Study From the Book of Genesis,34

Study From the Book of Genesis,34

As I studied chapter 34 of the Book of Genesis, I chose one biblical principle and its lesson which is useful in Biblical Counselling.

Dinah was the only daughter of Jacob from Leah. She went out to seek companionship with other women. Shechem the son Hamor, the prince of the country, saw her and had intercourse with her.  Despite of what he did, Shechem loved her. Shechem appealed to his father to get married with Dinah. That suggests that marriages were commonly arranged by parents.

When Jacob heard, he must have been enraged. The verb defiled means to make unclean. Here, Jacob’s sons took the circumcision as a symbol of their faith, and used it as a weapon against their foes.  Shechem proved his love for Dinah by his willingness to undergo circumcision as an adult, likewise all the men of the city.

 Simon and levi, most likely joined by other sons, plundered the city and killed all men in the city while they were in pain in the third day of the circumcision. Jacob’s sons let righteous anger over sin and turned it into unrighteous, and unforgiving vengeance.

Jacob rebuked his sons for their terrible behaviour. Instead of making the family a blessing to other nations, they were making the family obnoxious, the Hebrew word means “to stink.” Jacob’s family had become an embarrassing odour to their neighbours. Something that at best needed to be ignored and at worst to be scorned. Sadly, Jacob’s sons did not repent. Instead, they protested their father’s rebuke.   

Structure

Verses: 1- 31: the Dinah incident.

Principle 58: verse 34:1:  ---“Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.”

Lesson 58:  The Bible teaches us that not to imitate or copy the unbelievers’ behaviour, and be careful in choosing our friends. Otherwise, we would face serious consequences like what Jacob’s family had.3/5/2026.