Genesis 34:13-17

34:13 Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully when they spoke because Shechem ¹  had violated their sister Dinah. 34:14 They said to them, “We cannot give ²  our sister to a man who is not circumcised, for it would be a disgrace ³  to us. 34:15 We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become ⁴  like us by circumcising ⁵  all your males. 34:16 Then we will give ⁶  you our daughters to marry, ⁷  and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people. 34:17 But if you do not agree to our terms ⁸  by being circumcised, then we will take ⁹  our sister ¹⁰  and depart.”

[34:13]  ¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:14]  ² tn Heb “we are not able to do this thing, to give.” The second infinitive is in apposition to the first, explaining what they are not able to do.

[34:14]  ³ tn The Hebrew word translated “disgrace” usually means “ridicule; taunt; reproach.” It can also refer to the reason the condition of shame or disgrace causes ridicule or a reproach.

[34:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “if you are like us.”

[34:15]  ⁵ tn The infinitive here explains how they would become like them.

[34:16]  ⁶ tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.

[34:16]  ⁷ 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.

[34:17]  ⁸ tn Heb “listen to us.”

[34:17]  ⁹ tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.

[34:17]  ¹⁰ 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.