Genesis 34:25

Genesis 34:25 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male.
• English Standard Version (ESV)On the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and came against the city while it felt secure and killed all the males.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males.

Context of Genesis 34:25

23Then their things and their animals will all become our things. So we should agree to be circumcised, as they ask. Then they will live among us.’ 24All the men who were at the city gate agreed with Hamor and Shechem. So every male in the city was circumcised. Three days after the men were circumcised, they still had a lot of pain. Then two of Jacob's sons attacked Shechem's men with their swords. None of the men were ready to fight. Jacob's two sons were Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers. They killed every male in the city. 26They killed Hamor and his son Shechem. Then they took Dinah from Shechem's house and they left. 27Jacob's other sons also saw that the men of the city were dead. So they took everything that they wanted from the city. They did that because it was the place where Shechem had done a very bad thing against their sister.

Genesis 34:25 word by word

וַיְהִי֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜י בִּֽהְיוֹתָ֣ם כֹּֽאֲבִ֗ים וַיִּקְח֣וּ שְׁנֵֽי־בְנֵי־יַ֠עֲקֹב שִׁמְע֨וֹן וְלֵוִ֜י אֲחֵ֤י דִינָה֙ אִ֣ישׁ חַרְבּ֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ עַל־הָעִ֖יר בֶּ֑טַח וַיַּֽהַרְג֖וּ כָּל־זָכָֽר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it came to pass on the thirdשְׁלִישִׁיshelîyshîy · thirdH7992
• dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• when they were soreכָּאַבkâ'ab · to painH3510
• that twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• of the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
• Simeonשִׁמְעוֹןshim‛ôn · SimeonH8095
• and Leviלֵוִיlêvîy · LeviH3878
• Dinah’sדִּינָהdîynâh · DinahH1783
• brethrenאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• each manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• his swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• and cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• upon the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• boldlyבֶּ֫טַחbeţach · securityH983
• and slewהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• all the malesזָכָרzâkâr · maleH2145

Cross-references for Genesis 34:25

• Joshua 5:6The Israelites had travelled in the desert for 40 years. But all the men who were old enough to fight when they left Egypt had now died. This happened because they had not obeyed the Lord. The Lord had promised to give to them the land of Canaan, a land where there is plenty of food and drink. But he made a strong promise that those men would not see that land, because they had turned against him.
• Genesis 29:33Leah became pregnant again. She gave birth to another son. She said, ‘The Lord has given me another son because he knows that I am not loved.’ She called this son Simeon.
• Genesis 49:5Simeon and Levi are brothers. They use their swords as weapons to destroy people.
• Numbers 31:7They attacked the Midianites as the Lord had told them. They killed all the men.
• Proverbs 4:16Wicked people have to do evil things. They cannot go to sleep unless they have been cruel to someone that day.
• Proverbs 6:34The woman's husband will be jealous, and he will become very angry. He will want the man to receive full punishment.
• Genesis 49:6I will not join them when they decide to do bad things. I will not meet with them. They have killed people when they are angry. They have hurt animals because it makes them happy.
• 2 Chronicles 32:25But Hezekiah did not thank the Lord for the kind thing that he had done for him. The king was too proud to do that. So the Lord became angry with him, and with the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

Commentaries on Genesis 34:25

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 25On the third day, when they were sore - When the inflammation was at the height, and a fever ensued which rendered the person utterly helpless, and his state critical, Simeon and Levi, the half brothers of Dinah, took each man his sword, probably assisted by that portion of the servants which helped them to take care of the flock, came on the city boldly, בטח betach, securely - without being suspected, and being in no danger of meeting with resistance…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-31Verses 1-31 - Dinah‘s Dishonor This chapter records the rape of Dinah and the revenge of her brothers. Genesis 34:1-5 Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land. The Jewish doctors of a later period fix the marriageable age of a female at twelve years and a day. It is probable that Dinah was in her thirteenth year when she went out to visit the daughters of the land. Six or seven years, therefore, must have been spent by Jacob between Sukkoth, where…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-31Verses 20-31 The Shechemites submitted to the sacred rite, only to serve a turn, to please their prince, and to enrich themselves, and it was just with God to bring punishment upon them. As nothing secures us better than true religion, so nothing exposes us more than religion only pretended to. But Simeon and Levi were most unrighteous. Those who act wickedly, under the pretext of religion, are the worst enemies of the truth, and harden the hearts of many…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 25-29When Simeon and Levi used circumcision (the sign of God’s covenant) to deceive and kill the Canaanite men, they showed disrespect for that sacred sign. Their killing of all the males and their looting of the city was not justice. It was harsh and excessive revenge. They were angry and wanted to correct a wrong. But they should have asked for payment for the harm done (see Exodus 22:16–17; Deuteronomy 22:28–29). Instead, their violent anger led to the loss…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-311-4. Though freed from foreign troubles, Jacob met with a great domestic calamity in the fall of his only daughter. According to Josephus, she had been attending a festival; but it is highly probable that she had been often and freely mixing in the society of the place and that she, being a simple, inexperienced, and vain young woman, had been flattered by the attentions of the ruler's son. There must have been time and opportunities of acquaintance to…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 34:25

• Deception
• Dishonesty
• Homicide
• Revenge
• Vengeance

In the dictionaries

• Jacob
• Levi
• Simeon
• Jacob, Israel
• Levi, Levite
• Matthew, Levi
• Third Day
• Ask
• Consent
• Daughter

Commentaries on Genesis 34

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings