Genesis 34

What wretched things are wean and pomp, and state and power, which will not permit brothers to live together in love, as they ought, and as, but for one or other of these disturbers of human quiet, they would !’—Hunter’s Lect. yeaa; Chap. XXIV. Ver. 1—31. The leading fact in this chapter is, that Shechem, the son of Hamor, a prince of the Hivites, having seen Dinah, the daughter of Leah, probably at one of their festivals, fell in love with her, and “ humbled her,” as the Hebrew phrase 1Sa. 13.4. have * troubled me to make me to stink * among is. Still, however, “his soul clave unto her;” and so honourable were his intentions, that he not only offered to marry her, but to give any amount of dowry; even though they should, as the margin literally expresses it, “ multiply upon him vehemently”

their demands. Her father was in this case silent, and left the negotiation to his sons, who, pleading that they must not form any matrimonial alliance with an uncircumcised nation, artfully persuaded them to be all circumcised, that they might intermarry with each other. ‘To these hard conditions (as they appear to us) they all complied; and when they had lulled them into security, and at a moment when they were not capable of self-defence, Simeon and Levi (with their servants and dependants) basely and treacherously murdered all the men, took captive the women and children, and carried off all the property; in which act of spoliation it is probable that other sons of Jacob might partake, though not in the massacre.

Jacob, so far from having any concern in this act of treachery, reprobated it most severely; and reproached the actors in this dreadful tragedy, for having made his name to stink among the heathen, at enjoined him to the danger of being destroyed by the other surrounding nations; from which he was saved only by a protecting providence. As to Jacob, it is but justice to acknowledge, that he is not chargeable with any act of cruelty.

Notes on the verses

Chap. XXXIV. Ver. 12. Dowry.—(To what has already been adduced on the practice of purchasing wives, may be added the testimony of De la Roque, who says, “ Properly speaking, a young man who would marry, must purchase his wife; and fathers among the Arabs are never so happy than when they have many daughters. They form part of the riches of a house. Accordingly, when a young man would treat with a person, whose daughter he _is inclined to marry, he says to him, ‘ Will you give me your daughter for fifty sheep, for six camels, or for a dozen cows? If he is not rich enough to make such offers, he will propose giving her to him for a mare, or a young colt; considering in the offer, the merit of the young woman, the rank of her family, and the circumstances of him who desires to marry her.’’]– ~ Ver.

13: Hamor.—(The name of this Hivite prince signifies, ‘an ass.’ Such a name would be thought very reproachful among us, and very unbecoming the dignity of a prince; but in the East they thought very differently.—Mervan, the last khalif of the Ommiades, was surnamed, according to D’ Herbelot, Hemar, ‘‘ the ass,” and ‘‘ the ass of Mesopotamia,” because of his strength and vigour. And as the wild ass is supposed by the Orientals to surpass all others in swiftness, Baharam, king of Persia, he says, was surnamed Jowr, which signifies, “a wild ass.""—Harmer.|—Bagster. “Ver. 24. And ‘unto Hamor hearkened all, &c.—{In thus falling into this measure, the Shechemites must either have had great affection for their chief and his son, or have been under the influence of the most passive obedience.

The petty princes of Asia have always been absolute and despotic; their subjects paying them the most prompt and blind obedience. The following instance, will sufficiently illustrate and confirm this statement: Abu Thaher, chief of the Carmathians, about the year 930, with only 500 horse went to lay siege to Bagdad; the khalif’s general marched out to seize him; but before the attack, sent an officer to summon him to surrender. “ How many men has the Khalif’s general,” said Abu Thaher, “ 30,000,” replied the officer. —* Among them all,” says the Carmathian chief, ‘* has he got three like mine?’ Then ordering his followers to approach, he commanded one to stab himself, another to throw himself from a precipice, and a third to plunge into the Tigris: all three instantly obeyed and perished!.

Then turning to the officer, he said, ‘‘ He who has such troops need not value the number of his enemies !’"]—Bagster. Moses gives another reason,—the advantages likely to result from an alliance with Jacob’s family; Shall not their cattle, and their substance, and every beast of theirs, be ours?”’, Now if the Shechemites, as seems intimated, meant to avail themselves of this alliance, to defraud the children of Abraham, Providence suffered them to meet a just reward. This, however, is no apology for the conduct of Jacob’s sons, God often punishes one crime by another. Ver. 27. Because they had defiled their sister.—in the East, the nearest relations consider themselves bound to revenge such an injury; and more,86 to a sister than to a wife; because a wife may be repudiated, but not a sister, if ever so guilty.—Orient.

Cust. Ver. 31. As harlot.—Not a concubine; but one who lets out her person to hire. The word here first occurs.—Dr. Clarke.