Both Abraham and Jacob’s father, Isaac, made treaties with the people of the land (Genesis 14:13; 21:22-24; 26:26-31). Such treaties were initiated by men, who recognized God was with his servants, and they sought assurances that God’s servants wouldn’t harm them. Whether a man keeps his word about a matter tells us whether or not he has any integrity. If a man has no value for his word, an observer is unable to see much value in the man. In other words, a man, who doesn’t keep his word, cannot be trusted by anyone.
Hamor, the father of Shechem, was the prince of the country in which Jacob dwelt (cp. Genesis 34:2), and he went out to discuss the matter of a marriage between Jacob’s daughter, Dinah, and his own son Shechem (Genesis 34:6). Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had also heard of Dinah’s defilement, and they had come in from the field. Moreover, they were very upset over what had been done to their sister, and they could hardly contain their wrath (Genesis 34:7).
Hamor understood that what Shechem had done to Dinah had infuriated her brothers, so he sought to intervene on his behalf, asking that they permit Dinah, their sister, to marry his son, Shechem. Moreover, he sought to appease their anger by suggesting a treaty between both their families, so that they would become one people, in as much as their daughters would marry into Hamor’s people, and his daughters would be available to Jacob’s sons, as well. Additionally, under such an agreement they would have free access to the land for travel and trade[1] and for acquiring land possessions, as much as was desired (Genesis 34:8-10).
Then Shechem spoke up, particularly to Jacob, who probably seemed more approachable over the incident, but also to Dinah’s brothers. He asked them for their grace, and offered whatever gift they might require as a dowry for Dinah. He would give it as they demanded, if only he would be permitted to marry Jacob’s daughter (Genesis 34:11-12).
It seems as though Jacob permitted his sons to make the demands of the treaty/marriage agreement,[2] for they, not he, answered Shechem and his father, Hamor, but they did so deceitfully (H4820 – deceiving; fraud), meaning they had no intention of keeping the treaty/marriage agreement (Genesis 34:13), because of what was done to Dinah. The text uses the plural of Jacob’s sons. How many or whether all had fraudulent intentions is a matter of conjecture. It simply cannot be understood clearly in the text. Certainly, Simeon and Levi would have taken the lead (Genesis 34:25). Reuben seems to be a more passive man, desiring to appease the wrath of his brothers to a point, but hoping to smooth things over, when their wrath had cooled (cp. Genesis 37:20-22). So, it would probably be wrong to assume that all the brothers had fraudulent intentions, although once Simeon’s and Levi’s desires were implemented, some or all may have joined in for the sake of loyalty to one another (cp. Genesis 34:27).
What they told Hamor and Shechem was that they couldn’t enter into such a contract with a people who were uncircumcised (Genesis 34:14). The text never tells us from where ten of Jacob’s sons got their wives (Judah married Tamar, a Canaanite; Joseph married an Egyptian woman). Obviously, Jacob’s other sons married women who were among the Canaanites. Marriage agreements were made, but alliances that involved becoming one people were not made. The women were simply taken from the communities in which Jacob and his family lived at the time, and each woman became one with Jacob’s tribal community. Jacob and his sons were not swallowed up by the Canaanites, but women born and raised elsewhere were swallowed up by Jacob’s family in the marriage agreements that were made.
In the matter of becoming one people, which is what Hamor suggested, the sons of Jacob demanded that Hamor’s whole family, vis-à-vis his whole tribal community, become circumcised before they would agree to their terms of a treaty to become one people (Genesis 34:15-16), and, if Hamor wouldn’t agree to this matter, Jacob and his sons would take Dinah, by force, if necessary,[3] and leave the country (Genesis 34:17).
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[1] Most likely travel and trade in Canaan was restricted to the trade routes only. Free access meant they could be trusted as one of their own and not suspected as spies for trouble (cp. Genesis 42:34; Numbers 13:16-17).
[2] In a later study I hope to show the reason for Jacob’s passiveness in this treaty was that he was still in mourning over his believing Joseph had died. So, Joseph was not among his brethren at this time.
[3] So indicates the Targum Jonathan, ancient Jewish literature that acted as free translations of the Hebrew text.
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