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Genesis 34

1.      Can you remember a time when you wanted to go somewhere but were told that it was not an appropriate place for you?  What happened?

Are there places that we as Christians should not go?  Please explain.

Who was Dinah?

What do you think it was like for her to be the only girl in a family of eleven brothers?

What does Dinah decide to do in verse 1?

Why do you think she wanted to see or visit the women of the land?

Do you see anything “wrong” or “inappropriate” for a 15-year-old girl to visit the women of the land?  Please explain.

According to the customs during this time, Dinah was not to go out unaccompanied.  Why do you think she was alone?

2.     Verses 2 and 3 recount an incident that will have grave consequences.  Read these two verses and restate in your words what happened?

Why did Shechem take Dinah and violate her?

Who was Shechem?

Do you think he thought he was doing anything wrong?  Please explain.

Without casting blame, was Dinah in any way responsible for what happened?  Was Shechem?

3.     What future awaited Dinah as a young, unmarried girl who had been raped?

How would this affect the entire family?

What instructions did Abraham give Isaac and Isaac give Jacob concerning a spouse?

Would the same stipulations apply to Dinah?  Please explain.

4.     Verse 3 tells us that Shechem’s heart was drawn to Dinah and that he loved her.  Does this make a difference?  Please explain.

What would you say to a young, unmarried couple who wanted to engage in extramarital sex because they love each other?  More importantly, what does God’s word say?

Because of his love, what does Shechem tell his father?

5.     What does Jacob do when he learns his only daughter has been defiled?

Does his reaction surprise you?  Please explain.

Can you think of a time when taking no immediate action would be a prudent course?  Please explain.

This is a difficult situation.  Imagine you are Jacob.  You have just purchased a plot of land from Shechem’s father.  How might you have handled this situation?

6.     Things begin to happen very quickly at this point.  According to verse 6, what does Hamor do?

What do you think this conversation between these two fathers was like?

As Hamor is speaking with Jacob, Jacob’s sons hear the news about their sister.  What was their reaction?

Some versions of the Bible say the sons were filled with grief and fury.  Others say they were very wroth.  Describe these brothers as they hurriedly returned home.

7.     Verse 7 is very interesting.  It states that the brothers were angry because Shechem had done a disgraceful thing.  The KJV reads Shechem “had wrought folly” through his deed.  What does this mean to you?

As we read further, verse 7 states that Shechem had done a disgraceful thing in or against ISRAEL.  Why do you think it does read “against Dinah”?

This is the first mention of the Abraham’s descendants using the name “Israel”.  Why is this significant?

How does this make Shechem’s act even more abominable?

8.     Some commentaries suggest that Jacob’s passivity concerning his daughter may have had something to do with her mother.  Who was Dinah’s mother?

Do you think Jacob’s reaction would have been different if she had been Rachel’s daughter?  Please explain.

9.     As Hamor is speaking with Jacob, the brothers return home.  We are not told what transpired, but Hamor stops talking to Jacob and begins speaking to the brothers.  Do you think he knew they were angry?  Please explain.

Look carefully at Hamor’s words in verse 8.  Do they seem sincere?  Please explain.

Is Hamor seeking a diplomatic solution to a very touchy situation?  Is there anything wrong with such solutions?  Please explain.

The diplomat Hamor continues to expound on the benefits of such a marriage.  What are some of these benefits in verses 9 & 10?

Jacob has a large family with huge flocks, yet he only owns a small portion of land.  How might such an offer appeal to him?

Do people today use marriage to form alliances or to increase a fortune?  Please explain.

10.   Once again, when we read verses 11 and 12, we get the sense that Hamor truly wants to find a peaceful solution to the problem.  Does this surprise you considering what his son did?  Please explain.

What do you think of parents who try to get their children out of trouble?  Please explain.

Do you sense anything wrong with Hamor’s proposal?  If so, what?

11.    Who replies to Hamor?

Why do you think Jacob remains silent?

According to verse 13, how did the brothers answer Hamor?

Where do you think the brothers learned to practice deceit?

When we look at the relationship between Jacob and his sons, what is one way that parents “teach” their children?

What implications does this have for us as parents?

Based upon this episode, what advice would you give new parents?

12.   When we look at the brothers’ answer, we can detect a partial truth.  They begin by saying, “We can’t do such a thing.”  According to their thoughts, why can’t they?

According to God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, why can’t they?

What the brothers are planning to do is very deceitful.  However, they make it even worse by covering it up with religious reasons.  What were those reasons?

Can you think of examples from our past when the church cloaked wrong actions with God’s name?

Can you think of an example of how people today justify their actions through religious arguments?

Why do you think the brothers chose circumcision as the only requirement?

13.   The brothers go beyond Hamor’s original request.  If Hamor and Shechem will agree to their conditions, what do the brothers say they are willing to do?

Why do they make this added concession?

14.   Does Hamor or Shechem suspect any foul play?  Explain.

Verse 18 says that Hamor and Shechem found the proposal pleasing.  The word for “pleasing” is yatab.  It means to be happy, to be joyful, to be glad, to be pleased.  How would you describe Shechem at this point?

What does verse 19 tell us about Shechem?

Why did Shechem waste no time in carrying out the brothers’ instructions?

15.   Hamor and Shechem now have to convince all the other men to join them.  Where do they go to speak to the others?

Why do they go to the gate of the city?

According to verse 21, what do Hamor and Shechem say about Jacob and his sons?

How does their statement make the brothers appear?

What reasons do Hamor and Shechem give the men as to why they should become like Jacob and his family?

Have we, as a nation, ever made concessions so that we might benefit from another countries wealth?  Please explain.

16.   What was the result of the meeting at the gate?

What does this tell us about Hamor and Shechem?

When we read verse 26, we learn why the brothers chose circumcision as the condition.  Why?

Without getting too graphic, what was the situation like in Shechem?

17.   Verse 25 contains a little surprise.  Up to this point we have been reading about the brothers, which means all eleven.  But who actually attacks the men of Shechem?

What do we know about Simeon and Levi?

What did the two brothers do?

Why do you think they killed every male?

This was not an impulsive act.  The brothers planned it and waited over 4 days to carry out their plan.  Does this fact make their actions worse?  Please explain.

Since the other brothers did not take part in the killing, is it possible they did not know what Simeon and Levi were going to do?  Please explain.

18.   What does verse 26 tell us?

Why do you think Dinah was with Shechem?

What do you think is going to happen to Dinah?

19.   Verse 25 makes it quite clear that Simeon and Levi killed all the men in the city.  However, verse 27 mentions “the sons of Jacob” came upon all the dead bodies.  Who do you think are the sons of Jacob mentioned in verse 27?

Were all the brothers in on this act?  Please explain.

What did the sons of Jacob do?

Why do you think they took the women and children?

After reading verse 28, we learn that Jacob’s sons destroyed this city.  How would you describe these young men at this time?

20.  We finally hear from Jacob.  Where has been all of this time?

Do you think he could have stopped his sons?  Please explain.

Jacob is afraid because of their actions.  Why?

He says his sons have “troubled” him.  The word for “troubled” is akar.  It means to trouble, to stir up, to make someone taboo.  So, according to Jacob, what was the result of their revenge?

Is Jacob’s concern valid?  Please explain.

Notice in verse 30, Jacob says he is concerned the people in the land will join forces against “me”.  Why does he not say against “us”?

What was the brothers’ response to their father’s concern?

21.   During this entire chapter, God is not mentioned once.  What does this mean to you?

Does God’s not being mentioned mean He was not present?  Please explain.

Do you hold Jacob responsible in any way for what happened?  Why or why not?

22.  Look at Genesis 26:23-25.  Where did Isaac make his home?

Look at Genesis 28:10.  Where did Jacob leave when fleeing from his brother?

Now look at Genesis 33:12.  Esau says he will accompany Jacob.  Where?

Genesis 33:16 tells us Esau returned to Seir.  Look at a map.  What town must Esau travel through to arrive at Seir?

How or why did Jacob end up in Shechem?

Here is the main question:  is it possible that this entire episode with Dinah and Shechem might have been avoided if Jacob had been honest with Esau and gone with him to Beersheba?  Please explain.