Genesis 34:1--37:36
[A.M. 2272. B.C. 1732.]
Dinah <01783> [Dinah.]
daughter ............ women <01323> [the daughters.]
<07927> [Shechem.]
When ............... grabbed <07200 03947> [saw her.]
grabbed ........ sexually <03947 07901> [took her.]
her ........... assaulted <06031> [defiled her. Heb. humbled her.]
attached <05315> [soul.]
young woman .... romantically <05291 03820> [kindly unto the damsel. Heb. to the heart of the damsel.]
sons <01121> [now his.]
silent <02790> [held.]
offended ... very <06087 03966> [were.]
sexually assaulting .......... committed <06213> [wrought.]
sexually assaulting .......... committed <06213> [thing.]
<05315> [The soul.]
land <0776> [and the land.]
make ........... very <07235 03966> [Ask me.]
On the practice of purchasing wives, De La Roque says, "Properly speaking, a young man who would marry must purchase his wife; and fathers among the Arabs are never so happy as when they have many daughters. They form part of the riches of the house. Accordingly, when a young man would treat with a person whose daughter he is inclined to marry, he says to him, 'Will you give me your daughter for fifty sheep, for six camels, or for a dozen cows?' according to the rank of her family, and the circumstances of him who desires to marry her."
bride price <04119> [dowry.]
deceitfully <04820> [deceitfully.]
not circumcised <06190> [uncircumcised.]
wanted <02654> [because.]
important than <03513> [honourable.]
gate <08179> [the gate.]
agreed <08085> [hearkened.]
In thus falling into this measure, the Shechemites must either have had great affection for their chief and his son, or have been under the influence of the most passive obedience. The petty princes of Asia have always been absolute and despotic; their subjects paying them the most prompt and blind obedience. The following instance will sufficiently illustrate and confirm this statement: Abu Thaher, chief of the Carmathians, about the year 930, with only 500 horse, went to lay siege to Bagdad: the khalif's general marched out to seize him; but before the attack, sent an officer to summon him to surrender. "How many men has the khalif's general?" said Abu Thaher; "30,000," replied the officer. "Among them all," says the Carmathian chief, "has he got three like mine?" Then ordering his followers to approach, he commanded one to stab himself, another to throw himself from a precipice, and a third to plunge into the Tigris: all three instantly obeyed, and perished! Then turning to the officer, he said, "He who has such troops need not value the number of his enemies!"
assembled ................ assembled <03318> [went out.]
male <02145> [every male.]
pain <03510> [sore.]
Simeon <08095> [Simeon.]
slaughtered <02026> [slew.]
<06310> [edge. Heb. mouth.]
looted <0962> [spoiled.]
violated <02930> [they.]
[See on]
brought ruin <05916> [Ye have.]
foul odor <0887> [to stink.]
few <04962> [and I being.]
destroyed <08045> [and I shall.]
Bethel <01008> [Beth-el.]
fled <01272> [when thou.]
household <01004> [unto his.]
foreign <05236> [strange.]
Purify <02891> [clean.]
responded <06030> [who answered.]
wherever <01870> [was with.]
rings <05141> [ear-rings.]
These rings were not worn as mere ornaments, but for superstitious purposes; perhaps as amulets or charms, first consecrated to some false god, or formed under some constellation, and stamped with magical characters. Maimonides mentions rings and jewels of this kind, with the image of the sun, moon, etc., impressed upon them; and Augustine describes them (Epist. 73,) as used for this execrable purpose.
buried ..... oak <02934 0424> [hid them.]
oak <0424> [the oak.]
Luz <03870> [Luz.]
built <01129> [built.]
<0416> [El-beth-el. i.e., the god of Beth-el.]
Rebekah's <07259> [Rebekah's.]
oak <0437> [under an oak.]
Oak of Weeping <0439> [Allon-bachuth. i.e., the oak of weeping.]
sovereign God <07706 0410> [God Almighty.]
nation ...... nations <01471> [a nation.]
land ..................... land <0776> [the land.]
gave ........ give ...... descendants I will ... give <05414 02233> [to.]
Bethel <01008> [Bethel.]
some distance away ... went <03530 0776 0935> [a little way to come. Heb. a little piece of ground.]
Ephrath <0672> [Ephrath.]
labor .... labor ... hard <03205 07185> [hard labour.]
afraid ....... son <03372 01121> [Fear not.]
<05315> [A.M. cir. 2275. B.C. cir. 1729. her soul.]
Ben-Oni <01126> [Ben-oni. i.e., the son of my sorrow.]
Benjamin <01144> [Benjamin. i.e., the son of my right hand.]
The Samaritan has {ben yamim,} "the son of days," i.e., of his old age, (ch. 44:20,) which Jerome renders Benjamin, {id est, filius dextrae, Benjamin,} that is, "the son of the right hand."
Rachel died <04191 07354> [Rachel died.]
Ephrath <0672> [Ephrath.]
Marker <04678> [the pillar.]
<04026> [tower.]
sexual .... Bilhah <07901 01090> [lay with.]
sons <01121> [Now the sons.]
In the Hebrew text, a break is here left in the verse, opposite to which there is a Masoretic note, which states that "there is a hiatus in the verse." This hiatus the LXX., thus supplies: [kai <\\See definition 2532\\> poneros <\\See definition 4190\\> ephane enantion <\\See definition 1726\\> autou <\\See definition 848\\>,] "and it appeared evil in his sight."
sons ............. sons <01121> [And the sons.]
Paddan Aram <06307> [in Padan-aram. Except Benjamin.]
Jacob <03290> [Jacob.]
Mamre <04471> [Mamre.]
Isaac <03327> [A.M. 2288. B.C. 1716. Isaac.]
sons <01121> [his sons.]
[A.M. 2208. B.C. 1796.]
Esau <06215> [Esau.]
Adah <05711> [Adah. or, Bashemath.]
Oholibamah <0173> [Aholibamah.]
[Judith. the daughter.]
We ought, most probably, to read here and in ver. 14, as in ver. 20, "the son of Zibeon;" which is the reading of the Samaritan, Septuagint, (and Syriac, in ver. 2,) and which Houbigant and Kennicott contend to be genuine.
[Mahalath.]
Adah <05711> [Adah.]
Eliphaz <0464> [Eliphaz.]
Reuel <07467> [Reuel. not.]
land <0776> [in the land.]
people <05315> [A.M. cir. 2264. B.C. cir. 1740. persons. Heb. souls.]
<03212> [went.]
possessions <07399> [their riches.]
land <0776> [the land.]
hill country ... Seir <08165 02022> [mount Seir.]
Esau <06215> [Esau.]
Edomites <0123> [the Edomites. Heb. Edom.]
[A.M. cir. 2230. B.C. cir. 1774.]
Zepho <06825> [A.M. cir. 2270. B.C. cir. 1734. Zepho.]
[Zephi.]
Timna <08555> [Timna.]
Amalek <06002> [Amalek.]
[A.M. cir. 2292. B.C. cir. 1712.]
[First aristocracy of dukes, from A.M. cir. 2429, to A.M. cir.]
2471; from B.C. cir. 1575, to B.C. cir. 1533.
chiefs ............. chief ... chief ... chief ... chief <0441> [dukes.]
The word duke is from the Latin {dux,} a captain or leader, from {duco,} to lead, guide; which is the exact import of the Hebrew [alluph <\\See definition 0441\\,>] {alluph,} from [aleph, lamed, pheh,] to lead, guide; and is here applied to heads of families, chieftains, or princes, who were military leaders.
Eliphaz <0464> [Eliphaz.]
chiefs ............. chief Teman chief ... chief ... chief <0441 08487> [duke Teman.]
chief Korah chief ... chief ...... chiefs <0441 07141> [Duke Korah.]
As it is certain from ver. 4, that Eliphaz was Esau's son by Adah, and from ver. 11, 12, that Eliphaz had but six sons, "Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz, and Amalek;" as is is also certain, from ver. 5, 14, that Korah was the son of Esau (not Eliphaz) by Aholibamah; and as the words duke Korah are omitted by both the Samaritan Text and Version, Dr. Kennicott pronounces them to be an interpolation.
chief ... chief ... chief ...... chiefs <0441> [dukes.]
Reuel ................ Reuel <07467> [Reuel.]
Edom <0123> [who is Edom.]
[A.M. cir. 2198. B.C. cir. 1806.]
[A.M. cir. 2204. B.C. cir. 1800.]
Homam <01967> [A.M. cir. 2248. B.C. 1756. Hemam.]
[Homan.]
Timna <08555> [Timna.]
Alvan <05935> [Alvan.]
[Alian.]
Shepho <08195> [Shepho. or, Shephi.]
discovered <04672> [found.]
Dishon <01787> [Dishon.]
Anah ........ Anah <06034> [Anah.]
Hemdan <02533> [Hemdan.]
[Amram.]
Ezer <0687> [Ezer.]
Akan <06130> [Akan.]
[Jakan.]
Uz <05780> [Uz.]
Horites <02752> [Horites.]
chiefs ..... chief Lotan chief ... chief ... chief <0441 03877> [duke Lotan.]
[From A.M. cir. 2093, to A.M. cir. 2429; from B.C. cir. 1911, to B.C. cir. 1575. dukes in the.]
kings ........... king <04428> [the kings.]
reigned ....... before .... ruled <06440 04427> [before there.]
Moses may here allude to the promise which God made to Jacob (ch. 35:11,) that kings should proceed from him; and here states that these kings reigned before that prophecy began to be fulfilled.
Bozrah <01224> [A.M. cir. 2135. B.C. cir. 1869. Bozrah.]
Bozrah, Bezer, or Bostra, was situated in Arabia Deserta, and the eastern part of Edom; and, according to Eusebius, was 24 miles from Edrei. It afterwards belonged to Moab, and was given by Moses to Reuben, but again reverted to Edom. It is now called Boszra; and is described by Burckhardt as the largest town in the Haouran, including its ruins, though only inhabited by about twelve or fifteen families. It is situated in the open plain, two hours distant from Aare, and is at present the last inhabited place in the south-east extremity of the Haouran. It is of an oval shape, it greatest length being from east to west; and its circumference three quarters of an hour.
Temanites <08489> [A.M. cir. 2177. B.C. cir. 1827. Temani.]
Eusebius places Teman, or Th‘man, which probably gave name to "the land of Temani," in Arabia Petr‘a, five miles from Petra, and says there was a Roman garrison there.
[A.M. cir. 2219. B.C. cir. 1785.]
[A.M. cir. 2261. B.C. cir. 1743.]
Rehoboth <07344> [A.M. cir. 2303. B.C. cir. 1701. Rehoboth.]
[A.M. cir. 2315. B.C. cir. 1659.]
Hadad <01924> [A.M. cir. 2387. B.C. cir. 1617. Hadar.]
[Hadad Pai.]
After his death was an aristocracy.
[Second aristocracy of dukes, from A.M. cir. 2471, B.C. cir.]
1533; to A.M. cir. 2513, B.C. cir. 1491. And these.
chiefs ............... chief ... chief ... chief <0441> [dukes.]
Alvah <05933> [Alvah. or, Aliah.]
chief ... chief ...... chiefs <0441> [the dukes.]
settlements ...... possessed <04186 0272> [their.]
father <01> [father.]
Edom .................. Edomites <0123> [the Edomites. Heb. Edom.]
[A.M. 2276. B.C. 1728.]
father ... stayed <01 04033> [wherein his father was a stranger. Heb. of his father's sojournings.]
account <08435> [the generations.]
{Toledoth,} the history, narrative, or account of the lives and actions of Jacob and his sons; for in this general sense the original must be taken, as in the whole ensuing history there is no genealogy of Jacob's family.
wives <0802> [wives.]
bad report <01681 07451> [evil report.]
loved <0157> [loved.]
sons ...... son <01121> [son.]
tunic <03801> [a coat.]
special <06446> [colours.]
{Kethoneth passim}, a coat made of stripes of different coloured cloth.
hated ...... able <08130 03201> [hated him.]
able ... speak .... kindly <01696 07965 03201> [and could not speak peaceably unto him.]
Or, rather, "and they could not speak peace to him," i.e., they would not accost him in a friendly manner: they would not even wish him well, in the eastern mode of salutation of, Peace be to thee! It is not an unusual thing for an Arab or Turk to hesitate to return the {salÆ’m}, if given by a Christian, or by one of whom he has not a favourable opinion; and this may always be considered as an act of hostility.
had <02492> [dreamed.]
hated <08130> [and they.]
Listen <08085> [Hear.]
sheaves ............ sheaf ......... sheaves .... sheaf <0485> [your sheaves.]
bowed down <07812> [obeisance.]
think .... rule over us or ... dominion <04427 04910> [reign over us.]
another dream .............. dream <02472 0312> [another dream.]
sun <08121> [the sun.]
stars <03556> [stars.]
mother <0517> [Shall I.]
jealous <07065> [envied.]
kept <08104> [observed.]
Shechem <07927> [in Shechem.]
<03212> [come.]
[Here am I.]
check .... welfare <07965 07200> [see whether it be well with. Heb. see the peace of thy brethren, etc.]
Hebron <02275> [Hebron.]
wandering <08582> [he was.]
looking <01245> [What.]
looking <01245> [seek.]
tell ... where <05046 0375> [tell me.]
Dothan ............ Dothan <01886> [Dothan.]
plotted <05230> [conspired.]
this <01976> [Behold.]
Simulated Irony: Where the words in question are used by man either in dissimulation or hypocrisy. For other instances of this figure see 2 Sa 6:20; Ps 22:8; Isa 5:19; Mt 22:16; 27:29; 27:40, 42, 43; Mk 15:29.
master <01167> [dreamer. Heb. master of dreams.]
kill <02026> [and let.]
say .......... see <0559 07200> [and we.]
Reuben heard <08085 07205> [Reuben heard.]
Let's <05221> [not kill him. Heb. {nephesh.}]
Reuben ......................... said <0559 07205> [Reuben said.]
shed <08210> [Shed.]
lay ..... him <07971> [lay.]
stripped <06584> [stript.]
special <06446> [colours. or, pieces.]
threw <07993> [and cast.]
cistern .... cistern <0953> [the pit.]
sat <03427> [they sat.]
Ishmaelites <03459> [Ishmeelites.]
Gilead <01568> [Gilead.]
spices <05219> [spicery.]
{Nechoth,} is rendered by the LXX. "incense;" Syriac, "resin;" Samaritan, "balsam;" Acquila, "storax;" which is followed by Bochart. This drug is abundant in Syria, and here Moses joins with it resin, honey, and myrrh; which agrees with the nature of the storax, which is the resin of a tree of the same name, of a reddish colour, and peculiarly pleasant fragrance.
balm <06875> [balm]
{Tzeri,} which in Arabic, as a verb, is to flow, seems to be a common name, as balm or balsam with us, for many of those oily, resinous substances, which flow spontaneously, or by incision, from various trees or plants; accordingly the ancients have generally interpreted it resin.
myrrh <03910> [myrrh.]
{Lot,} is probably, as Junius, De Dieu, Celsius, and Ursinus contend, the same as the Arabic {ladan}, Greek [ladanon,] and Latin {ladanum}.
profit <01215> [What profit.]
cover <03680> [conceal.]
sell ..... Ishmaelites <04376 03459> [sell him.]
hand <03027> [let not.]
brother ...... brothers <0251> [he is our.]
agreed <08085> [were content. Heb. hearkened.]
Midianite <04084> [Midianites.]
sold <04376> [sold.]
tore <07167> [he rent.]
son's <01121> [thy son's.]
wild animal <02416 07451> [evil beast.]
daughters <01323> [his daughters.]
go <06965> [rose up.]
go ......... Joseph's <03381> [For I.]
<04092> [the Midianites.]
officials <05631> [officer. Heb. eunuch.]
But the word signifies not only eunuchs, but also chamberlains, courtiers, and officers.
captain <08269> [captain. Or, chief marshal. Heb. chief of the slaughtermen, or executioners.]
Genesis 14:1
[A.M. 2091. B.C. 1913.]
Shinar <08152> [Shinar.]
Ellasar <0495> [Ellasar.]
Elam <05867> [Elam.]
