Gen 34:15-22 | NETfull | STEP | We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become like us by circumcising all your males.

Genesis 34:15-22

15 We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become ^{▼▼ Heb “if you are like us.”} like us by circumcising ^{▼▼ The infinitive here explains how they would become like them.} all your males. 16 Then we will give ^{▼▼ The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.} you our daughters to marry, ^{▼▼ 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.} 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 ^{▼▼ Heb “listen to us.”} by being circumcised, then we will take ^{▼▼ The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.} our sister ^{▼▼ 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.} and depart.”

18 Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem. ^{▼▼ Heb “and their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem son of Hamor.”} 19 The young man did not delay in doing what they asked ^{▼▼ Heb “doing the thing.”} because he wanted Jacob’s daughter Dinah ^{▼▼ Heb “Jacob’s daughter.” The proper name “Dinah” is supplied in the translation for clarity.} badly. (Now he was more important ^{▼▼ 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).} than anyone in his father’s household.) ^{▼▼ The parenthetical disjunctive clause explains why the community would respond to him (see vv. 20–24).} 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate ^{▼▼ The gate. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the location for conducting important public business.} 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 ^{▼▼ Heb “wide on both hands,” that is, in both directions.} for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry. ^{▼▼ The words “to marry” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.} 22 Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand ^{▼▼ Heb “when every one of our males is circumcised.”} that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised.