Genesis 34:6-31

They slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house

The punishment of Dinah’s dishonour

I. IT WAS PROMPTED BY A FEELING OF VENGEANCE AGAINST THE DOER OF A GROSS MORAL WRONG.

II. IT WAS A GRIEVOUS SIN.

1. Unjust and cruel. The punishment was far in excess of the fault, and the innocent were made to suffer with the guilty.

2. IT was committed under the hypocritical pretence of religion.

3. It was perilous to the true interests of the kingdom of God (Genesis 34:30). (T. H.Leale.)

Sinful policy

The execution of this project was marked--

1. By the vilest hypocrisy. They pretended to have scruples of conscience about connecting themselves with persons who were uncircumcised.

2. By the grossest profaneness. They knew that if the Shechemites were persuaded to submit to circumcision it would be a mere form, leaving them as to their relation to God just where they were before. They propose that the males should receive the seal of God’s holy covenant, not in order to obtain any spiritual benefit, but solely with a view to carnal gratification.

3. It was conceived in the spirit of the most savage cruelty. What amazing depravity does it argue, first to form such a horrid purpose, and then to cover it with the cloak of religion. (W. Bush.)

Sin begets sin

Alas, how one sin leads to another, and like flames of fire, spreads desolation in every direction! Dissipation leads to seduction; seduction produces wrath; wrath thirsts for revenge; the thirst of revenge has recourse to treachery; treachery issues in murder; and murder is followed by lawless depredation! Were we to trace the history of illicit commerce between the sexes, we should find it, more perhaps than any other sin, terminating in blood. We may read this warning truth not only in the life of David and his family, but in what is constantly occurring in our own times. The murder of the innocent offspring by the hand of the mother, or of the mother by the hand of the seducer; or of the seducer by the hand of a brother, or a supplanted rival--are events which too frequently fail under our notice. Nor is this all, even in the present world. Murder seldom escapes detection: a public execution therefore may be expected to close the tragical process! (A. Fuller.)

Lessons

1. Sad news of misery on relations calling for help may take men off from their employments.

2. Grief is a duty for evil done to, or by, any of our relations.

3. Anger against sin committed is but due, if it be expressed orderly.

4. Men, though in the Church, are apt to be transported in wrath beyond bounds.

5. Uncleanness acted is the greatest folly that can be expressed Proverbs 7:22).

6. Pollution of any members in the Church of God is an aggravated folly.

7. Jacob’s daughter to be defiled; it is a sad and grievous reproach.

8. The law of God expressly forbids such unclean actings. Therefore are they exceeding sinful in the Church (verse 7). (G. Hughes, B. D.)

Lessons

1. Sinful indulgent parents cover the foul enormities of rebellious children with fair pretences.

2. Wicked offenders love to be silent as to the confession of their villanies.

3. Lustful love is given out with the very soul, and may continue after violence done, the object abiding.

4. Injurious, violent men may entreat compliance with the afflicted and oppressed ones.

5. Marriage may be desired by wicked adulterers to hide their uncleanness (Genesis 34:8).

6. General overtures of kindness may be made by wicked men of power for their special ends.

7. The world have desired affinity with the Church of God upon design (Genesis 34:9).

8. Worldly powers may court the pilgrim Church to sit down with them for their own advantage.

9. Territories of princes are opened to the sons of the Church to engage them to evil.

10. Free trade, commerce, and possessions, are the baits wherewith worldly powers allure God’s servants unto their lusts.

11. Kingdoms and all will lust, part with all, to enjoy its pleasure (Genesis 34:10). So Herod (Mark 6:22). (G. Hughes, B. D.)

Lessons

1. Lustful men may crouch to such as they have offended to get favour from them.

2. Lust is willing to buy out favour where it hath provoked (Genesis 34:11).

3. Lust maketh men profuse and prodigal to have their pleasure, though to their own undoing.

4. Lustful creatures would buy out their offences, though not confess or bemoan them.

5. Lust agreeth to give men their demands that it may enjoy its own.

6. Lust acquiesceth only in the enjoyment of its desired evil (Genesis 34:12). (G. Hughes, B. D.)

Lessons

1. Overflowing sorrows may cause wise and good fathers to entrust young children too much with great affairs.

2. Management of such great affairs wants good success usually, because acted by such hands.

3. Brethren under fathers may have a right as to disposing their sisters, wherein they may give counsel.

4. The sons of Jacob may be guileful, though he be plain.

5. Corruption and thoughts of revenge may move the sons of the Church to deal deceitfully (Genesis 34:13).

6. The children of the Church cannot do justly what God forbids them.

7. It is unlawful for Church members to mingle themselves in marriages with God’s enemies (1 Corinthians 7:39).

8. It is a reproach unto the Church to act contrary to God’s ordinances.

9. The sons of the Church may urge God’s truths to wicked purposes (Genesis 34:14).

10. Visible professors in the Church may wickedly offer God’s sacraments to be vilified by men.

11. Church-members may possibly err in annexing God’s seals to men’s covenants.

12. Hypocrisy makes religion a cloak to iniquity.

13. Foolish men may consent to what God forbids for their wicked ends (Genesis 34:15).

14. Marriages between the Church and God’s enemies hypocrites may admit upon design.

15. Wickedness may persuade men of the Church to become one people with the world (Genesis 34:16).

16. Hypocrisy seems resolute to take its course where its conditions are refused.

17. Subtilty suggests men’s denials and departure to make adversaries follow after them (Genesis 34:17). (G. Hughes, B. D.)

Lessons

1. Sinful lust maketh like father like son.

2. Lust is pleased with the hardest terms for self-enjoyment.

3. Lust makes men yield to their own ruin without deliberation. The greatest evil seemeth good (Genesis 34:18). (G. Hughes, B. D.)

Lessons

1. Childish fools hasten to the stocks and slaughter, and consider it not.

2. Lust needs no spurs, but hastes all it may to enjoy its pleasure.

3. Lust made honourable in persons, becomes most exemplary to lead others into the snare (Genesis 34:19). (G. Hughes, B. D.)

Lessons

1. Lustful rulers bring all under them into evils with themselves.

2. Judicatures, or gates of cities, are perverted and seduced by wicked rulers; they are made places to plead for lust.

3. Evil rulers use their tongues and speeches to deceive their people (Genesis 34:20).

4. Lust will commend any by whom it may be gratified, though it find the contrary.

5. Self-seeking princes will persuade people to anything for their own ends.

6. Wicked powers pretend lawful affinity to be made when they aim at sinful lust (Genesis 34:21).

7. Lustful rulers do not only submit to hard conditions themselves, but press them on their people.

8. Lust is content to symbolize in the hardest duty external of religion, to enjoy its desire.

9. Lust desires to unite with any people who gratify its desires (Genesis 34:22).

10. Pretence of gain, and spoil, and advantage, is a fit bait to bring seduced souls to consent to lust.

11. Rulers in sin will never leave until they bring their people to consent with them to evil (Genesis 34:23). (G. Hughes, B. D.)

Lessons

1. Wicked people easily yield to wicked rulers to gratify their lusts.

2. It is usual for all to follow the example of rulers to sin.

3. Universal consent in evil is permitted where universal destruction is intended (Genesis 34:24). (G. Hughes, B. D.)

Lessons

1. Treachery and cruelty watch their season exactly to effect their designs.

2. Guileful cruelty hath its method first to weaken men and then to kill them.

3. Anger and revenge ordered under Providence may make two prevail against thousands.

4. Corrupt nature meditates revenge to vindicate injury done unto relations.

5. Reverge goeth armed with instruments of cruelty to execute its designs.

6. Cruelty, uncontrolled by God, goeth out with security and confidence to ruin cities.

7. Bloody revenge spareth none that either have provoked, or may resist it.

8. God sometimes suffers ruin to befall subjects when they comply with rulers’ sins (Genesis 34:25).

9. Exemplary destruction for rapes God orders upon father and son, sometimes even by wicked hands.

10. Ordinances of God abused to men’s base ends, are made means to their own destruction.

11. Revenge is not quiet until it obtain its mark and carry back its desire (Genesis 34:26).

12. A few revengeful spirits are apt to gather many unto them.

13. Bloody minds are covetous as cruel, set upon spoil.

14. Injury and provocation is usually urged by oppressing spoilers as just ground for their actings (Genesis 34:27).

15. Rapine of goods God sometimes orders to avenge ravishing of innocents.

16. Unsatiable is covetous revenge when it comes to spoil at its will (Genesis 34:28).

17. Revenge spareth neither sex nor age under its power.

18. Wealth within doors, as without the sword, takes up when it hath commission (Genesis 34:29). (G. Hughes, B. D.)

Lessons

1. Gracious parents are justly angry with the sins of ungracious children, and should express it.

2. The chiefest leaders into sin should chiefly be set upon in angry reproof.

3. Sins of wicked children cannot but trouble and vex the spirits of gracious parents.

4. Horrid enormities of sons may bring all vexation and trouble upon parents.

5. Sin, wherever it is, makes an ill savour, a filthy stink.

6. Children’s sins often make their parents stink in the nostrils of men.

7. Notorious crimes in the members of the Church make the best of men stink in the world.

8. Guilt in persons, families, and Church, giveth just cause to fear dangers from God’s hand.

9. Little strength in the arm of flesh is an occasion of fear to saints in respect of great enemies.

10. The combination of the wicked against the Church, provoked by its members, is a just ground for fear.

11. The strokes of the wicked unto death may be terrible unto God’s servants.

12. Destruction, usually sought by the wicked to the whole Church, may terrify the members of it.

13. Fear of danger may arise, under the promise of God’s protection, when souls obey not God (Genesis 34:30).

14. Outrageous spirits, though sons, regard not the honour of parents or God in their returns and replies to them.

15. Revenge seeks to justify outrage by pretence of sin, though men are not called to it.

16. Stupration of innocents hath exemplary returns of judgment from God.

17. Crimes of Church members are recorded for the Church’s instruction (Genesis 34:31). (G. Hughes, B. D.)

The second mischief and miscarriage in Jacob’s house was the massacre made upon the city Shechem, wherein Dinah had been deflowered, by his two sons, Simeon and Levi. This followed the first mischief, as the effect doth the cause, and as the thread doth the needle. This punishment is--

1. Projected.

2. Prosecuted.

3. Executed.

(1) For this intolerable affront done to this honourable family, wherein are considerable

(2) The inducement to; and

(3) the opportunity for some revenge.

(a) The inducement was twofold.

(b) Jacob’s silence (Genesis 34:5). (C. Ness.)

Marrying unbelievers

The Rev. S. Kilpin, of Exeter, had witnessed the awful consequences produced in the Church of Christ, and in families from those who professed to be the disciples of Jesus, forming marriages contrary to the command--“Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers,” “only in the Lord,” &c. As he never shunned to declare the whole counsel of God, this subject was presented to his congregation. The next day, a gentleman, whose name or residence he never knew, called to thank him for the discourse, adding that his state of mind, when he entered Exeter, was most distressing, as he was on the very point of complying with a dreadful temptation which would have embittered his future life. He had been a disciple of Christ, was anxious to consecrate his life to the service of his adorable Muster, and had sought a helpmate to strengthen his hands in serving God. A lady, whom he deemed pious, had accepted his addresses; but, when every customary arrangement was made, she had dishonourably discarded him. His mind was so exceedingly wounded and disgusted, that he had determined to choose a wife who made no profession of religion, and had fixed on another object for his addresses, with every prospect of success, although he had not as yet mentioned his intention to her. He added, “But the providence of God led me, an entire stranger in this city, to your meeting-house. You may suppose that your subject arrested my attention. You appeared to be acquainted with every feeling of my soul. I saw my danger, and perceived the temptation, and the certain ruin of my peace, if the dreadful snare had not been broken. You, sir, under God, have been my deliverer. By the next Sabbath I should have been bound in honour to an enemy of that Jesus whom I adore; for although she is moral and externally correct, yet she knows the Saviour only in name. I could not leave the city in peace until I had sought to make this communication.” They unitedly addressed Him who can deliver, and does deliver His people. Thus, while part of his congregation thought it an unfit subject for the pulpit, at least one person received it as a message from God, by whom it was no doubt sent. (Moral and Religious Anecdotes.)

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