Topical Bible: Women: Dinah, in Her Fornication

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Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, is a figure whose account is recounted in Genesis 34. Her narrative is brief but significant, highlighting themes of family honor, justice, and the complexities of human relationships in the patriarchal context of ancient Israel.

Background and Context

Dinah was the only recorded daughter of Jacob, the patriarch whose twelve sons became the progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Her mother, Leah, was Jacob's first wife, and Dinah was born during Jacob's sojourn in Paddan-aram. The family eventually settled near the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, where the events involving Dinah unfolded.

The Incident in Shechem

Genesis 34:1-2 states, "Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land. When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force." This passage indicates that Dinah's visit to the local women led to her being violated by Shechem, the prince of the land. The text describes this act as one of force, suggesting a lack of consent and highlighting the gravity of the offense against Dinah.

Family Reaction and Retribution

The news of Dinah's defilement reached her family, and Jacob's sons were deeply grieved and angered. Genesis 34:7 records their reaction: "Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the field when they heard the news. They were deeply grieved and very angry, for Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done."

In response to this violation, Shechem and his father Hamor approached Jacob and his sons, seeking to arrange a marriage between Shechem and Dinah. They proposed a union that would also establish broader familial and economic ties between the Israelites and the Hivites. However, Jacob's sons, particularly Simeon and Levi, devised a plan for retribution. They deceitfully agreed to the marriage on the condition that all the males in Shechem's city be circumcised.

Genesis 34:25-26 narrates the subsequent events: "Three days later, while all the men were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed every male. They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went away."

Moral and Theological Considerations

The account of Dinah raises several moral and theological questions. The violation of Dinah is depicted as a grave sin, an "outrage in Israel," underscoring the importance of sexual purity and the protection of women within the community. The response of Simeon and Levi, while demonstrating a fierce defense of family honor, also introduces a discussion on the ethics of vengeance and justice. Their actions, though motivated by a desire to uphold their sister's dignity, resulted in excessive violence and deceit, which later brought Jacob's rebuke (Genesis 49:5-7).

Dinah's account serves as a poignant reminder of the vulnerability of women in ancient times and the severe consequences of sin and retribution. It also reflects the broader biblical themes of justice, family loyalty, and the complexities of human sinfulness.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 34:1,2
And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Testament of Levi Concerning the Priesthood and Arrogance.
... to do to Sarah as they did to Dinah our sister ... a wife I was twenty-eight years old,
and her name was ... ye teach the commandments of the Lord, the women that have ...
/.../iii the testament of levi concerning.htm

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs.
... brought him an enormous fortune as her dower, belonged ... Peter, "Flee fornication;
and bid your women not to ... 41:45, makes Asenath the daughter of Dinah by Shechem ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the testaments of the twelve.htm

Tit. 2:06 Thoughts for Young Men
... is only a book for Sunday-school children and old women. ... Dinah must needs go out
among the wicked Shechemites, to see their ways, and she lost her character ...
/.../chapter xix tit 2 6 thoughts.htm

A Traveler's Note-Book
... book of the Maccabees is told"probably by an Alexandrian Jew"the story of the men
and women who faced a ... "She exhorted every one of them in her own language ...
/.../merriam/the chief end of man/iii a travelers note-book.htm

The Doctrine
... his house from false gods, with the defiling of his daughter Dinah (Genesis 34:2 ...
and the Lord threatened death to him and his, except he restored her again; yea ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the doctrine.htm