Simeon and Levi, for example, certainly had a right to be angry with Shechem when they learned that he had raped their sister Dinah. Isaac married Rebekah, and they too had difficulty in having children, but God blessed them with twins. All the leaders finally agree (or acquiesce) and every male in Shechem is circumcised. With this foundation we can understand the words of the Maggid MiDubno: He writes that the reason that Simeon and Levi gave to justify their destruction of Shechem was their disgust at Shechem's immoral actions towards Deena. 35:5). They were of course rightly incensed with Shechemâs treatment of their sister, but as they talked together this righteous anger twisted into something cruel, vindictive and monstrous. The midrashic book of Jasher argues that Simeon was the one who proposed that the brothers should kill Joseph, and other classical sources argue that it was Simeon who threw Joseph into a pit, and became furious when he found out that Judah had sold Joseph rather than killed him. Similarly, the slaughter of Benjamites in Judges 20—21 expressed the sorry moral state of Israel at that time; see http://www.craigkeener.com/slaughtering-the-benjamites-i-benjamins-depravity-judges-191-2028/; http://www.craigkeener.com/slaughtering-the-benjamites-ii-merciless-anarchy-judges-2029-2125/.). Jacob offered some of his wealth to Esau. On the other hand, while God helped His children obtain justice, He does not want them to take it into their own hands this opening a lousy precedent. Their revenge was an action of such violence and cunning that it resulted in future tribes descending from Simeon and Levi to be set aside and scattered within the nation of Israel. Check 'Simeon' translations into Danish. According to the Midrash, Simeon and Levi were only 14 and 13 years old, respectively, at the time of the rape of Dinah. Now available for iPhone in the App Store. For a detailed explanation on the coherence of the Bible history timeline with other ancient history events please refer to our chapter âChronological Discrepanciesâ for clarification. Morally imperative? Jacob set up an altar calling it El Elohe Israel (mighty is the God of Israel). Although this idea of intermarriage was intolerable to the Hebrews, let alone the rape, Levi and Simeon contained their rage and slowly plotted their revenge. Three days later while all the males are writhing in pain from what must have been a very painful operation, we are told that Simeon and Levi descended on the city and systematically began killing all the males who were currently disabled. Ironically, as already noted, God did welcome foreigners into his covenant who would be circumcised (Gen 17:12; Exod 12:48-49). God had forbidden the descendantsof Abraham to intermingle with Canaanites, the descendants of Ham (Noah’s son). 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. HEAR it, READ it, SPEAK it! Although this idea of intermarriage was intolerable to the Hebrews, let alone the rape, Levi and Simeon contained their rage and slowly plotted their revenge. Abraham’s descendants were to be a blessing to the nations, but Simeon and Levi proved to be instead a curse. Nevertheless, the willingness of the Shechemite men to endure the pain of adult circumcision raises the possibility that they would have been open to making Israel’s God their own chief deity. Download Speak Life in a FREE limited time launch promotion and tell us how you like it. As nothing secures us better than true religion, so nothing exposes us more than religion only pretended to. Joseph marrying the daughter of the priest of On (41:45; arranged by Pharaoh, but emphasized again in 41:50), Moses’s ties with the household of Jethro/Reuel (Exod 2:21; 3:1; 18:10-12; Num 10:29), and Abram’s relationship with Melchizedek (Gen 14:18-20) all reveal a different way of relating to Gentiles. Clearly this was not God’s plan for them in the land, lest they go after other gods (Deut 7:3-4). Abraham, however, did not trust that his wife could bear children and so he slept with his servant Hagar and Ishmael was born. See Genesis 34.) The violence is not a precursor of later Israel conquering Canaan (see http://www.craigkeener.com/slaughtering-the-canaanites-part-i-limiting-factors/; http://www.craigkeener.com/slaughtering-the-canaanites-part-ii-switching-sides/; http://www.craigkeenerhttp://www.craigkeener.com/slaughtering-the-canaanites-part-iii-gods-ideal/.com/slaughtering-the-canaanites-part-iii-gods-ideal/). But what if the others were willing to join Israel? 3 Then he longed for Jacobâs daughter Dinah. On account of their sin, the brothers will be scattered in the Promised Land without permanent inheritance rights (v. 7). Do you need QUICK ANSWERS, encouragement, instruction and support during your normal working day? Gerard Hoet: "Simeon and Levi slay the people of Shechem" One midrash told how Jacob later tried to restrain their hot tempers by dividing their portions in the land of ⦠They would live in hostility toward all the tribes related to them. Years later Esau, the oldest, sold his birthright to Jacob. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Did Jacob curse Simeon and Levi? MILITARY HISTORY of the Attack on Shechem This action might have eliminated the primary divine objection to intermarriage, and some subsequent history might have gone differently. When the families joined Esau was moved by the blessing which God had bestowed on his brother Jacob, including the size of his family. Circumcision was the sign of God’s covenant with Abraham’s descendants. The right BIBLE VERSE at your fingertips, by category. At first, Jacob was so afraid of Esau, despite an army of angels that was there to protect him that he named the place Mahanaim, which means “second army.”. After the men of the city had been circumcised, while they were still in pain, Simeon and Levi âtook their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male. Rather, it is to explain how only two men, Simeon and Levi, were able to kill all the male inhabitants of Shechem without raising the alarm. You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.. We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless! But to kill all the males in Shechem (34:25)? This world history timeline shows ancient calendars dates prior to 664 BC based on Rohl’s New Chronology. More of the promised blessing to the nations was on the way. with my attendants) being few in number, - literally, men of number, i.e. Simeon and Levi commit a worse crime than Shechem did. Do you need a powerful passage from Scripture IMMEDIATELY but not sure which one? 35:5). The negotiating that the Israelite brothers carried out was merely a deception. But to kill all the males in Shechem (34:25)? Later, the Torah welcomed foreigners who were willing to be circumcised and so join God’s people (Exod 12:48-49); this tradition was consistent with what Jacob’s grandfather Abraham had heard from God (Gen 17:12, 27). Charles Whitaker Searching for ⦠When his son Shechem saw Dinah, he took her and raped her. âOn the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinahâs brothers, took their swords and came against the city while it felt secure and killed all the malesâ (Gen. 34:25). Bible Battles | GILEAD 2 | Judges 10-11; Israel Defeats the Ammonites; Jephthahâs Daughter, The BATTLE of MEGIDDO 1102 BC | Thutmose III defeats Canaanites, EMPIRES FIGHT for the PROMISED LAND | Mitanni; Kassites; Hittites; Egypt, Bible Battles | ABIMELECH AGAINST GAAL | Judges 9; Abimelech 70 brothers; Jotham escapes; revolt in Shechem; Wars of the Judges, Bible Battles | SPRING of HAROD | Judges 7; Gideon puts out a fleece; Gideonâs 300; defeats the Midianites. - among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites (vide Genesis 13:7): and I (sc. The problem facing the Gersonides as an exegete is not a moral one. Tags:ancient middle east map, bible history timeline, Canaan, circumcision, Dinah, family feud, Genesis 33-34, Hebrew family of Jacob, Hivite family of Hamor, Jacob wrestles with God, rape of Dinah, revenge, Shechem, Simeon and Levi, world history timeline, Pingback: Commander in Chief - Gods War Plan | Best Bible Battles & War Strategy, Pingback: Spiritual Warfare - War is always real, always relevant, always there - Gods War Plan | Best Bible Battles & War Strategy, Your email address will not be published. Yet the people they slew were people who welcomed them, and Genesis’s ultimate verdict on their rash anger is a curse (49:5-7). The brothers defiled it by using it for their small temporal victory. And why do they serve as the prototype for the law of bar mitzvah, the Jewish boyâs attainment of maturity and responsibility? Their answers were divided, and for understandable reasons. Speak Life is your SPIRITUAL POWER supplement to your devotionals, meditation and prayer. It does not have to be synonymous with passive inaction. Abraham’s instance of disobedience would have long-lasting future implications: Later, Sarah did conceive a son called Isaac was born. (Even today, at least some women in cultures that practice male circumcision report as revolting the thought of intercourse with an uncircumcised man.) Currently you have JavaScript disabled. These models are quite different from the behavior of Simeon and Levi. Jacobâs son replied deceitfully that the Hivites, the people of Shechem needed to be circumcised for the marriage to take place; they agreed. Simeon and Levi kill the Shechemites and take Dina home, Pieter van der Borcht (I), 1613 Rijksmuseum.nl Part 1 The Sexual Offense and Abduction Genesis 34 tells the story of how Jacobâs daughter, Dinah, was taken and âsulliedâ by Shechem, son of Hamor, the prince of the city. Naturally, Simeon and Levi risked retaliation from Shechemites if they slew only the guilty prince; their strategy protected them. They had made him stink to the residents of the land (34:30), an expression that, when used figuratively, was sometimes used of someone making their entire group detestable to someone more powerful (Exod 5:21; 1 Sam 13:4; though one could also make oneself detestable, as in 1 Sam 27:12; 2 Sam 10:6; 16:21). This small battle gives the term âmilitary operationâ a whole new tone. On reason that Jacob complains about their action is because of fear (34:30-31). Jacob’s sons, however, cite custom and deceitfully invite the Shechemites to be circumcised as a condition to becoming one people (Gen 34:14-16). They attacked the unsuspecting city, whose men were all recovering from being circumcised so the young rapist could marry their sister. The act took place on top of Mount Moriah. Speak Life is a powerful active PRAYER TOOL designed to bring awareness of the power of the Holy Spirit in you. Hamor was the landâs patriarch (Judges 9:28). Your email address will not be published. Whereas the Hivites hoped to share Israel’s prosperity (34:23), Jacob’s sons plunder all that belonged to these Hivites (34:28), including their wives and children (34:29), presumably for slaves. Jacob’s son Joseph, however, would soon become a blessing to Egypt, Canaan, and many others (Gen 45:5, 7; 50:20). Ïόν με ÏεÏοιήκαÏε (LXX.) He fell in love with her and spoke tenderly to her. The narrator does not envision their slaughter of male Shechemites as holy war prefiguring Israel’s later invasion of Canaan. No doubt in the way of some compensation, the chieftain offered the highest price for Dinah and opened up his Hivite family to Jacob’s. It was not long before their thoughts turned to murder and making a pretence of solidarity, they pursued a brutal vendetta against the unsuspecting Shechemites. This operation left them physically weakened to defend themselves. Rariny, ohatra, raha tezitra taminâi Sekema i Simeona sy i Levy, rehefa fantatrâizy ireo fa novetavetainâio i Dina anabaviny. It is the equivalent instead of slaughtering converts who came to the side of Israel, such as the family of Rahab, something later Israel knew better than to do. But three days later, when the men of Shechem were still in pain, Levi and Simeon strapped on their swords and attacked the city, killing every man (verse 25) and plundering the city (verses 27â29). Jacob’s people would be welcome in the land God had promised if they intermarried with the local people (34:9-10). Simeon and Levi Attack. They killed every male and took their sister Dinah. Soon after, Jacob’s Daughter Dinah was raped by Shechem, which later fell in love with her. Instead of Dinahâs brothers rushing to avenge her with violence at the first opportunity they were slow to anger, waited, and planned a much better counter strike. For his boldness, he was given the name Israel (he who wrestles with God). The Revenge of Dinah's Brothers ⦠25 Three days later, while they were still in pain, two of Jacobâs sons (Dinahâs brothers Simeon and Levi) took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and slaughtered every male. (When Saul slaughters Gibeonites, who merely had a treaty with Israel, God was angry; see 2 Sam 21:1-2. Jacob later restricts the blessings of Simeon and Levi because of their cruel anger and killing in 49:5-7, where he describes their behavior as killing “a man,” perhaps an allusion to Lamech’s words in 4:23, and/or perhaps alluding to the prohibition of shedding a “man’s” blood in 9:6. Unfortunately, the chief concern of Simeon and Levi was not these Hivites’ conversion, but their destruction. Shechem abused his position of power to do as he pleased, thinking Jacob’s family would tolerate his whims. They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechemâs house and leftâ (Genesis 34:25â26). Research and Commentary from Dr. Craig Keener, http://www.craigkeener.com/slaughtering-the-canaanites-part-i-limiting-factors/, http://www.craigkeener.com/slaughtering-the-canaanites-part-ii-switching-sides/, http://www.craigkeenerhttp://www.craigkeener.com/slaughtering-the-canaanites-part-iii-gods-ideal/.com/slaughtering-the-canaanites-part-iii-gods-ideal/, http://www.craigkeener.com/slaughtering-the-benjamites-i-benjamins-depravity-judges-191-2028/, http://www.craigkeener.com/slaughtering-the-benjamites-ii-merciless-anarchy-judges-2029-2125/, Were Simeon and Levi right to slaughter the Shechemites?—Genesis 34 — Bible BackgroundBible Background | Talmidimblogging, Jacob’s breeding techniques—Genesis 30:38-42. After a hard life of servitude and wondering, Jacob married and was ready to start a family. Come on, y'all. It is likely that many were too drunk to put up a fight. When, in my early days as a professor I taught both Old and New Testament, I asked my students what they thought. Simeon and Levi even hamstrung Shechemâs oxen needlessly (v. 6), injuring innocent animals and ruining them as beasts of burden. Their strong hand may have helped strike fear into their enemies (cf. Nov 25, 2013 - Why did Simeon and Levi kill the people of Shechem? They would accept the marriage offer on the condition that Shechem and the entire town would be circumcised to keep God’s traditions allegedly. (Jacob is referring to the duplicity and brutality they displayed in the slaying of the men of Shechem. Hamor, requested a marriage between Shechem and Dinah. Look through examples of Simeon translation in sentences, listen to pronunciation and learn grammar. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jacob then moved from Paddan Aram to the city of Shechem among the Hivites, in Canaan, and camped within sight of the city. Levi (along with his brother Simeon) killed a whole village of innocent men, and plundered their goods, wives, and children; Levi plotted to kill his youngest brother, and eventually settled (with the help of eight other brothers) for selling him as a slave. Three days after this, both brothers, despite their numerical disadvantage, were able to overpower the city and slaughter its inhabitants. Jacob and Esau were the patriarchs of the Jews and the Arabs and the exact origin of this conflict (Genesis 25). Some of Jacob’s family members themselves were serving foreign gods, something that Jacob may have addressed fully only after matters had gone so far (35:2). Jacob was angry at Levi and Simeon because of their murderous attack (verse 30), but Levi and Simeon were unapologetic (verse 31). 26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah out of Shechemâs house, and went away. They therefore killed Shechem and all his family and all the inhabitants of the city that were subordinate to him. Below is a history of the World timeline pertaining to the Ancient Middle East joined with the history of the Bible. At Jabbok River he wrestled with an angel of God. The worst part of this conflict was that Levi and Simeon misused circumcision, which was an instruction God had given Abraham to set His people apart, holy. 34 Dinah was the daughter Leah had by Jacob. jw2019. God would not allow the future Messiah’s bloodline to pass through the people He had cursed. Required fields are marked *. They went against their fatherâs decision to live at peace with the people of Shechem. It is unacceptable to say that Simeon and Leviâs massacre of the Shechemites âsaves the day,â for they are responding to an entirely different problem, and their solution is entirely unacceptable. Rape is a serious offense, and when nobody else punished it, a brother sometimes took matters into his hands (2 Sam 13:32-33). Nevertheless, Simeon and Levi organized the attack and were most responsible for it (34:25, 30; 49:5-7). Their strong hand may have helped strike fear into their enemies (cf. Blessed you are, my wonderful God, for you have brought me into your house, even into your family, and given me your peace. 2. What is the biblical source for the age of bar mitzvah? Simeon and Levi insisted on the circumcision of the Hamors. View Genesis The Shechemites murdered by Simeon and Levi. Email: info@godswarplan.com Website by SEO Prophets, Spiritual Warfare â What does God say about War â Fight of Faith â Holy Spirit, “Attack on SHECHEM | Genesis 34; rape of Dinah; Simeon and Levi; revenge”. Levi and Simeon misused God’s holy circumcision for an evil end. Nachamanidesâ own explanation for the initiative of Shimon and Levi is that they sought revenge for what Shechem had done to their sister. Your voice is missing! Yet many years later Simeon's descendants sinned in this very same area! Naturally, Simeon and Levi risked retaliation from Shechemites if they slew only the guilty prince; their strategy protected them. Simeon and Levi, treated together, would be "divided" in Jacob, "scattered" in Israel, because of their "fierce" and "cruel" anger. Dinah went out to visit the women of the land. And Levi was cursed with the promise of no tribal allotment in the Promised Land. His birthright was not his to give away. Welcome to Christian Forums, a forum to discuss Christianity in a friendly surrounding. Jacob is only concerned with what will happen to him, not at all about what his sons did. Slow to anger (James 1:19) has its advantages. On the third day, the soreness of the circumcision set in and Simeon and Levi, got swords and then slaughtered every male of the city. Simeon would eventually lose its identity altogether and be part of Judah. 2 Hamor, the Hivite, was the ruler of that area. These examples offer positive models for relating to other peoples, as well as for relating to those who are initially outsiders to our faith. And it came to pass on the third day, when [the people of Shechem] were in pain [following their circumcision], that two of Jacobâs sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinahâs brothers, each man took his sword, and they ⦠There is no mention here of theological conversion, and Israel’s prosperity alone was sufficient to invite the Shechemites’ economic interest (34:23). Jacob and his sons, Levi and Simeon, found out about this tragedy. (Jacob’s household also included many men in addition to his sons [30:43; 32:5, 7], although Genesis naturally spotlights mainly his sons [e.g., 42:3], and it is possible that hired workers later returned to northern Syria during the famine of Gen 43:1.) On the third day during their recovery, Simeon and Levi snuck in and killed all of the males of the city. These were to be two nations intertwined even if opposed. At this point, it is questionable whether Simeon and Levi were “converted” (or, more accurately, serving the God of Israel) themselves. One can say that flint knives and swords were the weapons used. Her son, Ishmael’s descendants, settled near the border with Egypt. (. Not Jacob is called Jacob here, not Israel. They would accept the marriage offer on the condition that Shechem and the entire town would be circumcised to keep Godâs traditions allegedly. Or was their act of vengeance massive overkill? When Isaac was older, God told Abraham to sacrifice him but stopped him at the last moment, as this was a test of Abraham’s devotion. Were their actions morally justified? He purchased a plot of land from the local Hivite chieftain Shechem and his brothers, sons of Hamor. Even after that fear is resolved (35:5), Jacob condemns their violence in his inspired blessings (49:5-7). Esau was also worldly by marrying a Canaanite woman. Was it right for Jacob’s sons Simeon and Levi to massacre the Shechemites because the prince of Shechem had raped their sister? Although Abraham and his wife Sarah were very old, God had promised them, children. 1. Simeon and Levi undoubtedly had help in carrying out their genocide. All rights reserved. Jacob’s sons, probably more than just these two, plundered the city (34:27). In the Blessing of Jacob, Jacob is described as imposing a curse on the Levites, by which they would be scattered, in punishment for Leviâs actions in Shechem.
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