Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor’s son Shechem. And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. Now he was the most honored of all his father’s house. So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying, “These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives, and let us give them our daughters. Only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us to become one people—when every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. Will not their livestock, their property and all their beasts be ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will dwell with us.” And all who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.
On the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and came against the city while it felt secure and killed all the males. They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and went away. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister.
Comment: Shechem was delighted because of the potential marriage to his ‘sweet-heart’. However, the thoughts of the Hivites rapidly sped to think of increasing wealth. They didn’t stop to think that there may be a sinister thought behind the offer of the dowry price – more than just having a potentially bigger pool of women folk. With no anaesthesia, apart from an excess of alcohol, all the males were persuaded to be circumcised, and presumably it happened from the youngest to the oldest male.
The Hivites had indeed misread the intentions of Jacob and his sons, and they paid with their lives. And the family of Jacob became even richer. Personally I don’t like this story, but it reveals the honesty of God as he prepares the story of the coming of Jesus.
Prayer: How necessary are integrity and wisdom, O Lord. Help me to choose to walk in both.
As I read it! 