Read the Passage: Genesis 34-35

Listen to the Redeemed Mind Podcast: Genesis 34-35

Violation of Dinah (34:1–31)

Presumably, in addition to his twelve sons, Jacob had many daughters; yet only one of his daughters is named in Scripture—that is, Dinah (cf. Gen. 30:21). Likely, the reason why Dinah’s name appears earlier in Genesis is because of the events reported in this chapter. Gen. 34:1–4 records that when Jacob’s family was near Shechem, the prince of the city forced himself upon Dinah. Although he had violated her, the prince whose name was Shechem, was attracted to Dinah and claimed to love her—even declaring his desire to marry her. Next, Hamor, the king of the city, approached Jacob with an offer to peacefully join their separate peoples into one group, and to facilitate the marriage of Dinah and Shechem. Jacob’s sons replied that they would only agree to integration if the people consented to be circumcised. Surprisingly, the men of the city accepted this condition, for they coveted the wealth and the material possessions of Jacob’s family.

Gen. 34:25–31 reveals that the prerequisite of circumcision, which was stipulated by Jacob’s sons, was just a ploy to incapacitate the men of Shechem, so that the city could be ransacked. This passage reports that Simeon and Levi assailed the city and killed the men in retribution for Shechem’s violation of Dinah. Furthermore, the rest of Jacob’s sons then plundered the city and took the women and the children captive. Note this text is clear that Jacob was not aware of his sons’ plan, for he later rebuked them and said, “You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I” (Gen. 34:30). The massacre of the males and the plunder of the city was not a proportionate response to the sin of one man.

Return of Jacob (35:1–15)

In Gen. 35:1–4 God instructed Jacob to return to Bethel. Recall that when Jacob had fled from Esau, he fell asleep in a place called Luz. Here, in a dream, God spoke to Jacob for the first time, and restated the national, personal, and universal aspects of the Abrahamic Covenant (cf. Gen. 28:10–12). Jacob had marked this location both by naming it Bethel, meaning “house of God,” and by erecting a memorial pillar (cf. Gen. 28:18–19). Furthermore, at Bethel Jacob had promised a tithe to God if He would travel with him, keep him safe, meet his material needs, and bring him home safely (cf. Gen. 28:20–22). Having now been back in the Promised Land for several years, it seems that God was now calling Jacob to return to Bethel to fulfill his vow. In response, Jacob announced the trip to his family and commanded that they cleanse themselves by jettisoning their idols and foreign gods.

While Jacob’s fear was that the Canaanites would kill him (cf. Gen. 34:30), this passage records that as Jacob traveled to Bethel, “The terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob” (Gen. 25:5). In obedience to God’s command, once Jacob arrived at Bethel, he built an altar and presumably fulfilled his earlier vow. Gen. 35:8 records that Rebekah’s nurse died at Bethel, which is likely meant to foreshadow the passing of Rachel at Gen. 35:16–20. As God had done earlier at Bethel, so Gen. 35:9–15 reports that God appeared to Jacob again. The first time that God visited Jacob at Bethel marked the inauguration of the Abrahamic Covenant being inherited by Jacob. Now, the second appearance of God entailed the ratification of the covenant, which was celebrated both with a formal name-change and with a reiteration of the covenant.

Death of Rachel (35:16–29)

When Rachel had given birth to Joseph, she implicitly prayed for another son, saying, “The Lord shall add to me another son” (Gen. 30:24). Now, in Gen. 35:16 we learn that this prayer was answered, for Rachel was in the midst of childbirth. Yet, the text reports that Rachel’s labor was very hard, and she passed away soon after delivering her second son. Rachel then named her son Ben-Oni, meaning “son of my sorrow,” yet, Jacob changed his son’s name to Benjamin, meaning “son of my right hand.” Rachel was then buried near Bethlehem and a pillar was erected to mark her grave. The closing verses of this chapter record several pieces of additional information, including: Reuben’s incest with his stepmother (cf. Gen. 35:22), which cost him his father’s blessing (cf. Gen. 49:3–4); a complete list of Jacob’s twelve sons (cf. Gen. 35:23–26); and the death and burial of Isaac, at 180 years old (cf. Gen. 35:27–29).

Application Questions:

1. Since Jacob had obeyed God and returned to Canaan, should he have expected any special blessings once he was back in the land?
2. How could Jacob have been unaware of the plans of his sons? How should Jacob have reacted to the violation of Dinah?
3. How can we reconcile Shechem’s violation of Dinah, with his profession of love and his desire to marry her?
4. Since Jacob had already erected a pillar at Bethel (cf. Gen. 28:18), why did God command him to build a new altar (cf. Gen. 35:1)?
5. What is the significance of the name-change from Jacob, meaning “deceiver,” to Israel, meaning “prince with God”?