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37 - Commentary on The Book of Genesis · Sacred Texts Archive

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Chapter thirty four. Genesis chapter thirty four. At this chapter begins the story
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of Jacob's afflictions in his children, which were very great, and are recorded
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to show. Number One, the vanity of this world. That which is
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dearest to us may prove our greatest vexation, and we may meet with the
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greatest crosses in those things of which we said, this same shall comfort us.
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Number Two, the common griefs of good people. Jacob's children were circumcised,
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were well taught and prayed for, and have very good examples set them.
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Yet some of them proved very untoward. The race is not to the
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swift, nor the battle to the strong. Grace does not run in the
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blood, and yet the interrupting of the entail of grace does not cut off
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the entail of profession and visible church privileges. Nay, Jacob's sons, though
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they were his grief in some things, yet were all taken into covenant with
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God. In this chapter we have numeral one Dinah debauched Verses one through five,
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Numeral two, a treaty of marriage between her and Setchem, who had
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defiled her Verse six through nineteen. Numeral three, the circumcision of the Sechemites
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pursuant to that treaty Verses twenty through twenty four, Numeral four. The perfidious
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and bloody revenge which Simeon and Levi took upon them Verses twenty five through thirty
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one. Dinah dishonored BC seventeen thirty two, Verse one. And Dinah,
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the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob went out to see the
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daughters of the land verse two. And when she Kim, the son of
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Hamoor, the Hivite prince of the country, saw her, he took her
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and lay with her, and defiled her verse three. And his sole clayth
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unto Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel and spake
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kindly unto the damsel verse four. And Kim spake unto his father Haymore,
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saying, get me this damsel to wife verse five. And Jacob heard that
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he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his cattle in
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the field, and Jacob held his peace until they were come. Dinah was
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for aught. That appears Jacob's only daughter, and we may suppose her therefore
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the mother's fondling and the darling of the family, and yet she proves neither
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a joy nor a credit to them, for those children seldom prove either the
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best or the happiest that are most in dulled. She is reckoned now,
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But fifteen or sixteen years of age, when she here occasioned so much mischief.
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Observe Number one her vain curiosity which exposed her. She went out,
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perhaps unknown to her father, but by the connivance of her mother, to
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see the daughters of the land Verse one. Probably it was at a ball
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or some public day. Being an only daughter, she thought herself solitary at
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home, having none of her own age and sex to converse with, And
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therefore she must needs go abroad to divert herself, to keep off melancholy,
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and to accomplish herself by conversation better than she could in her father's tents.
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Note it is a very good thing for children to love home. It is
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parents wisdom to make it easy to them, and children's duty then to be
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easy in it. Her pretense was to see the daughters of the land,
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to see how they dressed, and how they danced, and what was fashionable
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among them she went to see. Yet that was not all. She went
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to be seen too. She went to see the daughters of the land,
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But it may be with some thoughts of the sons of the land too.
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I doubt she went to get an acquaintance with those Canaanites and to learn their
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way. Note the pride and vanity of young people betray them in many snares
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Number two the loss of her honor. By this means verse two, she
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kim the prince of the country, but a slave to his own loss took
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her and lay with her. It should seem not so much by force as
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by surprise. Note great men think they may do anything, and what more
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mischievous than untaught an ungoverned youth. See what came of Dinah's gadding. Young
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women must learn to be taste keepers at home. These properties are put together
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Titus chapter two, verse five. For those that are not keepers at home
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expose their chastity. Dinah went abroad to look about her, But if she
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had looked about her as she ought, she would not have fallen into this
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snare. Note the beginning of sin is as the letting forth of water.
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How great a matter does a little fire kindle. We should therefore carefully avoid
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all occasions of sin. And approaches to it. Number three the court of
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Sikhim made to her after he had defiled her. This was fair and commendable,
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and made the best of what was bad. He loved her not as
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amnon Second Samuel, Chapter thirteen, verse fifteen, and he engaged his father
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to make a match for him with her verse four, number four. The
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tidings brought to poor Jacob verse five. As soon as his children grew up,
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they began to be a grief to him. Let not godly parents that
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are lamenting the miscarriages of their children think their case singular or unprecedented. The
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good man held his peace as one astonished that knows not what to say,
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or he said nothing for fear of saying amiss. As David Psalms, Chapter
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thirty nine, Verses one and two. He smothered his resentments lest if he
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had suffered them to break out, they should have transported him into any indecencies,
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or it should seem he had left the management of his affairs very much
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too much, I doubt to his sons, and he would do nothing without
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them, or at least he knew they would make him uneasy if he did.
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They have shown themselves of late upon all occasions bold forward and assuming note.
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Things never go well when the authority of a parent runs low in a
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family. Let every man bear rule in his own house and have his children
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in subjection with all gravity treachery of Dinah's brethren b. C. Seventeen thirty
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two, Verse six. And Haymore, the father of Si Cham, came
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out unto Jacob to commune with him verse seven. And the sons of Jacob
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came out of the field when they heard it. And the men were grieved,
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and they were very wroth because he had wrought fally in Israel, lying
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with Jacob's daughter, which thing ought not to be done. Verse eight.
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And Haymore communed with them, saying, the soul of my son Si Kam
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longeth for your daughter. I pray you give her him to wife verse nine.
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And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters to us,
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and take our daughters unto you verse ten. And ye shall dwell with us,
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and the land shall be before you dwell, and trade ye therein and
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get you possessions therein verse eleven. And she Kim said, unto her father
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and unto her brethren, let me find grace in your eyes and what ye
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shall say unto me, I will give verse twelve. Ask me never so
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much dowry in gift, and I will give a courting as ye shall say
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unto me, but give me the damsel to wife verse thirteen. And the
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sons of Jacob answered, she came and harmer his father deceitfully, and said,
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because he had defiled Dinah their sister verse fourteen. And they said,
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unto them, we cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one
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that is uncircumcised, for that were a reproach unto us verse fifteen. But
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in this will we consent unto you. If ye will be as we be,
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that every male of you be circumcised verse sixteen, then will we give
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our daughters unto you. And we will take our daughters unto us, and
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we will dwell with you, and we will become one people verse seventeen.
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But if ye will not hearken unto us to be circumcised, then we will
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take our daughter and we will be gone. Jacob's sons, when they heard
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of the injury done to Dinah, showed a very great resentment of it,
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influence perhaps rather by jealousy for the honor of their family than by a sense
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of virtue. Many are concerned at the shamefulness of sin, that never lay
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to heart the sinfulness of it. It is here called folly in Israel verse
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seven, according to the language of after times, for Israel was not yet
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a people, but a family only. Note one. Uncleanness is folly,
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for it sacrifices the favor of God, peace of conscience, and all the
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soul can pretend to that is sacred and honorable, to a base and brutish
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lust. Number two, this folly is most shameful in Israel. In a
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family of Israel, where God is known and worshiped as he was in Jacob's
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tents by the name of the God of Israel, Folly in Israel is scandalous.
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Indeed, Number three, it is a good thing to have sinned stamped
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with a bad name. Uncleanness is here perverably called faaly in Israel. Second
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Samuel, chapter thirteen, verse twelve. Dinah is here called Jacob's daughter,
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for warning to all the daughters of Israel that they betray not themselves to this
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folly. Haymore came to treat with Jacob himself, but he turns him over
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to his sons, and here we have a particular account of the treaty,
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in which it is a shame to say the Canaanites were more honest than the
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Israelites. Numeral one. Haymore and see Kham fairly proposed this match in order
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to a coalition in trade. She Kim is deeply in love with Dinah.
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He will have her upon any terms Verse eleven and twelve. His father not
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only consents, but solicits for him, and gravely insists upon the advantages that
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would follow from the union of the families verse nine and ten. He shows
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no jealousy of Jacob, though he was a stranger, but rather an earnest
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desire to settle a correspondence with him and his family, making him that generous
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offer the land shall be before you trade you Therein Numeral two, Jacob's sons
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basely pretend to insist upon a coalition and religion, when really they designed nothing
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less. If Jacob had taken the management of this affair into his own hands,
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it is probable that he and Haymoor would soon have concluded it. But
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Jacob's sons mediate only revenge and a strange project they have for the compassing of
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it. The Shekhamites must be circumcised, not to make them, why they
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never intended that, but to make them sore, that they might become an
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easier prey to their sword. Number one. The pretense was specious. It
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is an honor of Jacob's family that they carry about with them the of God's
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covenant with them. And it will be a reproach to those that are thus
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dignified and distinguished to enter in such a strict alliance with those that are uncircumcised
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Verse fourteen. And therefore, if you will be circumcised, then we will
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become one people with you, Verse fifteen and sixteen. Had they been sincere
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herein their proposal of these terms, would have had it in something commendable.
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For Israelites should not intermarry with Canaanites, professors with profane It is a great
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sin, or at least the cause and inlet of a great deal, and
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has often been a pernicious consequence. The interest we have in any persons and
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the hold we have with them, should be wisely improved by us to bring
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them to the love and practice of religion. He that winneth so Roles is
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wise, But then we must not, like Jacob's sons, think it enough
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to persuade them to submit to the external rights of religion, but must endeavor
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to convince them of its reasonableness, and to bring them acquainted with the power
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of that number two. The intention was malicious, as appears by the sequel
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of the story. All they aimed at was to prepare them for the day
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of slaughter. Note. Bloody designs have often been covered and carried on with
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a pretense of religion. Thus they have been accomplished most plausibly and most securely.
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But this dissembled piety is doubtless double iniquity. Religion is never more injured,
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nor are God's sacraments more profaned, than when they are thus used for
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a cloak of maliciousness. Nay, if Jacob Gab's sons had not had this
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bloody design, I do not see how they could justify their offering the sacred
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sign of circumcision the seal of God's Covenant to those devoted Canaanites who had no
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part or lot in this matter. Those had no right to seal, that
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had no right to the promise. It is not meet to take the children's
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bread and cast it to dogs that Jacob's sons valued not this while they could
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make it serve their turn verse eighteen. And their words pleased Hamoor and seek
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him Hamer's son verse nineteen. And the young man deferred not to do the
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thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter, and he was more honorable
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than all the house of his father verse twenty. And Haymoor and she Khim
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his son came unto the gate of their city and immuned with the men of
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their city, saying verse twenty one, these men are peaceable with us.
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Therefore let them dwell in the land and trade therein. For the land behold
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it is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us for
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wives, and let us give them our daughters verse twenty two. Only herein
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will the men consent unto us, for to dwell with us, to be
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one people. If every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised
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verse twenty three, shall not their cattle and their substance, and every beast
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of theirs be ours. Only let us consent unto them, and they will
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dwell with us verse twenty four. And unto Haymoor and to she Kim his
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son. Hearkened all that went out of the gate of this city, and
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every male was circumcised all that went out of the gate of his city.
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Here Number one, Haymoor and she Kim gave consent themselves to be circumcised verse
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eighteen nineteen. To this, perhaps they were moved not only by the strong
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desire they had to bring about this match, but what they might have heard
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of the sacred and honorable intentions of this sign in the family of Abraham,
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which it is probable they had some confused notions of and of the promises conferred
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by it, which made them the more desirous to incorporate with the family of
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Jacob. Zachariah, Chapter eight, verse twenty three. Note many who know
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little of religion yet know so much of it as makes them willing to join
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themselves with those that are religious. Again, if a man would take upon
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him a former religion to gain a good wife, much more should we embrace
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the power of it to gain the favor of a good God, even circumcise
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our hearts to love him. And as she can here not defer to do
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the thing. Number two, they gained the consent of the men of the
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city Jacob's sons, requiring that they also should be circumcised. One, they
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themselves had great influence upon them by their command and example. Note, religion
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would greatly prevail if those in authority, who, like she Kim, were
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more honorable than their neighbors, would appear forward and zealous for it. Two
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they urged an argument which was very cogent verse twenty three. Shall not their
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cattle and their substance be ours. They observed that Jacob's sons were industrious,
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thriving people, and promised themselves and their neighbors advantage by alliance with them.
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It would improve ground and trade and bring money into their country. Now,
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One, it was bad enough to marry upon this principle, Yet we see
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covetousness the greatest matchmaker in the world, and nothing designed so much with many
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as the laying of house to house and feeld to field without regard had to
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any other consideration. Two, it was worse to be circumcised upon this principle.
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The Sikamites will embrace the religion of Jacob's family only in hopes of interesting
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themselves thereby in the riches of that family. Thus there are many with whom
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gain is godliness, and who are more governed and influenced by their secular interest
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than by any principle of thy religion. Murder of the Shekamites b. C.
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Seventeen thirty two, verse twenty five. And it came to pass on
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the third day, when they were sore, that the two sons of Jacob,
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Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword and came
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upon the city boldly and slew all the males verse twenty six. And they
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slew Hamor and Seekam his son with the edge of the sword, and took
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Dinah out of Siechim's house and went out verse twenty seven. The sons of
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Jacob came upon the slain and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their
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sister verse twenty eight. They took their sheep and their oxen, and their
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asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in
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the field verse twenty nine, and all their wealth, and all their little
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ones and their wives took they captive and spoiled even all that was in the
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house verse thirty. And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, ye have troubled
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me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the
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Canaanites and the Perzesites, and I, being few in number, they shall
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gather themselves together against me and slay me, and I shall be destroyed,
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I and my house verse thirty one. And they said, should he deal
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with our sister as with an harlot. Here we have Simeon and Levi,
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two of Jacob's sons, young men not above twenty years old, cutting the
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throats of the Sichemites, and thereby breaking the heart of their good father Numeral
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one. Here is the barbarous murder of the Sikamites. Jacob himself was used
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to the sheep hook, but his sons had got swords by their sides,
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as if they had been the seed of Esau, who was to live by
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his sword. We have them here number one, slaying the inhabitants of Sichem,
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all the males a more unseeach'em, particularly with whom they had been
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treating in a friendly manner, but the other day, yet with a design
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upon their lives. Some think that all Jacob's sons, when they wheedled the
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Sichemites to be circumcised, designed to take advantage of their soreness and to rescue
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Dinah from among them. But the Simeon and Levi, not content with that,
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would themselves avenge the injury, and they did it with a witness.
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Now one, it cannot be denied, but that God was righteous in it.
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Had the Sichemites been circumcised in obedience to any command of God, their
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circumcision would have been their protection. But when they submitted to that sacred right
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only to serve a turn, to please their prince and to enrich themselves,
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it was just with God to bring this upon them. Note as nothing secures
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us better than true religion, so nothing exposes us more than religion. Only
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to pretend to two but Simeon and Levi were most unrighteous one. It was
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true that Sicham had wrought folly against Israel in defiling Dinah. But it ought
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to have been considered how far Dinah herself had been necessory to it. Had
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Sechim abused her in her own mother's tent, it would have been another matter.
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But she went upon his ground, and perhaps by her indecent carriage,
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had struck the spark which began the fire. When we are severe upon the
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sinner, we ought to consider who was the tempter. Two It was true
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that Sichim had done ill, but he was endeavoring to atone for it,
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and was as honest and honorable ex post facto after the deed as the case
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would admit. It was not the case of the Levite's concubine that was abused
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to death. Nor does he justify what he has done, but courts a
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reconciliation upon any terms. Three it was true that Siechum had done ill,
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But what was that to all the Sichemites? Does one man's sin and will
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they be wroth with all the town? Must the innocent fall with the guilty?
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This was barbarous, indeed, for but that which above all aggravated the
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cruelty was the most perfidious treachery that was in it. The Sichemites had submitted
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to their conditions and had done that upon which they had promised to become one
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people with them Verse sixteen. Yet they act as sworn enemies to those to
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whom they had lately become sworn friends, making as light of their covenant as
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they did of the laws of humanity. And are those the sons of Israel
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cursed be their anger, for it was fierce. Five. This also added
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to the crime that they made a holy ordinance of God subservient to their wicked
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design, so making that odious. As if it were not enough for them
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to shame themselves upon their family, they bring a reproach upon that honorable badge
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of their religion. Justly would it be called a bloody ordinance number two seizing
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the prey of Sichem and plundering the town they rescued Dinah verse twenty six.
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And if that was all they came for, they might have done that without
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blood, as appears by their own showing verse seventeen. But they aimed at
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the spoil. And though Simeon and Levi only were the murderers, yet it
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is intimated that others of the sons of Jacob came upon the slain and spoiled
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the city verse twenty seven, and so becoming accessory to the murder in them,
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it was manifest in justice. Yet here we may observe the righteousness of
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God. The Sea Chamites were willing to gratify the sons of Jacob by submitting
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to the penance of circumcision upon this principle, shall not their cattle and all
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their substance be ours verse twenty three, and see what was the issue.
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Instead of making themselves masters of the wealth of Jacob's family, Jacob's family became
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masters of their wealth. Note those who unjustly grasp at that which is another's
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justly lose that which is their own Numeral II. Here is Jacob's resentment of
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this bloody deed of and Levi verse thirty two. Things he bitterly complains of
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number one, the approach they had brought upon him. Thereby, you have
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troubled me, put me into a disorder, for you have made me to
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stink among the inhabitants of the land. That is, you have rendered me
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and my family odious among them. What will they say of us in our
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religion? We shall be looked upon as the most perfidious, barbarous people in
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the world. Note the gross misconduct of wicked children is the grief and shame
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of their godly parents. Children should be the joy of their parents, but
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wicked children are their trouble, sadden their hearts, break their spirits, and
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make them go mourning from day to day. Children should be an ornament to
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their parents, but wicked children are their reproach and are as dead flies in
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the pot of ointment. But let such cheerchildren know that if they repent,
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not the grief they have caused to their parents, and the damage religion has
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sustained in its reputation through them, will come into the account and be reckoned.
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For Number two, the ruin they had exposed him too. What could
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be expected but that the Canaanites, who were numerous and formidable, would confederate
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against him, and he and his little family would become an easy prey to
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them. I shall be destroyed I and my house. If all the Sichemites
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must be destroyed for the offense of one, why not all the Israelites for
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the offense of two. Jacob knew, indeed that God had promised to preserve
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and perpetuate his house. But he might justly fear that these vile practices of
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his children would amount to a forfeiture and cut off the entail. Note,
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when sin is in the house, there is reason to fear ruin at the
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door. The tender parents foresee those bad consequences of sin which the wicked children
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have no dread of. One would think they should have made them to relent,
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and they should have humbled themselves to their good father and begged his pardon.
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But instead of this they justify themselves and give him this insolent reply,
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Should he deal with our sister as a harlot? No he should not,
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But if he do, must they be their own avengers. Will nothing less
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than so many lives and the ruin of whole city serve to atone for an
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abuse done to one foolish girl. By their question, they tacitly reflect upon
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their father, as if he would have been content to let them deal with
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his daughter as with a harlot. Note it is common for those who run
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into one extreme to reproach and as censure those who keep them mian, as
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if they ran into the other. Those who condemned the rigor of revenge shall
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be misrepresented as if they countenanced and justified the offense. And of Chapter thirty four