Genesis 34:3

Genesis 34:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.
• New International Version (NIV)His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.
• New King James Version (NKJV)His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman.

Context of Genesis 34:3

1Dinah was the daughter of Leah and Jacob. One day she went out to visit the young women who lived near Shechem city. 2Hamor the Hivite ruled that region. When his son, Shechem, saw Dinah, he took hold of her. Dinah could not get free and Shechem had sex with her. He liked Dinah very much. He loved her. He spoke kind words to her so that she would love him too. 4Shechem said to his father, Hamor, ‘I want to marry this girl. Please get her for me.’ 5Jacob heard that Shechem had had sex with his daughter. At that time, Jacob's sons were taking care of his animals in the fields. So he did not do anything until his sons came home.

Genesis 34:3 word by word

וַתִּדְבַּ֣ק נַפְשׁ֔וֹ בְּדִינָ֖ה בַּֽת־יַעֲקֹ֑ב וַיֶּֽאֱהַב֙ אֶת־הַֽנַּעֲרָ֔ וַיְדַבֵּ֖ר עַל־לֵ֥ב הַֽנַּעֲרָֽ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And his soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
• claveדָּבַקdâbaq · to cleaveH1692
• unto Dinahדִּינָהdîynâh · DinahH1783
• the daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• of Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
• and he lovedאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
• the damselנַעֲרָהna‛ărâh · maidenH5291
• and spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• kindlyלֵבlêb · heartH3820

Cross-references for Genesis 34:3

• Ruth 1:14Ruth and Orpah wept loudly again. Orpah kissed Naomi and she said ‘goodbye’. But Ruth would not leave Naomi. She held on to her.
• 1 Samuel 18:1David finished talking with Saul. After that, Saul's son Jonathan became a very good friend of David. Jonathan loved David as much as he loved his own life.
• 2 Samuel 19:7Now go out and speak to your soldiers. Thank them that they have fought well. If you do not do that, none of your men will remain here tonight. I tell you in the Lord's name, that will certainly happen. That would bring worse trouble to you than anything that has happened in your whole life.’
• 2 Chronicles 30:22All the Levites understood how they should serve the Lord. So King Hezekiah thanked them. The festival continued for seven days. They offered friendship offerings to the Lord. They thanked the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
• Isaiah 40:2Speak kindly to the people in Jerusalem. Tell them that their time of trouble has now finished. Their punishment has been enough. The Lord has made them pay for their sins. He has made them pay twice.’
• Hosea 2:14But listen! One day, I will speak kind words to her. I will lead her into the wilderness. I will tell her that I love her.

Commentaries on Genesis 34:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Spake kindly unto the damsel - Literally, he spake to the heart of the damsel - endeavored to gain her affections, and to reconcile her to her disgrace. It appears sufficiently evident from this and the preceding verse that there had been no consent on the part of Dinah, that the whole was an act of violence, and that she was now detained by force in the house of Shechem. Here she was found when Simeon and Levi sacked the city, Genesis 34:26.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
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4Shechem had strong feelings for Dinah, and he was willing to go through great trouble because of her (34:11–12, 17–18, 24). However, the way he showed his “love” (not true love, but a selfish desire) was impulsive and self-centered. It also broke accepted moral standards of that time (compare Judges 14:2; see 1 Corinthians 13:4–7; 1 John 4:10). His character shows why Israel needed to stay separate from the Canaanites (the people living in the land at…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 34:3

• Lovers

In the dictionaries

• Jacob
• Jacob, Israel
• Ask
• Consent
• Daughter
• Defile
• Dinah
• Folly
• Please
• Archaeology; Archaeology and Criticism

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