Genesis 33–34 Summary: Jacob’s Reconciliation and the Tragic Story of Dinah
Genesis 33-24 might be the two most active chapters in the Bible. There is an important reconciliation, a sexual assault, and murders on a large scale. The reconciliation was the first recorded in the bible.
The assault is described in Genesis as “something that ought not be done.” The murders are retribution for that assault. There is high drama in these books of the bible. Do you think that this is the most action we see in the Bible?
Genesis 33-34 Summary
Genesis chapters 33 and 34 record the reconciliation between Jacob (now named Israel) and his brother Esau. After this teary incident, Israel’s daughter Dinah is sexually assaulted by Sachem, son of Hamor, the local ruler. Israel is silent at first but then says, “You have brought trouble on me… we will be destroyed.” His sons go nuts and murder the rapist and all males in the city over which his father rules.
A Reconcilation
One of the most emotional incidents in Genesis is Israel’s flight from Laban to return home. God told him to do that, and he had been gone for about 20 years, now with four wives and 11 children. He runs to meet Esau, who also runs, and they fall into a tearful embrace. It is difficult to overstate the importance of this reconciliation.
To this point in Genesis, there has been plenty of forgiveness from God; there has been a lot of brokenness on display, but this is the first example of one person forgiving another. The meeting is also significant because Israel and Esau, the sons of Isaac, and grandsons of Abraham, are the forefathers of the modern country of Israel.
The Assault of Dinah
Dinah was one of the daughters of Israel. She was raped by Sachem, a local ruler’s son. Sachem was smitten with Dinah and allowed his feelings to get the best of him. Sachem took Dinah into his home afterward, and she was there when the murders happened.
Revenge for Dinah
Somewhat surprisingly, the cunning Israel didn’t act. However, at this point, he had eleven sons. They went nuts at the rape of their sister. First, they demanded that Sachem get circumcised. Sachem was an adult, so when he agreed and had the procedure, he was sore. While he was still sore, in the middle of the night, Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi sneaked into the city and used swords to murder Sachem and all of the adult males in the city.
Religious Significance
These three events, the reconciliation, the rape, and the murder, all had great religious significance. The reconciliation between Israel and Esau shows that people are capable of forgiveness. To this point, only God showed significance. This is meaningful in contemporary life as well. The reconciliation offers us an example of forgiveness to imitate.
The assault on Dinah has significant religious significance as well. It was the first, but unfortunately not the last, violation of a woman in biblical history. This sad incident shows us, in fact, that the Bible tells us this is what not to do. This incident is contemporarily meaningful as well. There are thousands of rapes per year in the United States. The punishment for this crime is not quite as severe, but there is still punishment.
Finally, the murders are religiously significant because they show us an incorrect, morally reprehensible type of behavior. The revenge taken by the brothers of Dinah is swift (well, they did ask for the rapist be circumcised), giving a powerful example of not turning the other cheek, and surely does not exemplify forgiveness of one’s enemies. There is contemporary significance to this incident as well, as it exemplifies people taking vengeance into their own hands.
Parting Shots
The murders are also significant because Jesus later came and told people to forgive and to turn the other cheek. That is certainly not what the sons of Jacob did. In the next chapter of Genesis, Jacob (Israel) and his wife Rachel both die. She dies in childbirth, giving birth to the twelfth son of the father of Israel.
Disclaimer: This article contains a summary of Genesis 33–34 as well as interpretive insights from the author. Interpretations of biblical texts can differ, and this piece represents one approach to understanding the passage.
