創世記 34
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
底娜受辱
34 一天，利亞給雅各所生的女兒底娜到外面去見當地的女子。 2 當地首領希未人哈抹的兒子示劍看到她，就抓住她，強行玷污了她。 3 他戀慕雅各的女兒底娜，就用甜言蜜語討她歡心。 4 他求父親哈抹為他說親，把底娜娶過來。 5 消息傳到雅各耳中時，他的兒子們正在田野放牧。他只好忍氣吞聲，等兒子們回來再作打算。 6 示劍的父親哈抹來和雅各商議。 7 雅各的兒子們一聽說這事，就從田野趕回來。大家都非常憤怒，因為示劍不該對以色列家做這醜事——玷污雅各的女兒。
8 哈抹跟他們商議說：「我兒子示劍愛慕你們家的女兒，請你們把女兒嫁給他吧！ 9 我們可以互相通婚，你們可以把女兒嫁給我們的兒子，也可以娶我們的女兒為妻。 10 你們可以在我們這裡安頓下來，這片土地就在你們面前，住在這裡做買賣、置產業吧。」 11 示劍對底娜的父親和她的弟兄們說：「請你們恩待我，你們要什麼，我都給你們。 12 只要你們答應把女兒嫁給我，無論你們要多少聘金和禮物，我必如數奉上。」
雅各之子計殺示劍人
13 雅各的兒子們因為示劍玷污了他們的妹妹底娜，就假意對示劍和他的父親哈抹說： 14 「我們不能把妹妹嫁給沒有受過割禮的人，這對我們是一種羞辱。 15 除非你們所有的男子都跟我們一樣受割禮， 16 我們才能答應和你們通婚，共同生活，結成一個民族。 17 如果你們不肯這樣做，我們就把妹妹帶走。」
18 哈抹父子欣然答應。 19 示劍毫不遲延地照辦，因為他熱戀底娜。在哈抹家族中，他最受人尊重。 20 哈抹父子來到城門口，對那城的居民說： 21 「這些人跟我們相處和睦，就讓他們在這裡定居、做買賣吧。我們這裡有足夠的地方可以容納他們，我們可以和他們通婚。 22 可是，他們有一個條件，就是要我們所有的男子和他們一樣接受割禮，他們才答應和我們一起生活，結成一個民族。 23 到時候，他們的財產和牛羊等所有牲畜不全歸我們了嗎？我們同意他們吧，這樣他們就會在我們這裡定居。」 24 在城門進出的人聽了哈抹父子的話，都表示贊同。於是，城裡的男子都接受了割禮。
25 到了第三天，他們傷口正疼痛的時候，雅各的兩個兒子——底娜的哥哥西緬和利未拿著利劍，乘眾人沒有防備，潛入城中，殺掉了所有的男子， 26 包括哈抹和示劍，從示劍家裡帶走了底娜。 27 雅各的兒子又到城裡擄掠，因為他們的妹妹在那裡被人玷污。 28 他們搶走牛群、羊群、驢群和城裡城外所有的東西， 29 並帶走所有財物、婦孺以及房屋裡的一切。 30 雅各責備西緬和利未說：「你們為什麼要給我惹麻煩，使我在當地的迦南人和比利洗人中留下臭名呢？我們人數很少，要是他們聯手來攻擊我們，我們全家必遭滅門之禍。」 31 他們說：「他怎麼能把我們的妹妹當妓女對待？」
Genesis 34
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 34
The Incident at Shechem.[a] 1 Dinah, the daughter whom Leah had borne for Jacob, went out to see the young women of the country. 2 When Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and laid with her and defiled her. 3 He was deeply attracted to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke comforting words to her. 4 Then he said to Hamor, his father, “Arrange for me to take this woman as a wife.”
5 When Jacob learned that Dinah, his daughter, had been defiled, his sons were in the countryside with the animals. So he remained silent until they returned.
6 Hamor, the father of Shechem, came to Jacob to speak to him. 7 When the sons of Jacob returned from the countryside, they heard what had happened. They were furious and very indignant because he had done this outrage in Israel, sleeping with a daughter of Jacob. One did not do these things!
8 Hamor said to them, “Shechem, my son, is in love with your daughter. Please give her to him in marriage. 9 Why not intermarry with us?[b] You give us your daughters, and you can take our daughters for yourselves. 10 You can live with us, and the land will be at your disposal. Reside here, move about freely, and buy property.”
11 Shechem said to Dinah’s father and her brothers, “Tell me what I can give you in order to find favor in your sight. 12 You can even raise my bridal price greatly and the value of the due gifts. I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”
13 The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully, for they had dishonored their sister Dinah. 14 They told them, “We cannot do this; we cannot give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. This would dishonor us. 15 We will only grant your request if you become like us, if all of you circumcise your male members. 16 Then we will give you our daughters, and you can give us yours. We will live with you, and we can become a single people. 17 But if you will not listen to our proposal concerning circumcising yourselves, then we will take our daughter and go away.”
18 Their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, the son of Hamor. 19 The young man did not waste any time in doing this thing, for he loved the daughter of Jacob. He was also the most honored member of the household of his father. 20 Hamor and his son Shechem therefore went to the gate of the city and spoke to the men of the city, saying, 21 “These men are peaceful. Let them live with us in the land and move about freely. There is ample space in every direction. We can take their daughters for wives and we can give them ours. 22 But there is one condition before these men will agree to live with us to become a single people: that we circumcise each of our males as they themselves are circumcised. 23 Would not their herds, their riches, and all their animals then be ours? Let us agree to their proposal, and they will then live with us.”
24 All those who were near the gate of the city listened to Hamor and his son Shechem. All the men, everyone who had access to the gate of the city, had themselves circumcised.
25 On the third day, when they were still sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi,[c] the brothers of Dinah, took swords, entered the city boldly, and killed all the men. 26 They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword, took Dinah out of the house of Shechem, and left. 27 The other sons of Jacob came upon the bodies and sacked the city because their sister had been dishonored. 28 They took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys and whatever they had in the city and in the countryside. 29 They carried off all their possessions as booty, sacking whatever was in their houses.
30 Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have placed me in a very difficult situation, making me hateful to the inhabitants of this land, to the Canaanites and the Perizzites, and I only have a few men with me. They will unite against me, and defeat me, and annihilate me and my household.”
31 But they answered, “Should our sister be treated as a harlot?”
Footnotes
- Genesis 34:1 The incident does serious harm to the clan, which may in its turn suffer a harsh vendetta or be expelled from the Promised Land. For this reason, Simeon and Levi will suffer the consequences when Jacob decides on his successors (Gen 49:5-7). The story combines the Yahwist and Elohist traditions.
- Genesis 34:9 Intermarry with us: the Canaanites wanted to absorb Israel (see v. 16) in order to benefit from the blessings Jacob had received from the Lord (both his offspring and his possessions—vv. 21-23). This was a danger Israel constantly faced from other peoples and nations—either absorption or hostility, both of which are perpetual threats to the people of God.
- Genesis 34:25 Simeon and Levi: because they slaughtered the men of Shechem, their own descendants would be scattered far and wide. Brothers of Dinah: all three were children of Leah (Gen 29:33-34; 30:21). Killed all the men: Shechem’s crime, serious as it was, hardly warranted such brutal and extensive retaliation (see vv. 27-29).
Genesis 34
New English Translation
Dinah and the Shechemites
34 Now Dinah, Leah’s daughter whom she bore to Jacob, went to meet[a] the young women[b] of the land. 2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who ruled that area, saw her, he grabbed her, forced himself on her,[c] and sexually assaulted her.[d] 3 Then he became very attached[e] to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. He fell in love with the young woman and spoke romantically to her.[f] 4 Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Acquire this young girl as my wife.”[g] 5 When[h] Jacob heard that Shechem[i] had violated his daughter Dinah, his sons were with the livestock in the field. So Jacob remained silent[j] until they came in.
6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went to speak with Jacob about Dinah.[k] 7 Now Jacob’s sons had come in from the field when they heard the news.[l] They[m] were offended[n] and very angry because Shechem[o] had disgraced Israel[p] by sexually assaulting[q] Jacob’s daughter, a crime that should not be committed.[r]
8 But Hamor made this appeal to them: “My son Shechem is in love with your daughter.[s] Please give her to him as his wife. 9 Intermarry with us.[t] Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves.[u] 10 You may live[v] among us, and the land will be open to you.[w] Live in it, travel freely in it,[x] and acquire property in it.”
11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s[y] father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and whatever you require of me[z] I’ll give.[aa] 12 You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive,[ab] and I’ll give[ac] whatever you ask[ad] of me. Just give me the young woman as my wife!”
13 Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully when they spoke because Shechem[ae] had violated their sister Dinah. 14 They said to them, “We cannot give[af] our sister to a man who is not circumcised, for it would be a disgrace[ag] to us. 15 We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become[ah] like us by circumcising[ai] all your males. 16 Then we will give[aj] you our daughters to marry,[ak] and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people. 17 But if you do not agree to our terms[al] by being circumcised, then we will take[am] our sister[an] and depart.”
18 Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem.[ao] 19 The young man did not delay in doing what they asked[ap] because he wanted Jacob’s daughter Dinah[aq] badly. (Now he was more important[ar] than anyone in his father’s household.)[as] 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate[at] of their city and spoke to the men of their city, 21 “These men are at peace with us. So let them live in the land and travel freely in it, for the land is wide enough[au] for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry.[av] 22 Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand[aw] that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised. 23 If we do so,[ax] won’t their livestock, their property, and all their animals become ours? So let’s consent to their demand, so they will live among us.”
24 All the men who assembled at the city gate[ay] agreed with[az] Hamor and his son Shechem. Every male who assembled at the city gate[ba] was circumcised. 25 In three days, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword[bb] and went to the unsuspecting city[bc] and slaughtered every male. 26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left. 27 Jacob’s sons killed them[bd] and looted the city because their sister had been violated.[be] 28 They took their flocks, herds, and donkeys, as well as everything in the city and in the surrounding fields.[bf] 29 They captured as plunder[bg] all their wealth, all their little ones, and their wives, including everything in the houses.
30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought ruin on[bh] me by making me a foul odor[bi] among the inhabitants of the land—among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I[bj] am few in number; they will join forces against me and attack me, and both I and my family will be destroyed!” 31 But Simeon and Levi replied,[bk] “Should he treat our sister like a common prostitute?”
Footnotes
- Genesis 34:1 tn Heb “went out to see.” The verb “to see,” followed by the preposition ב (bet), here has the idea of “look over.” The young girl wanted to meet these women and see what they were like.
- Genesis 34:1 tn Heb “daughters.”
- Genesis 34:2 tn Heb “and he took her and lay with her.” The suffixed form following the verb appears to be the sign of the accusative instead of the preposition, but see BDB 1012 s.v. שָׁכַב.
- Genesis 34:2 tn The verb עָנָה (ʿanah) in the Piel stem can have various shades of meaning, depending on the context: “to defile; to mistreat; to violate; to rape; to shame; to afflict.” Here it means that Shechem violated or humiliated Dinah by raping her.
- Genesis 34:3 tn Heb “his soul stuck to [or “joined with”],” meaning Shechem became very attached to Dinah emotionally.
- Genesis 34:3 tn Heb “and he spoke to the heart of the young woman,” which apparently refers in this context to tender, romantic speech (Hos 2:14). Another option is to translate the expression “he reassured the young woman” (see Judg 19:3, 2 Sam 19:7; cf. NEB “comforted her”).
- Genesis 34:4 tn Heb “Take for me this young woman for a wife.”
- Genesis 34:5 tn The two disjunctive clauses in this verse (“Now Jacob heard…and his sons were”) are juxtaposed to indicate synchronic action.
- Genesis 34:5 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 34:5 sn The expected response would be anger or rage, but Jacob remained silent. He appears too indifferent or confused to act decisively. When the leader does not act decisively, the younger zealots will, and often with disastrous results.
- Genesis 34:6 tn Heb “went out to Jacob to speak with him.” The words “about Dinah” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 34:7 tn Heb “when they heard.” The words “the news” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 34:7 tn Heb “the men.” This sounds as if a new group has been introduced into the narrative, so it has been translated as “they” to indicate that it refers to Jacob’s sons, mentioned in the first part of the verse.
- Genesis 34:7 tn The Hebrew verb עָצַב (ʿatsav) can carry one of three semantic nuances depending on the context: (1) “to be injured” (Ps 56:5; Eccl 10:9; 1 Chr 4:10); (2) “to experience emotional pain; to be depressed emotionally; to be worried” (2 Sam 19:2; Isa 54:6; Neh 8:10-11); (3) “to be embarrassed; to be insulted; to be offended” (to the point of anger at another or oneself; Gen 6:6; 45:5; 1 Sam 20:3, 34; 1 Kgs 1:6; Isa 63:10; Ps 78:40). This third category develops from the second by metonymy. In certain contexts emotional pain leads to embarrassment and/or anger. In this last use the subject sometimes directs his anger against the source of grief (see especially Gen 6:6). The third category fits best in Gen 34:7 because Jacob’s sons were not merely wounded emotionally. On the contrary, Shechem’s action prompted them to strike out in judgment against the source of their distress.
- Genesis 34:7 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 34:7 tn Heb “a disgraceful thing he did against Israel.”
- Genesis 34:7 tn Heb “by lying with the daughter of Jacob.” The infinitive here explains the preceding verb, indicating exactly how he had disgraced Jacob. The expression “to lie with” is a euphemism for sexual relations, or in this case, sexual assault.
- Genesis 34:7 tn Heb “and so it should not be done.” The negated imperfect has an obligatory nuance here, but there is also a generalizing tone. The narrator emphasizes that this particular type of crime (sexual assault) is especially reprehensible.
- Genesis 34:8 tn Heb “Shechem my son, his soul is attached to your daughter.” The verb means “to love” in the sense of being emotionally attached to or drawn to someone. This is a slightly different way of saying what was reported earlier (v. 3). However, there is no mention here of the offense. Even though Hamor is speaking to Dinah’s brothers, he refers to her as their daughter (see v. 17).
- Genesis 34:9 tn Heb “form marriage alliances with us.”sn Intermarry with us. This includes the idea of becoming allied by marriage. The incident foreshadows the temptations Israel would eventually face when they entered the promised land (see Deut 7:3; Josh 23:12).
- Genesis 34:9 tn Heb “Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.” In the translation the words “let…marry” and “as wives” are supplied for clarity.
- Genesis 34:10 tn The imperfect verbal form has a permissive nuance here.
- Genesis 34:10 tn Heb “before you.”
- Genesis 34:10 tn The verb seems to carry the basic meaning “travel about freely,” although the substantival participial form refers to a trader (see E. A. Speiser, “The Verb sḥr in Genesis and Early Hebrew Movements,” BASOR 164 [1961]: 23-28); cf. NIV, NRSV “trade in it.”
- Genesis 34:11 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Dinah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 34:11 tn Heb “whatever you say.”
- Genesis 34:11 tn Or “pay.”
- Genesis 34:12 tn Heb “Make very great upon me the bride price and gift.” The imperatives are used in a rhetorical manner. Shechem’s point is that he will pay the price, no matter how expensive it might be.
- Genesis 34:12 tn The cohortative expresses Shechem’s resolve to have Dinah as his wife.
- Genesis 34:12 tn Heb “say.”
- Genesis 34:13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 34:14 tn Heb “we are not able to do this thing, to give.” The second infinitive is in apposition to the first, explaining what they are not able to do.
- Genesis 34:14 tn The Hebrew word translated “disgrace” usually means “ridicule; taunt; reproach.” It can also refer to the reason the condition of shame or disgrace causes ridicule or a reproach.
- Genesis 34:15 tn Heb “if you are like us.”
- Genesis 34:15 tn The infinitive here explains how they would become like them.
- Genesis 34:16 tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.
- Genesis 34:16 tn The words “to marry” (and the words “as wives” in the following clause) are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 34:17 tn Heb “listen to us.”
- Genesis 34:17 tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.
- Genesis 34:17 tn Heb “daughter.” Jacob’s sons call Dinah their daughter, even though she was their sister (see v. 8). This has been translated as “sister” for clarity.
- Genesis 34:18 tn Heb “and their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem son of Hamor.”
- Genesis 34:19 tn Heb “doing the thing.”
- Genesis 34:19 tn Heb “Jacob’s daughter.” The proper name “Dinah” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 34:19 tn The Hebrew verb כָּבֵד (kaved), translated “was…important,” has the primary meaning “to be heavy,” but here carries a secondary sense of “to be important” (that is, “heavy” in honor or respect).
- Genesis 34:19 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause explains why the community would respond to him (see vv. 20-24).
- Genesis 34:20 sn The gate. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the location for conducting important public business.
- Genesis 34:21 tn Heb “wide on both hands,” that is, in both directions.
- Genesis 34:21 tn The words “to marry” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 34:22 tn Heb “when every one of our males is circumcised.”
- Genesis 34:23 tn The words “If we do so” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 34:24 tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”
- Genesis 34:24 tn Heb “listened to.”
- Genesis 34:24 tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”
- Genesis 34:25 tn Heb “a man his sword.”
- Genesis 34:25 tn Heb “and they came upon the city, [which was] secure.” In this case “secure” means the city was caught unprepared and at peace, not expecting an attack.
- Genesis 34:27 tn Heb “came upon the slain.” Because of this statement the preceding phrase “Jacob’s sons” is frequently taken to mean the other sons of Jacob besides Simeon and Levi, but the text does not clearly affirm this.
- Genesis 34:27 tn Heb “because they violated their sister.” The plural verb is active in form, but with no expressed subject, it may be translated passive.
- Genesis 34:28 tn Heb “and what was in the city and what was in the field they took.”
- Genesis 34:29 tn Heb “they took captive and they plundered,” that is, “they captured as plunder.”
- Genesis 34:30 tn The traditional translation is “troubled me” (KJV, ASV), but the verb refers to personal or national disaster and suggests complete ruin (see Josh 7:25, Judg 11:35, Prov 11:17). The remainder of the verse describes the “trouble” Simeon and Levi had caused.
- Genesis 34:30 tn In the causative stem the Hebrew verb בָּאַשׁ (baʾash) means “to cause to stink, to have a foul smell.” In the contexts in which it is used it describes foul smells, stenches, or things that are odious. Jacob senses that the people in the land will find this act terribly repulsive. See P. R. Ackroyd, “The Hebrew Root באשׁ,” JTS 2 (1951): 31-36.
- Genesis 34:30 tn Jacob speaks in the first person as the head and representative of the entire family.
- Genesis 34:31 tn Heb “but they said.” The referent of “they” (Simeon and Levi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.