Genesis 34:20

Genesis 34:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,
• New International Version (NIV)So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city to speak to the men of their city.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying,
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and spoke with the men of their city, saying:

Context of Genesis 34:20

18Now their words seemed reasonable to Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son. 19The young man did not delay to do this, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. Now he was more respected than all the household of his father. So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the people of their city, saying, 21“These men are friendly to us; therefore let them live in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. We will take their daughters in marriage, and give our daughters to them. 22Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people: that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised.

Genesis 34:20 word by word

וַיָּבֹ֥א חֲמ֛וֹר וּשְׁכֶ֥ם בְּנ֖וֹ אֶל־שַׁ֣עַר עִירָ֑ם וַֽיְדַבְּר֛וּ אֶל־אַנְשֵׁ֥י עִירָ֖ם לֵאמֹֽר׃Read the interlinear

• So Hamorחֲמוֹרchămôr · HamorH2544
• and his sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• Shechemשְׁכֶםshekem · ShechemH7927
• cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
• of their cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• and spokeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• to the peopleאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559

Cross-references for Genesis 34:20

• Genesis 22:17indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand, which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.
• Genesis 23:10Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham so that the sons of Heth heard, that is, all who entered the gate of his city, saying,
• Deuteronomy 17:5then you are to bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil deed, that is, the man or the woman, and you shall stone them to death.
• Ruth 4:1Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the redeemer of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Come over here, friend, sit down here.” And he came over and sat down.
• Job 29:7When I went out to the gate of the city, When I took my seat in the public square,
• Proverbs 31:23Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.
• Amos 5:10They hate him who rebukes in the gate, And they despise him who speaks with integrity.
• Zechariah 8:16These are the things which you shall do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace at your gates.

Commentaries on Genesis 34:20

• 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. 18-24The Canaanite men agreed to the condition, and every male in the town was circumcised. This was not only to allow Shechem to marry Dinah. They also saw it as a way to gain everything that Jacob owned (34:23).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Hamor and Shechem ... came unto the gate of their city--That was the place where every public communication was made; and in the ready obsequious submission of the people to this measure we see an evidence either of the extraordinary affection for the governing family, or of the abject despotism of the East, where the will of a chief is an absolute command.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 34:20

• Deception
• Dishonesty
• Gates
• Vengeance

In the dictionaries

• Hamor
• Shechem
• 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