH8045 →

  • אֲנִ֥יI

    ʾaniH589 →874 times

  • וּבֵיתִֽי׃and household my

    uveitiH1004 →2046 times

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

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Genesis 49:6May I never enter their council; may I never join their assembly. For they kill men in their anger, and hamstring oxen on a whim.8 worksPsalms 105:12When they were few in number, few indeed, and strangers in the land,8 worksExodus 5:21“May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!”4 worksJoshua 7:25“Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua. “Today the LORD will bring trouble upon you!” And all Israel stoned him to death. Then they stoned the others and burned their bodies.4 works1 Samuel 13:4And all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked an outpost of the Philistines, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines!” Then the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.4 works1 Chronicles 16:19When they were few in number, few indeed, and strangers in the land,4 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
2 Samuel 10:6When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth-rehob and Zoba, as well as a thousand men from the king of Maacah and twelve thousand men from Tob.4 worksGenesis 13:7And there was discord between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in the land.3 worksGenesis 29:33Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son as well.” So she named him Simeon.3 worksGenesis 35:5As they set out, a terror from God fell over the surrounding cities, so that they did not pursue Jacob’s sons.3 works1 Chronicles 19:6When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah.3 worksGenesis 28:13–14And there at the top the LORD was standing and saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie.2 worksGenesis 49:5–7Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence.2 works1 Samuel 27:12So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”2 works2 Samuel 16:21Ahithophel replied, “Sleep with your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the palace. When all Israel hears that you have become a stench to your father, then the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.”2 worksGenesis 46:10The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.2 works1 Kings 11:25Rezon was Israel’s enemy throughout the days of Solomon, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled over Aram with hostility toward Israel.2 worksGenesis 50:11When the Canaanites of the land saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn ceremony of mourning by the Egyptians.” Thus the place across the Jordan is called Abel-mizraim.2 works

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

    Joshua 7:25

    “Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua. “Today the LORD will bring trouble upon you!” And all Israel stoned him to death. Then they stoned the others and burned their bodies.

    it leads to

    • Joshua 6:18

      But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and…

    • 1 Chronicles 2:7

      The son of Carmi: Achar, who brought trouble upon Israel by violating the ban on devoted things.

    • Deuteronomy 17:5

      you must bring out to your gates the man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you must stone that person to death.

    • Leviticus 24:14

      “Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and have all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then have the whole assembly stone him.

  • Through

    Psalms 105:12

    When they were few in number, few indeed, and strangers in the land,

    it leads to

    • Deuteronomy 7:7

      The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.

    • Hebrews 11:9

      By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.

    • Genesis 23:4

      “I am a foreigner and an outsider among you. Give me a burial site among you so that I can bury my dead.”

    • Deuteronomy 26:5

      and you are to declare before the LORD your God, “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt few in number and lived there and became a great nation, mighty…

Where this verse is studied

About Genesis

The Creation of Light — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
The Creation of Light — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Genesis: the study guide →Read Genesis 34 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Cyril of Alexandria, GLAPHYRA ON GENESIS, 5.4-5; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Genesis 34 →