Genesis 34:5-12

2009.May.22 09:00

Negotiating the Priceless

Read Genesis 34:5-12 | Full Chapter

Meanwhile, Jacob heard what had happened. But his sons were out in the fields with the cattle, so he did not do anything at the time.
(Genesis 34:5, CEV)

As a father, I can’t imagine Jacob’s willingness to wait to react to the news that his daughter has been raped. Pragmatically, there are some points to consider:

1. Customs. The preceding passage definitely reads like rape to me, but maybe there is some courtship ritual going on. As I mentioned last article, I’m disinclined to that opinion.
2. Wait for his sons and servants to be around. If Jacob wants to attack, it’s wise to wait until he has some fellow attackers. It’s worth remembering that were his primary goal the rescue of his daughter and not purely vengeance, Jacob ought to be able to trust that the same God who has so recently rescued him will come through again. The question of why then Yahweh had not stopped the rape to begin with is one of those wonderfully perplexing problems that I’m going to ignore.
3. Fear of overreacting. Again, it’s hard to think of what would qualify as a parent overreacting to such news.

Always a bit difficult trying to assess actions that occur in a very different culture; there’s certainly the potential for misinterpretting them.

Hamor arrived at Jacob's home just as Jacob's sons were coming in from work. When they learned that their sister had been raped, they became furiously angry. Nothing is more disgraceful than rape, and it should not be tolerated in Israel.
(Genesis 34:6-7, CEV)

The CEV uses the word “rape” where some other versions are less direct. I’ll leave the word study to someone who could actually give an informed opinion thereupon. Anyway, Dinah’s brothers, upon learning of the situation, are understandably incensed. The narrator breaks out of the story for a moment to note that rape is unacceptable. It amazes me that this needs to be said, but as a species we are rather stupid sometimes. Or that is, we are selfish enough to be willfully unaware.

Hamor said to Jacob and his sons: My son Shechem really loves Dinah. Please let him marry her. Why don't you start letting your families marry into our families and ours marry into yours? You can share this land with us. Move freely about until you find the property you want; then buy it and settle down here. Shechem added, "Do this favor for me, and I'll give whatever you want. Ask anything, no matter how expensive. I'll do anything, just let me marry Dinah."
(Genesis 34:8-12, CEV)

Hamor, Shechem’s father, tries some diplomacy. He can probably see, at least more or less, what is coming. His offer is basically that if Jacob’s family will overlook the “disgrace,” then the two families could form something of a political and economic alliance (how formal this would be is not clear) with particular benefits to Jacob and group. The alliance would be cemented by marriages, beginning with Shechem to Dinah. Or, the bride price for Dinah would be good relations with the powers that be in Succoth. Shechem, now smitten, appears rather emotional in supporting his father’s proposal.

“Just overlook this one thing?”

There are things we value such that they have a price, and there are things we value such that there is no acceptable price (at least not a realistic one; armchair philosophers inventing absurdist scenarios can be ignored).