Genesis 34:5

Genesis 34:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.
• New International Version (NIV)When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah. But his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob held his peace until they came.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Jacob held his peace until they came.

Context of Genesis 34:5

3He 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.’ Jacob 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. 6Shechem's father, Hamor, went to talk to Jacob about Dinah. 7Jacob's sons now heard what had happened and they came home from the fields. They were very angry because Shechem had done such a bad thing. When he caught Dinah and had sex with her, he had brought shame on Jacob's family. It was a bad thing that nobody should ever do.

Genesis 34:5 word by word

וְיַעֲקֹ֣ב שָׁמַ֗ע כִּ֤י טִמֵּא֙ אֶת־דִּינָ֣ה בִתּ֔וֹ וּבָנָ֛יו הָי֥וּ אֶת־מִקְנֵ֖הוּ בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וְהֶחֱרִ֥שׁ יַעֲקֹ֖ב עַד־בֹּאָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
• heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• that he had defiledטָמֵאţâmê' · to defileH2930
• Dinahדִּינָהdîynâh · DinahH1783
• his daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• now his sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• were with his cattleמִקְנֶהmiqneh · livestockH4735
• in the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
• held his peaceחָרֵשׁchârash · be quietH2790
• until they were comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935

Cross-references for Genesis 34:5

• Genesis 30:35On that same day, Laban went to his animals. He quickly removed all the goats that had marks, both male and female goats. He also removed all the black lambs. He gave these animals to his sons to take care of them.
• Genesis 37:13Jacob said to Joseph, ‘You know that your brothers have taken my sheep to eat grass near Shechem. I want you to go to them.’ Joseph replied, ‘I am ready to go.’
• 1 Samuel 10:27But some wicked men were complaining. They said, ‘This man will never be able to save us.’ They did not respect Saul. They did not bring him any gifts. But Saul did not say anything against them.
• 1 Samuel 16:11Samuel asked Jesse, ‘Are those all of your sons?’ Jesse answered, ‘I have one more son. He is the youngest. He is taking care of my sheep.’ Samuel said, ‘Send someone to bring him here. We cannot continue to offer the sacrifice until he arrives.’
• 1 Samuel 17:15David would sometimes leave Saul and go back home to Bethlehem. He did that to take care of his father's sheep.
• 2 Samuel 13:22But Absalom would not say anything to Amnon, good or bad. He hated Amnon because he had brought shame on his sister, Tamar.
• Luke 15:25While these things were happening, the older son was working in the field. On his way back to the house, he heard music. People were dancing.
• Leviticus 10:3Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘This is what the Lord said, “People may come near to me. But those people must see that I am holy. All the people must give honour to me.” ’ Aaron did not reply.
• Psalms 39:9I will not say anything more. I will not open my mouth, because it is you who have punished me!

Commentaries on Genesis 34:5

• 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. 5-7Jacob’s response to this crime is surprising. When he heard that Dinah had been defiled, he said nothing about it until his sons came home. Because Jacob did not act, his sons did, though without the wisdom and integrity necessary for justice. Dinah’s full brothers were shocked and furious that Shechem had done such a disgraceful thing to Jacob’s family (literally in Israel; this is the first use of the name Israel to describe the family). This sexual…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. Jacob held his peace--Jacob, as a father and a good man, must have been deeply distressed. But he could do little. In the case of a family by different wives, it is not the father, but the full brothers, on whom the protection of the daughters devolves--they are the guardians of a sister's welfare and the avengers of her wrongs. It was for this reason that Simeon and Levi, the two brothers of Dinah by Leah [Ge 34:25], appear the chief actors in this…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 34:5

• Prudence
• Wife

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