†. Gen 34:8-9 . . And Hamor spoke with them, saying: My son
Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him in
marriage. Intermarry with us: give your daughters to us, and take
our daughters for yourselves:
The only problem is: whose religion would be taught to Dinah's children?
Would it be the Canaanites' religion or Jacob's religion? Would they be
taught both religions; and thus create confusion in the children's minds?
People for whom religion means very little; can cross breed all they want
and it doesn't make any difference. However; as a general rule, it is never,
ever a good idea to marry outside your own religion. Marriage is tough
enough without dividing the family with differing religious philosophies.
Couples should make every effort to strive for unity in all things; especially
in the area of religion.
†. 2Cor 6:14-18 . . Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for
what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with
Belial? or what province hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what
agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the
living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I
will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from
among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean
thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be
my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
For Jacob's family, marriage with another culture was not a good idea at all.
Their granddad was called to a very high purpose-- a purpose in which they
were all supposed to play a role; and that would be the role of engendering a
great nation whose God would be Yhvh; and thus be a witness to the one
True God: and a nation that would ultimately be a blessing to the whole
world. A people like Hamor's were a serious threat to fulfilling that purpose.
†. Gen 34:10 . .You will dwell among us, and the land will be open
before you; settle, move about, and acquire holdings in it.
That must have been a very tempting offer to Jacob. Hamor's people would
protect his family, and let him use choice grazing lands, and sell him
property to build a home on if he joined their clan instead of going off on his
own with no one but Yhvh to rely upon. But then Israel would be
assimilated; and that was something Jacob had to avoid at all costs. A holy
nation has got to remain separated and independent from its unholy
neighbors so God can bless. Just look what assimilation has done to the
people of Israel over the years. Only a measly ten percent of them today are
orthodox. Many of them are secular, worldly, conformed, and totally without
their God. That is truly pitiful; and totally unacceptable.
†. Gen 34:11-12 . .Then Shechem said to her father and brothers: Do
me this favor, and I will pay whatever you tell me. Ask of me a
bride-price ever so high, as well as gifts, and I will pay what you tell
me; only give me the maiden for a wife.
Shechem really did love Dinah, and was willing to go to some pretty extreme
lengths to keep her. Unfortunately, he got off on the wrong foot with Dinah's
brothers; which would prove fatal to every man in his village, including
Shechem's dad.
†. Gen 34:13a . . Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father
Hamor
It's uncertain all eleven of Jacob's boys took part in this. Later, only two of
them, Simeon and Levi, would subsequently go into town and murder all the
men. Jacob apparently said nothing in the negotiations; he only witnessed it
all, listening to everything, but letting his sons do all the talking.
†. Gen 34:13b-17 . . speaking with guile because he had defiled their
sister Dinah-- and said to them: We cannot do this thing, to give our
sister to a man who is uncircumcised, for that is a disgrace among
us. Only on this condition will we agree with you; that you will
become like us in that every male among you is circumcised. Then
we will give our daughters to you and take your daughters to
ourselves; and we will dwell among you and become as one kindred.
But if you will not listen to us and become circumcised, we will take
our daughter and go.
It's difficult to ascertain what the boys were implying by the prerequisite of
circumcision. Were they implying that Shechem's clan could only blend with
the people of Israel via Abraham's covenant of circumcision? Apparently
that's the impression they were giving, and Hamor seems to understand that
if the two families were to become one clan, then Israel's religion has to be
in common.
Jacob's silence suggests he was thinking the very same. As for Hamor, being
a covetous man at heart; circumcision surely seemed an insignificant price to
become co-owner of Jacob's possessions.
†. Gen 34:18-19 . .Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor's son
Shechem. And the youth lost no time in doing the thing, for he
wanted Jacob's daughter. Now he was the most respected in his
father's house.
Shechem took the lead and set the example for the rest of the men in his
village. He apparently had quite a bit of influence, and people looked up to
him.
†. Gen 34:20-24 . . So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the
public place of their town and spoke to their fellow townsmen,
saying: These people are our friends; let them settle in the land and
move about in it, for the land is large enough for them; we will take
their daughters to ourselves as wives and give our daughters to
them.
. . . But only on this condition will the men agree with us to dwell
among us and be as one kindred: that all our males become
circumcised as they are circumcised. Their cattle and substance and
all their beasts will be ours, if we only agree to their terms, so that
they will settle among us. All who went out of the gate of his town
heeded Hamor and his son Shechem, and all males, all those who
went out of the gate of his town, were circumcised
Hamor convinced the men of his village that they would prosper by
submitting to the surgery. His village apparently operated on the commune
principle: What you have is mine, and what I have is yours. So everyone
would benefit from assimilating Jacob's family because they would become
co-owners of his possessions; which, when he departed Laban, was a goodly
amount of livestock and slaves. The arrangement was appealing: it made
good business sense, and would have been very lucrative for Hamor's village
if only Jacob's sons had been honest about it.
Cont.
/
Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him in
marriage. Intermarry with us: give your daughters to us, and take
our daughters for yourselves:
The only problem is: whose religion would be taught to Dinah's children?
Would it be the Canaanites' religion or Jacob's religion? Would they be
taught both religions; and thus create confusion in the children's minds?
People for whom religion means very little; can cross breed all they want
and it doesn't make any difference. However; as a general rule, it is never,
ever a good idea to marry outside your own religion. Marriage is tough
enough without dividing the family with differing religious philosophies.
Couples should make every effort to strive for unity in all things; especially
in the area of religion.
†. 2Cor 6:14-18 . . Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for
what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with
Belial? or what province hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what
agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the
living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I
will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from
among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean
thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be
my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
For Jacob's family, marriage with another culture was not a good idea at all.
Their granddad was called to a very high purpose-- a purpose in which they
were all supposed to play a role; and that would be the role of engendering a
great nation whose God would be Yhvh; and thus be a witness to the one
True God: and a nation that would ultimately be a blessing to the whole
world. A people like Hamor's were a serious threat to fulfilling that purpose.
†. Gen 34:10 . .You will dwell among us, and the land will be open
before you; settle, move about, and acquire holdings in it.
That must have been a very tempting offer to Jacob. Hamor's people would
protect his family, and let him use choice grazing lands, and sell him
property to build a home on if he joined their clan instead of going off on his
own with no one but Yhvh to rely upon. But then Israel would be
assimilated; and that was something Jacob had to avoid at all costs. A holy
nation has got to remain separated and independent from its unholy
neighbors so God can bless. Just look what assimilation has done to the
people of Israel over the years. Only a measly ten percent of them today are
orthodox. Many of them are secular, worldly, conformed, and totally without
their God. That is truly pitiful; and totally unacceptable.
†. Gen 34:11-12 . .Then Shechem said to her father and brothers: Do
me this favor, and I will pay whatever you tell me. Ask of me a
bride-price ever so high, as well as gifts, and I will pay what you tell
me; only give me the maiden for a wife.
Shechem really did love Dinah, and was willing to go to some pretty extreme
lengths to keep her. Unfortunately, he got off on the wrong foot with Dinah's
brothers; which would prove fatal to every man in his village, including
Shechem's dad.
†. Gen 34:13a . . Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father
Hamor
It's uncertain all eleven of Jacob's boys took part in this. Later, only two of
them, Simeon and Levi, would subsequently go into town and murder all the
men. Jacob apparently said nothing in the negotiations; he only witnessed it
all, listening to everything, but letting his sons do all the talking.
†. Gen 34:13b-17 . . speaking with guile because he had defiled their
sister Dinah-- and said to them: We cannot do this thing, to give our
sister to a man who is uncircumcised, for that is a disgrace among
us. Only on this condition will we agree with you; that you will
become like us in that every male among you is circumcised. Then
we will give our daughters to you and take your daughters to
ourselves; and we will dwell among you and become as one kindred.
But if you will not listen to us and become circumcised, we will take
our daughter and go.
It's difficult to ascertain what the boys were implying by the prerequisite of
circumcision. Were they implying that Shechem's clan could only blend with
the people of Israel via Abraham's covenant of circumcision? Apparently
that's the impression they were giving, and Hamor seems to understand that
if the two families were to become one clan, then Israel's religion has to be
in common.
Jacob's silence suggests he was thinking the very same. As for Hamor, being
a covetous man at heart; circumcision surely seemed an insignificant price to
become co-owner of Jacob's possessions.
†. Gen 34:18-19 . .Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor's son
Shechem. And the youth lost no time in doing the thing, for he
wanted Jacob's daughter. Now he was the most respected in his
father's house.
Shechem took the lead and set the example for the rest of the men in his
village. He apparently had quite a bit of influence, and people looked up to
him.
†. Gen 34:20-24 . . So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the
public place of their town and spoke to their fellow townsmen,
saying: These people are our friends; let them settle in the land and
move about in it, for the land is large enough for them; we will take
their daughters to ourselves as wives and give our daughters to
them.
. . . But only on this condition will the men agree with us to dwell
among us and be as one kindred: that all our males become
circumcised as they are circumcised. Their cattle and substance and
all their beasts will be ours, if we only agree to their terms, so that
they will settle among us. All who went out of the gate of his town
heeded Hamor and his son Shechem, and all males, all those who
went out of the gate of his town, were circumcised
Hamor convinced the men of his village that they would prosper by
submitting to the surgery. His village apparently operated on the commune
principle: What you have is mine, and what I have is yours. So everyone
would benefit from assimilating Jacob's family because they would become
co-owners of his possessions; which, when he departed Laban, was a goodly
amount of livestock and slaves. The arrangement was appealing: it made
good business sense, and would have been very lucrative for Hamor's village
if only Jacob's sons had been honest about it.
Cont.
/
