Genesis 34
Genesis 34:1-2: And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.
2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her. |
Our Scripture reading starts with Dinah. She went out to see the women of the land (Gen 34:1). The Hebrew suggests that this was a one-time event, not a regular occurrence. Maybe she was curious. Maybe she was bored. Maybe she was lonely. We aren't told. But this innocent act ended in disaster. In a series of three quick verbs we are told what happened next: Dinah was seen, Dinah was taken, and Dinah was violated (Gen 34:2). Instead of seeing the women of the land, Dinah was seen by one of the men of the land; and, not just any man; she was seen by Shechem, the son of the ruler of the city (Gen 34:2). Shechem saw Dinah. Shechem took Dinah. Shechem violated Dinah. It was lust at first sight that ended in rape.
And Dinah went out, signifies the affection of all things of faith, and the church thence derived; "the daughter of Leah, whom she bare unto Jacob," signifies in externals; "to see the daughters of the land," signifies to become acquainted with the affections of truth and the churches thence derived; "and Shechem saw her," signifies truth; "the son of Hamor the Hivite," signifies from the ancients; "the prince of the land," signifies what is primary among the churches; "and he took her, and lay with her, and forced her," signifies that in no other way could this truth be conjoined with the affection of the truth signified by the sons of Jacob her brothers; "and his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob," signifies an inclination to conjunction; "and he loved the damsel, and spake upon her heart," signifies love; "and Shechem said unto Hamor his father," signifies thought from the truth that was among the ancients; "saying, Get me this girl for a woman," signifies that it desired to be conjoined with the affection of that truth. |