Genesis 34:25-29

34:25 In three days, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword ¹  and went to the unsuspecting city ²  and slaughtered every male. 34:26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left. 34:27 Jacob’s sons killed them ³  and looted the city because their sister had been violated. ⁴  34:28 They took their flocks, herds, and donkeys, as well as everything in the city and in the surrounding fields. ⁵  34:29 They captured as plunder ⁶  all their wealth, all their little ones, and their wives, including everything in the houses.

Genesis 34:31

34:31 But Simeon and Levi replied, ⁷  “Should he treat our sister like a common prostitute?”

¹ tn Heb “a man his sword.”

² tn Heb “and they came upon the city, [which was] secure.” In this case “secure” means the city was caught unprepared and at peace, not expecting an attack.

³ tn Heb “came upon the slain.” Because of this statement the preceding phrase “Jacob’s sons” is frequently taken to mean the other sons of Jacob besides Simeon and Levi, but the text does not clearly affirm this.

⁴ tn Heb “because they violated their sister.” The plural verb is active in form, but with no expressed subject, it may be translated passive.

⁵ tn Heb “and what was in the city and what was in the field they took.”

⁶ tn Heb “they took captive and they plundered,” that is, “they captured as plunder.”

⁷ tn Heb “but they said.” The referent of “they” (Simeon and Levi) have been specified in the translation for clarity.