Genesis 34

The tragic nature of this amazing chapter was pinpointed by Yates who said, "The story could make even a strong man weep."[1] The chapter is unique, containing the only personal reference to Dinah in the whole Bible. The poor light in which Jacob appears here effectively refutes all allegations that the narrative is an interpolation introduced later by the Jews. Another favorite allegation of Biblical critics that would make this event "tribal, rather than personal history,"[2] is also an error. Jacob had bought the land at Shechem, and some personal reason, such as the ravishing of Dinah, is the most reasonable explanation of why he went back to Bethel. Furthermore, the savage cruelty of Simeon and Levi was remembered by Jacob in the patriarchal blessings of Genesis 49, and there is absolutely no reason whatever for refusing to understand this narrative as being true to the facts involving the persons indicated. "The situation is plainly that of Genesis, not Judges."[3]

With regard to the critical exercises of attempting to assign some extra-Biblical source to every chapter in Genesis, this chapter is their unqualified Waterloo. It is simply impossible; and all of the postulations about "J," "E," "P," etc., the last one of them, should be rejected. As Von Rad admitted: "It seems that the ultimate scientific clarification is no longer possible."[4] Von Rad's remark simply means that there is no intelligent way to postulate various "sources" of this chapter. We also believe that the remark applies to the whole of the Genesis account, although, of course, Von Rad did not mean it that way.

This chapter fits into the overall design of Moses, the author, that purpose being to show that, despite Jacob's evident intention of acquiring property and settling down in Shechem, which would inevitably have led to the amalgamation of the Jews with the pagan populations of Canaan, God overruled such a patriarchal mistake by the tragic events of this chapter. If Jacob had been permitted to do as he evidently intended, the purpose of God would have been frustrated. "There could be no compromise with the Canaanites. Israel must remain a sojourner until all the land is theirs. To settle down too soon would be to lose all sense of destiny and to become just like the Canaanites."[5] Also, in this same vein of thought, this chapter shows how God made use of the passions, sins, and wickedness of men in the achievement of His ultimate goals. None of this, to be sure, implies any approval whatever of the gross treachery and cruelty indulged by the sons of Jacob. The basic truth of the chapter is that Jacob and his family were settled in Shechem, evidently intending to stay there, but God's will was accomplished in the dark deeds of the events here deployed upon the sacred page. Jacob would promptly go back to Bethel for a new beginning.