Revenge Or Justice? (Genesis 34)

Do we want true justice or is our motive really revenge for wrongful acts? Should we fight every wrong in the world or sometimes wait on God for justice? Let’s look at justice and revenge in Genesis 34.

What did Shechem do to Dinah? Did he want to marry her afterwards?

Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. He took her, lay with her, and humbled [violated] her. His soul joined to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young lady, and spoke kindly to the young lady. Shechem spoke to his father, Hamor, saying, “Get me this young lady as a wife.” (Genesis 34:1-4 WEB)

What happened between Jacob and Hamor? Was the anger of Jacob’s sons out of control?

Now Jacob heard that Shechem defiled his daughter Dinah; but his sons were with the animals in the countryside, so he decided to keep quiet until they got back. Meanwhile, Hamor, Shechem’s father, went out to Jacob to speak with him. Just then, Jacob’s sons got back from the countryside. When they heard what had happened, they were deeply offended and very angry, because Shechem had disgraced Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter. Such things are simply not done. (Genesis 34:5-7 CEB)

What did Hamor and Shechem propose? Was it too little too late?

Hamor said to Jacob and his sons: My son Shechem really loves Dinah. Please let him marry her. Why don't you start letting your families marry into our families and ours marry into yours? You can share this land with us. Move freely about until you find the property you want; then buy it and settle down here. Shechem added, “Do this favor for me, and I'll give whatever you want. Ask anything, no matter how expensive. I'll do anything, just let me marry Dinah.” (Genesis 34:8-12 CEV)

What did Jacob’s sons plot? Were they deceiving Shechem?

The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully, because he had defiled their sister Dinah. They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us. Only on this condition will we agree with you—that you will become as we are by every male among you being circumcised. Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to ourselves, and we will dwell with you and become one people. But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will be gone.” (Genesis 34:13-17 ESV)

Did Hamor fall for the plot? Did he also have a plot of his own?

Their words seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. The young man did not delay doing this, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. Now he was the most important in all his father’s house. So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and spoke to the men there. “These men are peaceful toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and move about in it, for indeed, the region is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as our wives and give our daughters to them. But the men will agree to live with us and be one people only on this condition: if all our men are circumcised as they are. Won’t their livestock, their possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will live with us.” (Genesis 34:18-23 HCSB)

What did Jacob’s sons do to avenge their sister? Did their desire for justice cause them to act with excessive vengeance?

All of the males who heard Hamor and his son Shechem, who had gone out to the city gate, were circumcised. Three days later, while they were still in pain, Jacob’s sons Simeon and Levi, two of Dinah’s brothers, each grabbed a sword and entered the city unannounced, intending to kill all the males. They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took back Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left. Jacob’s other sons came along afterward and plundered the city where their sister had been defiled, seizing all of their flocks, herds, donkeys, and whatever else was in the city or had been left out in the field. They carried off all their wealth, their children, and their wives as captives, plundering everything that remained in the houses. (Genesis 34:24-29 ISV)

What was Jacob’s reaction and his son’s excuse? Did they even listen to their father’s wisdom?

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. And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot? (Genesis 34:30-31 KJV)