Genesis 34:18-23

34:18 Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem. ¹  34:19 The young man did not delay in doing what they asked ²  because he wanted Jacob’s daughter Dinah ³  badly. (Now he was more important ⁴  than anyone in his father’s household.) ⁵  34:20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate ⁶  of their city and spoke to the men of their city, 34:21 “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 ⁷  for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry. ⁸  34:22 Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand ⁹  that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised. 34:23 If we do so, ¹⁰  won’t their livestock, their property, and all their animals become ours? So let’s consent to their demand, so they will live among us.”

[34:18]  ¹ tn Heb “and their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem son of Hamor.”

[34:19]  ² tn Heb “doing the thing.”

[34:19]  ³ tn Heb “Jacob’s daughter.” The proper name “Dinah” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:19]  ⁴ 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).

[34:19]  ⁵ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause explains why the community would respond to him (see vv. 20-24).

[34:20]  ³ sn The gate. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the location for conducting important public business.

[34:21]  ⁴ tn Heb “wide on both hands,” that is, in both directions.

[34:21]  ⁵ tn The words “to marry” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:22]  ⁵ tn Heb “when every one of our males is circumcised.”

[34:23]  ⁶ tn The words “If we do so” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.