Gen 34:13-29 | KingComments | STEP | Not Jacob, but his sons respond to the request of Hamor. Here too Jakob relinquishes the initiative. The sons reveal the nature of their father and speak “with deceit” in the proposal they then make. They propose that all the men in the city be circumcised. That is to say, all these men accept the outward sign that they belong to the descendants of Abraham. They abuse something that should be of special significance to them, something given by God as a sign of His covenant with Abraham and his descendants. But what have they seen of it in the life of their father? What do our children see in our lives from the truths we have come to know? What the brothers do is comparable to learning a Christian behavior in order to be integrated into a Christian community. It has happened that parents gave permission for the marriage of their daughter on condition that the man would visit the church or be baptized. A change in the heart has not been mentioned, nor has the emphasis been placed on it. As long as he adapts himself in his behavior. This lesson we can learn from what is happening here.

‏ Genesis 34:13-29

The Condition

Not Jacob, but his sons respond to the request of Hamor. Here too Jakob relinquishes the initiative. The sons reveal the nature of their father and speak “with deceit” in the proposal they then make. They propose that all the men in the city be circumcised. That is to say, all these men accept the outward sign that they belong to the descendants of Abraham.

They abuse something that should be of special significance to them, something given by God as a sign of His covenant with Abraham and his descendants. But what have they seen of it in the life of their father? What do our children see in our lives from the truths we have come to know?

What the brothers do is comparable to learning a Christian behavior in order to be integrated into a Christian community. It has happened that parents gave permission for the marriage of their daughter on condition that the man would visit the church or be baptized. A change in the heart has not been mentioned, nor has the emphasis been placed on it. As long as he adapts himself in his behavior. This lesson we can learn from what is happening here.

Discussion of the Condition

Hamor and Shechem go with the condition to their city and present it to the men of the city. They defend the condition by pointing out the benefits this will bring to the city. They also speak of Jacob’s sons as men who are “friendly” to them, men who have no evil in mind. The men of the city agree with the proposal and they all let themselves be circumcised. They act out of greed and not out of any desire to live with the God of Israel.

The Revenge of Simeon and Levi

Circumcision is a painful matter for adult men. Simeon and Levi take advantage of the defenselessness of the men of the city to take revenge for what has been done to their sister. After the deceit comes the violence. After completing their massacre, they go to Shechem’s house to pick up Dinah and take her back home. They also loot the city. Everything that they consider to have any value, they loot.

When Jacob lies on his deathbed, he gets back to it (Gen 49:5-7). The behavior of his sons is on the one hand Jacob’s fault. On the other hand, these men are fully responsible for what they do.