Dinah & Her Tragic Consequences

Word of the Day: Consequences

That which logically or naturally follows from an action or the relation of a result to its cause

Dinah was the seventh child of Jacob and Leah, when she was born her mother did not say anything which means she was the child of silence and her name means "judge" or "vindicator". Dinah was born in Padan-aram. We don't know if Jacob had any other daughters as they are not mentioned in the Bible. Her family was destined to have the blessing of God, but they also had to be reminded that their actions were going to bring good or bad consequences.

Genesis 30:21

And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

Genesis 46:15

These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padanaram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three.

There was a time in Dinah's life that she decides to visit the daughters of the land. She must have been 12-14 years of age. When her father moved from Padan-aram he established himself and his family in Shalem, a city of Shechem. Jacob spread his tents before the city, and this is how he introduced his family to the world. When the Bible says that she went to see the daughters of the land it clearly specifies the daughters of the world.

Genesis 34:1

And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the

land.

Genesis 33: 18-19

And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.

19 And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money.

When Shechem, the son of Hamor saw her, he took her and defiled her. We don't know if this act was done with force or not. Jacob was a father who failed as a parent, for she was not supposed to be visiting the daughters of the land according to God's commandments. Jacob had already built a relationship with these people to the point that it was normal for his daughter to play with her unsaved friends.

Genesis 34:2

And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.

After Shechem defiled her, his soul was strongly attracted to Dinah and spoke to her with kind words. He tried to make amends for what he had done and asked his father to make arrangements with Dinah's family so that he could marry her.

Genesis 34:3-4

And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.

4 And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.

When Jacob found out that Dinah was defiled by Shechem he decided not to tell his boys. Hamor approaches Jacob to propose the arrangement for the marriage of Dinah and the prince Shechem, but the boys were furious and shamed especially Simeon and Levi.

Genesis 34:5-7

And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.

6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him.

7 And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter: which thing ought not to be done.

Shechem had so much passion for this girl he had defiled and was willing to pay a high price in order to obtain her as a wife. He negotiated and begged her father and her brothers to find grace in their eyes.

Genesis 34:8-12

And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.

9 And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you.

10 And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.

11 And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give.

12 Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife

Instead of Jacob responding to the negotiations of such a wedding proposal, his boys did. We noticed right away by this action that Jacob was just like a picture on the wall and was not given the opportunity to give an answer unto such an offer. The boys made their offer and were basically saying that they did not want their worldly security, success or a society with them for it was against their religion. Sounds like they had great convictions and a good relationship with God, but they had other plans and in those plans, God was never included. The boys' offer was to offer Dinah to Shechem only if their men would be circumcised and once they all were circumcised they were all going to be one people under God.

Genesis 34:13-17

And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:

14 And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us:

15 But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised;

16 Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.

17 But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.

Hamor and Shechem agreed to the terms and spread the word to the men of their city. To convince the men of the city to get circumcised was not going to be an easy task for Hamor. Hamor lies to his people by saying that Jacob's cattle, his substance, and every beast he possessed were going to be theirs. Considered these people were from the world so they were willing to do anything in order to obtain more material stuff. Their circumcision was not because they wanted to have a relationship with God, it was simply to gather a better position in life.

Genesis 34:18-24

And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son.

19 And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter: and he was more honourable than all the house of his father.

20 And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,

21 These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.

22 Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised.

23 Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of their's be our's? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us.

24 And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.

Simeon and Levi took actions in their own hands, they took their swords and slew every single man from the city, when only three days had passed after their circumcision. They took advantage of the men still being in pain and totally incapacitated to defend themselves. They got Dinah out of the city who was being prepared for the big day of the wedding. Simeon and Levi not only slew the men they also stole all the animals and their wealth, took their children and wives captive. After this atrocity, Jacob was dismayed at everything they had done but he never mentioned God. Later in the Bible, these two boys are called "instruments of cruelty"

Genesis 34:25-31

And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.

26 And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out.

27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.

28 They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,

29 And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.

30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

31 And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

Genesis 49:5

Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty

Conclusion: We get to learn from Jacob's life that his children made bad choices that resulted in the destruction of a city. The destruction that was never commanded by God but instead an act of vengeance. Let's teach our children well so that they could make decisions based on the will God. Dinah's disobedience not only brought bad consequences to herself but also to his family.

*Please let me know if this post has been a blessing to you through a comment, for it would be a blessing for me to know.

have added some verses down below for those who are not sure if heaven is your future home. Please share with me if you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior through this post. I will be happy to rejoice with you!

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Romans 10:9–13