God’s Word Translation
Genesis 34:14
14They said, “We can’t do this. We can’t give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised. That would be a disgrace to us!
Genesis 34:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us:
- New International Version (NIV)They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us.
- English Standard Version (ESV)They said to them, "We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us.
Context of Genesis 34:14
12Set the price I must pay for the bride and the gift I must give her as high as you want. I’ll pay exactly what you tell me. Give me the girl as my wife.” 13Then Jacob’s sons gave Shechem and his father Hamor a misleading answer because he had dishonored their sister Dinah. They said, “We can’t do this. We can’t give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised. That would be a disgrace to us! 15We will give our consent to you only on one condition: Every male must be circumcised as we are. 16Then we’ll give our daughters to you and take yours for ourselves, and we’ll live with you and become one people.
Read all of Genesis 34Genesis 34:14 word by word
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם לֹ֤א נוּכַל֙ לַעֲשׂוֹת֙ הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה לָתֵת֙ אֶת־אֲחֹתֵ֔נוּ לְאִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־ל֣וֹ עָרְלָ֑ה כִּֽי־חֶרְפָּ֥ה הִ֖וא לָֽנוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto them, We cannotיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
- unto them, We cannotלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- this thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- to giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- our sisterאָחוֹת'âchôth · sisterH269
- to oneאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- that is uncircumcisedעׇרְלָה‛orlâh · foreskinH6190
- a reproachחֶרְפָּהcherpâh · reproachH2781
Cross-references for Genesis 34:14
- Genesis 17:11All of you must be circumcised. That will be the sign of the promise from me to you.
- Joshua 5:2At that time the Lord spoke to Joshua, “Make flint knives, and circumcise the men of Israel.”
- 1 Samuel 14:6Jonathan said to his armorbearer, “Let’s go to the military post of these uncircumcised people. Maybe the Lord will act on our behalf. The Lord can win a victory with a few men as well as with many.”
- 1 Samuel 17:26David asked the men who were standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and gets rid of Israel’s disgrace? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should challenge the army of the living God?”
- 2 Samuel 1:20Don’t tell the news in Gath. Don’t announce the victory in the streets of Ashkelon, or the daughters of the Philistines will be glad, and the daughters of godless men will celebrate.
- 2 Samuel 15:7Four years later Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron and keep the vow I made to the Lord.
- 1 Kings 21:9In these letters she wrote: “Announce a fast. Seat Naboth as leader of the people.
- Matthew 2:8As he sent them to Bethlehem, he said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you have found him, report to me so that I may go and worship him too.”
- Matthew 23:1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
- Romans 4:11Abraham’s faith was the basis of his approval by God while he was still uncircumcised. The mark of circumcision is the seal of that approval. Therefore, he is the father of every believer who is not circumcised, and their faith, too, is regarded as the basis of their approval by God.
Commentaries on Genesis 34:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14That were a reproach unto us - Because the uncircumcised were not in the covenant of God; and to have given an heiress of the promise to one who had no kind of right to its spiritual blessings, from whom might spring children who would naturally walk in the way of their father would have been absurd, reproachful and wicked. Thus far they were perfectly right; but to make this holy principle a cloak for their deceitful and murderous purposes, was the full…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. 13-17Dinah’s brothers responded to the proposal without waiting for Jacob to respond, and they acted deceitfully. They may not have thought that Shechem and his people would ever agree to the rite of circumcision, but they knew what they would do if the Canaanites accepted (34:25).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 34:14
In the dictionaries
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
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