CPCC Bible Study: Genesis 33 - 34

WARNING: Chapter 34, discussed below, contains one of the most violent and bloodiest incidents in all of Genesis. Sensitive readers may wish to skip to 35.

The quote for chapter 33 is when Jacob may have had second thoughts about his trip south:
"And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men." (American Standard Version, see link below)

1 - 2
      Summary: Jacob, still being called Jacob at this point, does what he did before, and for the same reason, but with a slight difference, because now he sees Esau, and his army, heading toward him, as we read in our opening quote. He puts the maidservants and their kids out front, then Leah and her kids, then last is Rachel and her kid, and Jacob is with Rachel this time, bringing up the rear.

3
      Summary: Jacob crosses over in front of them, implying that he went sprinting ahead of the group of his women and their kids, and "shachah" (bow down / prostrated) himself to the ground seven times in front of his brother.
      Discussion: the bow described is for the person to drop to their knees, then to lie face down flat on the ground, perhaps even with arms stretched toward the subject of the bow. Two of the more famous bows that we've discussed were Abraham bowing before the three travelers in Genesis 18 and Lot bowing to two of the three in the next chapter. And they only bowed once.
      There isn't a lot of hard information about bowing multiple times, either three, as a sign of subservience, or seven as an act of devotion or even worship. But we can surmise this given what seems to be a personality trait of Jacob/Israel with a relevant quote:

4
      Summary: But Esau beats him to the punch, running forward and hugging him, and so on. They they have a good cry together.
      No. Really. That is exactly what it says, they "bakah" (wept / lamentation / wail (that theatrical level of mourning we've mentioned before)).

5 - 7
      Summary: Esau sees the women and children and asks Jacob who they were. Jacob says they are a 'gracious blessing from God', and introduces everybody.

8
      Summary: Then Esau asks Jacob about all the people and stuff he met on his way there. Jacob says it was so he'd find favor in Esau's eyes.
      Translation: it was a payment to Esau so he'd spare Jacob's life.

9 - 10
      Paraphrase: "I'm loaded, keep it," Esau said. Then Jacob replies, something to the effect that if Esau isn't upset that Jacob is still alive to accept the gift....
      "ki" (because / for) as I have "raah" (seen / saw) your "panim / paneh" (face / countenance), as if I'd seen "panim ..." (face...) of 'Elohim (God), and you were "ratsah" (satisfied / pleased / delight (includes the idea of pleasure)).

11
      Summary: Jacob continues and goes on about it is a blessing from him to Esau because God has been gracious to him.... Finally, to Esau accepts the gift. maybe to shut Jacob up.
      Comment: Jacob neglects to mention the trick he pulled to get most of the sheep.

12
      Comment: Esau shows a bit of impatience with his short answer after Jacob's speech. He says, essentially, OK, whatever, let's go, follow me.

13 - 14
      Discussion: Of course Jacob can't do that, and spins a tale about how the nursing sheep are tired. So he wants Esau to go on ahead.

15 - 16
      Comment: Esau says, OK, fine, whatever, I can take the people with me (or) I can leave some of my men with you (either translation works).
      But Jacob can't do that either. So Esau leaves for his home in Seir. But we don't know what, if anything or anybody, that he took with him.... besides his army.

17
      Summary: instead of following his brother, Jacob goes to "Succoth" (word is the same in English, means 'booth', and built a house for himself and 'booths' for his livestock.

      Again, time passes. The terms used suggest that Jacob spent some time in Succoth as he 'built a house', not 'pitched his tent'.

18 - 19
      Summary: Jacob arrives in "Shechem" ('shoulder' and other meanings), pitches his tent, and buys some land. Shechem was been mentioned in chapter 12 as one of the places Abram stopped by, again, the location is known to be some distance northeast of Tel Aviv in the middle of what is now called "the West Bank". This is also the name of an individual, the son of Hamor, from whom Jacob bought his land.

20
      Jacob erected an altar and called it El 'Elohim Yisrael (Mighty GOD of Israel)

- end 33 -

Chapter 34

Verse 1 - 2
      Summary: Dinah, Jacob's daughter by Leah, to see the "bath" (daughters / towns) of the "erets" (land / country). And Shechem, the son of the former landowner, a "Chivvi" (Hivite, means 'villager'), now he is called a "nasiy" (prince / ruler) of the country. And he raped her.
      The words used is "shakab" (to 'lie with' sexually) and "anah" (afflicted / humbled / defile (implies force or threat)).

3
      And he was "dabaq" (pursued / cling / 'deeply attracted' / etc) "nephesh" (soul / inner self) to her, and he "aheb" (to love / love), "naarah" (young woman (is also used to describe a maiden, but the previous verse indicated that she had been defiled)) and he "dabar" (spoke / converse) "leb" (heart / mind) to her.
      That final bit implies that he spoke from his heart to her... after he raped her.

4
      Summary: Shechem asks his father Hamor to get her for his wife.
      Remember, at this time, women had no 'human rights' and were the property of the men.

5 -6
      Jacob gets the news of the rape, but as his sons are tending the lifestock he just keeps his mouth shut.
      Hamor goes over to Jacob's place to speak to him.

7
      Summary: The sons come in from the field, get the news, and are "atsab" (grieved / hurt / vexed / etc) and "charah" (angry / 'to burn with anger'), because of the "nebalah" (senseless folly / disgrace) he had committed in Yisrael, with the daughter of Jacob, and this thing ought not to be done.
      Discussion: The most famous instance of when somebody 'burned with anger' was Cain. Also, this is the first time the word Israel has been used to describe a region or land clearly separate from the man who is still going by the name of Jacob. When he built the altar in the previous chapter, it could be read that the altar was to his personal God. In this verse, it's apparent that it is referring to his country.

8 - 12
      Summary: Hamor says his son 'has it bad' for your daughter, please give her to him. And our kids will marry your kids... etc. And you can live here and have stuff. Then Shechem speaks to Jacob, and the boys (that detail becomes very important in a moment). Remember, it was his actions that brought all this on, and says, essentially: "let me buy her from you, name your price."
      The word Shechem uses is "mohar" and means 'bridal payment / dowry'. It was never used when Jacob was working for the sisters, but that was the idea. Remember, the women were the property of the men, and the purpose of a marriage was simply a change of ownership, from her father / guardian, to her husband. Which is still the case in places like Saudi Arabia.

13 - 14
      Summary: the 'sons of Jacob' don't buy it, because they know what the prince did to their sister, and they veto the deal, saying it would be a "cherpah" (disgrace / reproach / shame / etc) to them.

15 - 17
      Summary: The sons of Israel have an idea, if the men of the city consent to be circumcised, then they will allow the marriage and all the rest of it, and be 'one people'. If you don't, then we'll take 'our daughter' and be gone.
      Discussion: The words used here indicate that the 'boys' are speaking as one. Perhaps Reuben, as the oldest, is speaking for them, whatever, but the eleven are unanimous in the answer.

18 - 19
      Summary: Hamor and his son are OK with the deal, and he was most honorable (we'll look at that in a second) in the 'house of his father'.
      That word is "kabad / kabed" (honored / glorified / respected; also- heavy, a burden; can be- grievous / serious / grave). What it comes down to is that this is serious business, and will have an impact on everybody there for the rest of their lives, and they know it.

20 - 23
      Summary: Hamor and his son take the news to the gate of the city and make a speech to a town meeting of the men of the city. First they talk about being at peace, and then trade, and how the land is big enough for everybody, and they'll intermarry with us .... .... 'but there's a catch, we all have to be circumcised, then they will share their livestock and property with us'.

24
      Summary: They agree to it in good faith, and they all went out of the gate and were circumcised. It doesn't say who did the cutting.

25 - 26
      This is the scene you were warned about.
      Summary: On the third day, when those that had been circumcised were still in pain, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and went into city and killed all the males. The text then specifies that they also killed Hamor and his son Shechem, and took Dinah back home.
      Discussion: These are the second and third oldest sons of Leah by Jacob, and are full brothers of Dinah, who was Leah's last child in chapter 29. The text specifies that they came "al" (upon / against / over / etc) the city "betach" (boldly / securely / trust). This implies that nobody suspected them of being up to no good. It also specifies that the brothers killed the rapist and his father with "peh" (end / edge / mouth) of the "chereb" (sword), as well as the men of the city that had nothing to do with the crime, and had agreed to be circumcised as a show of good intentions toward Jacob's family.
      The Hebrew also says in verse 26 that they took Dinah from the house of Shechem. However, nowhere in the previous section does it say that she moved in with Shechem.
      The swords they used were probably made of bronze, and not more than two feet (60 cm) total length. Bronze will take a cutting edge, but it will not hold it long while in use, and a bronze sword much longer than that will bend when it hits something. See link below for more on the history of the weapon. However, even a dull sword can kill.

27 - 29
      The "ben" (sons) of Jacob "bo" (came / went) to the "chalal" (slain / dead) and "bazaz" (seized / plundered / take as prey) the city, "asher" (which / who / that) had "tame" (defiled / made unclean) their sister. Their "tson" (flocks / sheep, goats), and "baqar" (herds / cattle , oxen), and "chamor" (donkeys) and what was in "sadeh" (field / country). And all their "chayil" (wealth / resources) and their "taph" (children / infants) and "ishshah" (women / wife), and they "bazaz" (seized / plundered...) "kol" (all / everything) in their "bayith" (house / dwelling).
      While it does say that Simeon and Levi did the killing, the text changes to 'the sons of Jacob', when it comes to the sacking of the city, so it is possible that the rest of them joined in for that part of it.

30 - 31
      Summary: and Jacob says to Simeon and Levi, you "akar" (trouble) me "baash" (offensive / stink / repulsive) to the "yashab" (inhabitants) "erets" (land) of the "Kna'aniy" (Canaanites) and "Perizzi" (Perizzites) I have 'only a few' men, if they "asaph" (gather / assemble / collect) "al" (upon / against...) "nakah" (strike / smite / 'attack') me, then "shamad" (destroyed) me and "bayith" (house).
      They said 'like a' "zanah" (prostitute / harlot) 'should' be treated our "achoth" (sister).

- end 34 -

References and links: Outside links will open in new tab/window.
The Interlinear: Hebrew - English https://biblehub.com/interlinear/genesis/33.htm

The American Standard Version https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2033&version=ASV

The Significance of Shechem https://israelmyglory.org/article/the-significance-of-shechem/

From: https://www.historyofswords.com/

"The sword was developed, for the first time, in the Bronze Age, as a larger dagger, when the construction of longer blades became technologically possible. First swords were appeared in the Middle East in the late 3rd millennium BC, and were made of arsenic copper and then in tin-bronze.

https://www.historyofswords.com/sword-history/ancient-swords/

The Genesis Study Index Page

NOTE: The Bible Study Lesson presented above is posted as a reference document to begin a conversation of the topic. And that's it. Please accept it at such.

http://centralparkchurchofchrist.org