Genesis 34:15-22 New English Translation
15 We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become[a] like us by circumcising[b] all your males. 16 Then we will give[c] you our daughters to marry,[d] and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people. 17 But if you do not agree to our terms[e] by being circumcised, then we will take[f] our sister[g] and depart.”
18 Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem.[h] 19 The young man did not delay in doing what they asked[i] because he wanted Jacob’s daughter Dinah[j] badly. (Now he was more important[k] than anyone in his father’s household.)[l] 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate[m] of their city and spoke to the men of their city, 21 “These men are at peace with us. So let them live in the land and travel freely in it, for the land is wide enough[n] for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry.[o] 22 Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand[p] that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised.
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- Genesis 34:15 tn Heb “if you are like us.”
- Genesis 34:15 tn The infinitive here explains how they would become like them.
- Genesis 34:16 tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.
- Genesis 34:16 tn The words “to marry” (and the words “as wives” in the following clause) are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 34:17 tn Heb “listen to us.”
- Genesis 34:17 tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.
- Genesis 34:17 tn Heb “daughter.” Jacob’s sons call Dinah their daughter, even though she was their sister (see v. 8). This has been translated as “sister” for clarity.
- Genesis 34:18 tn Heb “and their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem son of Hamor.”
- Genesis 34:19 tn Heb “doing the thing.”
- Genesis 34:19 tn Heb “Jacob’s daughter.” The proper name “Dinah” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 34:19 tn The Hebrew verb כָּבֵד (kaved), translated “was…important,” has the primary meaning “to be heavy,” but here carries a secondary sense of “to be important” (that is, “heavy” in honor or respect).
- Genesis 34:19 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause explains why the community would respond to him (see vv. 20-24).
- Genesis 34:20 sn The gate. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the location for conducting important public business.
- Genesis 34:21 tn Heb “wide on both hands,” that is, in both directions.
- Genesis 34:21 tn The words “to marry” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 34:22 tn Heb “when every one of our males is circumcised.”
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