11. The rape of Dinah and its aftermath
Genesis 34 describes a rape and the violent revenge which followed through the story of Dinah and her brothers, who committed murder and rape in revenge. Dinah, only daughter of Jacob, went to visit “the daughters of the land” when she was seen by Shechem. “And when Schechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her”. He then was smitten with her and asked his father to negotiate a deal through which he could be married to the victim of his actions. The story relates that when Jacob heard of the rape he “held his peace” until his sons returned from the field.
Although Jacob arranged for the marriage to take place, Dinah’s brothers demanded that the men of Schechem’s family be circumcised, which weakened them, and then brothers Simeon and Levi murdered Schechem and all the males of his family, including his father. They then took all of the women and children captive, and claimed all of the property which had belonged to their victims, earning the reprobation of their father, Jacob. In response to his remonstrations they replied “Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?” Jacob and his family were then led to a place of safety, according to the account in Genesis.
