In our study of Genesis chapter thirty four, we see how the evil of this world tries to join with God's people in hopes of bringing about their destruction.
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One time Dinah the daughter of Le'ah, whom she had borne to Ya'akov, went out to visit the local girls; and Sh'khem the son of Hamor the Hivi, the local ruler, saw her, grabbed her, raped her and humiliated her.
In the last chapter, we saw Ya'akov enter the land of Canaan with his family. Now, we see an example of how wicked the people of that land were as his daughter went out to see some of the local girls and was raped and humiliated by a Hivite man.
But actually he was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Ya'akov; he fell in love with the girl and tried to win her affection. Sh'khem spoke with his father Hamor and said, "Get this girl for me; I want her to be my wife."
Sh'khem was attracted to Dinah physically and wanted to continue the relationship and so he basically tried to sweet talk her. He asks his father to get the girl to be his wife but, in the original Hebrew, the word used for the girl speaks of the fact that she was really young.
When Ya'akov heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter, his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Ya'akov restrained himself until they came. Hamor the father of Sh'khem went out to Ya'akov to speak with him just as Ya'akov's sons were coming in from the field. When they heard what had happened, the men were saddened and were very angry at the outrage this man had committed against Isra'el by raping Ya'akov's daughter, something that is simply not done.
We see a big difference between God's people and the Hivites as Hamor went to speak to Ya'akov about Dinah becoming the wife of Sh'kem. Hamor did not think it was a big deal that his son had forced his way onto a young girl but Ya'akov and his sons saw it as defiling (polluting) her and an evil act in the land of Israel.
But Hamor said to them, "My son Sh'khem's heart is set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife; and intermarry with us: give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. You will live with us, and the land will be available to you - you'll live, do business and acquire possessions here." Then Sh'khem said to her father and brothers, "Only accept me, and I will give whatever you tell me. Ask as large a bride-price as you like, I'll pay whatever you tell me. Just let me marry the girl."
Hamor explained that his son had strong feelings for Dinah and asked that she be given to him as his wife. In this, we see that the Hivites had no respect for women and no concept of sin. We must also understand that Dinah was still in the possession of Hamor and his son as they had basically kidnapped her and she was a young child. Hamor went on to explain that this could be the start of Israel becoming a part of the land and joining with the Hivites. Then, Sh'khem spoke up and basically said that he would buy the girl and that they could name their price.
The sons of Ya'akov answered Sh'khem and Hamor his father deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. They said to them, "We can't do it, because it would be a disgrace to give our sister to someone who hasn't been circumcised. Only on this condition will we consent to what you are asking: that you become like us by having every male among you get circumcised. Then we'll give our daughters to you, and we'll take your daughters for ourselves, and we'll live with you and become one people. But if you won't do as we say and get circumcised, then we'll take our daughter and go away."
This stands out in the fact that it was the sons of Ya'akov who answered. The word that is translated here as "deceitfully" is the Hebrew word "mirmah" and it speaks of deception based on intelligence. Basically, that is talking about the fact that, when God's people are dealing with unethical people that cannot be trusted, they must act in that manner so they will not be destroyed by the evil people. You see, they understood that, if they said no to this deal, it would mean war and they were vastly outnumbered in the land. We see the deception in the fact that the sons of Ya'akov said they would agree if the Hivite men were all circumcised. They knew that circumcision would put the men out of action and so they would not be able to physically defeat Israel.
What they said seemed fair to Hamor and Sh'khem the son of Hamor, and the young man did not put off doing what was asked of him, even though he was the most respected member of his father's family, because he so much wanted Ya'akov' s daughter. Hamor and Sh'khem his son came to the entrance of their city and spoke with its leading men:
Hamor thought this would be fair and Sh'khem was in a hurry to continue to abuse, humiliate, and torture Dinah so they agreed and went to convince the rest of the men of the city to agree also.
"These people are peaceful toward us; therefore let them live in the land and do business in it; for, as you can see, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives for ourselves, and we'll give them our daughters. But the people will consent to live with us and become one people only on this condition: that every male among us gets circumcised, as they themselves are circumcised. Won't their cattle, their possessions and all their animals be ours? Only let's consent to do what they ask, and then they will live with us." Everyone going out the city's gate listened to Hamor and Sh'khem his son; so every male was circumcised, every one that went out the gate of the city.
In this passage, we see the true goals of Hamor and the rest of the Hivites as he says to the Hivites that Israel will become one people with them and that they will get Israel's possessions. In this, we see that they were being deceptive in the fact that they wanted to eliminate Israel as a people and make them like the Hivites and in so doing take all of their possessions. So, the Hivite men agreed when they heard that they would get the wealth of Ya'akov.
On the third day after the circumcision, when they were in pain, two of Ya'akov's sons, Shim'on and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords, boldly descended on the city and slaughtered all the males. They killed Hamor and Sh'khem his son with their swords, took Dinah out of Sh'khem's house, and left. Then the sons of Ya'akov entered over the dead bodies of those who had been slaughtered and plundered the city in reprisal for defiling their sister. They took their flocks, cattle and donkeys, and everything else, whether in the city or in the field, everything they owned. Their children and wives they took captive, and they looted whatever was in the houses.
We are reminded that the number three is associated with the earthly display of God's will for men and, on that day, two of the sons of Ya'akov took action. On this day, the Hivite men were still in pain from their circumcisions and the two sons confidently entered the city knowing that what they were going to do would be successful and they killed all of the men. They also knew that it was within God's will to rescue Dinah from Hamor and his son. The men plundered the city and took all of the Hivite possessions as well as their wives and children which is exactly what the Hivites had intended to do to Israel.
But Ya'akov said to Shim'on and Levi, "You have caused me trouble by making me stink in the opinion of the local inhabitants, the Kena'ani and the P'rizi. Since I don't have many people, they'll align themselves together against me and attack me; and I will be destroyed, I and my household." They replied, "Should we let our sister be treated like a whore?"
We see that Ya'akov was afraid that the actions of his son would cause the people of Canaan to form an alliance against Israel who was much smaller in number. We notice that he did not say that it was wrong or against the will of God only that it would cause trouble for them in the land. The boys answered their father basically that it was going to happen that they were going to have to go to war to get their sister back. This is a reminder that there is a battle between good and evil in this world and we are called to be different and not join with those who oppose the will of God.