Part 15  Book of Genesis

 

 

 

The Brothers Reconcile

 

 

33.1-2 Jacob sees Esau coming and divides his wives, children, and maidservants the following way: He puts the maidservants and their children in the first group, Leah and her children next, and then Rachel and Joseph last.

These groupings are very important to the continuing story. Jacob loves Rachel and Joseph above all the rest of his family so he put them in the last group thinking if Esau was angry and took revenge on the other two groups he would have his beloved Rachel and Joseph alive. This is what today we would call a “dysfunctional family.” The other children and wives knew what Jacob thought of them and this was very obvious to them. Jacob looked upon Joseph as his first born because Rachel was the wife he wanted. The rest of the family were not loved in the same manner. We will see this develope soon.

33.3-11
Jacob goes ahead and bows seven times to his brother Esau. Esau runs to him and embraces him and they wept together. Esau asks who all these people are. Jacob tells him they are his wives and children and introduces them in “order.” Esau asks what all the droves are for and Jacob tells him “to gain his favor.” Esau says he does not need a present but Jacob insists and Esau accepts.

Jacob bowing reverses the dominance of Jacob over Esau. At the end of the age Israeli’s and their Arab brothers will finally live in peace. When Jacob tells Esau to “accept” his present this can be translated “take my blessing.” God’s generosity to chosen Jacob has enabled him to be generous to his un-chosen brother.

33.12-7
Esau says they will continue to Seir where he lives. Jacob says he must go slow because of all the children and nursing animals and will meet Esau at Seir. Esau offers some of his men, but Jacob says he will be fine--go ahead I don’t need them. Jacob then journeyed to Succoth and builds a house for himself and stalls for his cattle.

Jacob does not come to his brother in Seir, but instead journeys to Succoth, thus once again securing his independence from the larger family. This allows him to maintain the distinctive identity of his lineage against the threat of assimilation into the surrounding nations. Remember also that Esau had married into Canaanite family’s which their father Isaac was not happy about.

33.18-20
Jacob arrives safe in the city of Shechem in Canaan and encamps outside the city. He purchases land for 100 pieces of money from the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father. There he sets up an altar and calls it “El, God of Israel.”


The rape of Dinah

34.1-4 Dinah the daughter of Leah and Jacob went out to visit the daughters of the land. Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, chief of the country, took Dinah by force and lay with her. He is strongly drawn to her and loves her and spoke tenderly to her. He asks his father to arrange a marriage.

Some scholars suggest the verb refers to improper out of wedlock sex, not rape. Later in history Deut 22.28-29 would have regulations for a man who raped a woman. That later law would also forbid an Israelite to marry a Hivite.

Jacob has gone to extreme lengths to prevent his family from marrying outsiders, now he has a new problem on his hands. Throughout the narrative, Dinah is not said to be displeased with her relations with Shechem. The family continues its dysfunctional ways.

34.5-7
Jacob hears about his daughter being defiled while his sons were in the field. Meanwhile Shechem’s father comes to Jacob to speak with him. The sons get home and are very angry about this outrage.

34.8-12
Hamor, Shechem’s Hivite father, comes to Jacob and his sons and pleads with them to let the two marry. He proposes that the two families can intermarry and live peacefully in the land together. Shechem tells Dinah’s family he will pay whatever price they want for her hand in marriage.

We must keep in mind that Jacob’s forefathers went to great lengths to refrain from intermarriage with the people around them, according to God’s command. This marriage cannot take place. The family should have just said “No!”

34.13-19
Jacob’s sons, speaking with guile, tell Hamor and his son that in order to marry Dinah all males in their family must become circumcised and then they can live together. These words pleased Hamor and Shechem and they lost no time in getting circumcised.

Jacob’s sons should just have said no. We don’t know if Jacob was present when this took place because it says that Jacob’s sons did the talking.


34.20-24 Now Hamor and his son speak to the entire tribe and indicate that if they do this they will get all of Jacob’s family’s cattle. This sounded like a good deal to the tribe and they agree to all become circumcised. Now we see deceit on Hamor’s side. They are looking to increase their wealth.

34.25-29 On the third day after circumcision, Simeon and Levi came upon the city and slew all the men. They killed Hamor and Shechem and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house. The sons of Jacob then plundered the town and took all the flocks, herds, and wealth, in revenge for Dinah’s rape. They took the wives and children of the dead males as captives.

Was Dinah being held captive or staying with Shechem consensually? We don’t know for sure. As a raped woman her chances of marrying anyone else were not very good.

34.30-31
Jacob is upset with Levi and Simeon when he hears of what they have done. He is afraid of losing respect from the inhabitants of the land for this deceit. He fears they may attack his family in revenge. Simeon and Levi ask their father if “Our sister should be treated as a whore.” The Bible records no answer from Jacob.

This incident will have profound impact on Simeon and Levi later in Genesis. Their zeal in this matter is questioned, but Jacob was not in control of his family to stop it. Again, we see this family operating in a very dysfunctional manner. They could have just said no, and taken Dinah back. This would have been difficult for Dinah but would have been a solution without deceit. Later in Genesis 49.5-7 we will address the consequences of this act by Levi and Simeon when the receive their final blessing by their father.


Next: Part 16