The Holy Sisters United

The Biblical Woman Of The Week: Dinah.

Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, she was raped by Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite.

Sometime later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah. - Genesis 30: 21

Now Dinah, the daughter Leah borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. When Shechem son of Hamer the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her. - Genesis 34:1-2

My Thoughts:

Okay here's a thought...what if Shechem didn't rape Dinah in the sense we think? What if Shechem promised Dinah, he'd marry her and therefore she slept with him outside of marriage because she figured she'd be his wife anyway and there was no point in waiting? But back in those times they called it rape because in the eyes of others it was rape? Now, I've just recently finished reading a book about Dinah, it's called 'Love Amid The Ashes' by Mesu Andrews. She is a Christian author who takes stories from the bible and brings them to life. Not everything in her stories is true as she does have to fill in some blanks that the bible leaves out, but I have learned a lot about Dinah from reading it. Like Dinah was fifteen when she slept with Shechem, and this book has informed me that Dinah willingly slept with Shechem. But because Shechem did not do right in front of Dinah's brothers Levi and Simeon, they killed him.

(End Of Thought)

His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. And Shechem said to his father Hamor, "Get me this girl as my wife." - Genesis 34:3-4

When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home. - Genesis 34:5

Then Shechem's father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob. Meanwhile, Jacob's sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what happened. They were shocked and furious, because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in Israel by sleeping with Jacob's daughter -- a thing that should not be done. - Genesis 34:6-7

But Hamor said to them, "My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves. You can settle among us; the land is open to you. Live in it, trade in it, and acquire property in it. - Genesis 34:8-10

Then Shechem said to Dinah's father and brothers, "Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask. Make the price for the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I'll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife." - Genesis 34:11-12

Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob's sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. They said to them, "We can't do such a thing; we can't give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us. We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition only; that you become like us by circumcising all your males. Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We'll settle among you and become one people with you. But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we'll take our sisters and go." - Genesis 34:13-17

Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. The young man, who was the most honored of all his father's family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob's daughter. So Hamor and his son went to the gate of their city to speak to the men of their city. "These men are friendly towards us," they said. "Let them live in our land and trade in it; the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours. But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on one condition that our males be circumcised, as they themselves are. Won't their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours? So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us." All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised. - Genesis 34:18-24

Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male. They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem's house and left. The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where their sister had been defiled. They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields. They caried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses. Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed." But they replied, "Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?" Genesis 34:25-31

My thoughts:

My overall thoughts on this story is that I can understand everyone's points of view and therefore my opinion is very hard to voice as I feel bad for everyone. This story has taught me many things and I am grateful that I was able to read it and find wisdom:)

Have a blessed day/night.

Sidenote: Remember to go back to the 'The Biblical Women Of The Week' chapter to use the new code name to join next weeks bible study:)