Genesis 34:21

“These men are at peace with us. Let them live and trade in our land; indeed, it is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters in marriage and give our daughters to them.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Hamor and his son Shechem address the civic leaders at the city gate to persuade them to accept foreign settlement and intermarriage. Their proposal follows their public appeal in Genesis 34:20 and immediately precedes the circumcision stipulation in Genesis 34:22.

The words — The Hebrew שְׁלֵמִים (sheleMim) literally means "at peace" or "whole," characterizing the proposed relationship between the two groups. The verb יִסְחֲרוּ (yischaRu) denotes engaging in commercial trade or market activity within the territory.

The thread — The text advances a negotiation strategy that ties economic coexistence and marital exchange to political unity. This conditional integration model reappears in Genesis 34:22, where the proposed settlement becomes contingent upon a physical covenant sign.

Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to observe how economic and social incentives are deployed to lower resistance to cultural assimilation. It demands attention to the precise sequence of persuasion: security, prosperity, and kinship, followed by the stipulation that follows.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

הָאֲנָשִׁ֨יםha./'a.na.Shimthe/ men הָאֵ֜לֶּהha./'E.leh<the>/ these שְֽׁלֵמִ֧יםshe.le.Mim[are] at peace הֵ֣םhemthey אִתָּ֗נוּ'i.Ta./nuwith/ us וְיֵשְׁב֤וּve./ye.she.Vuand/ let them dwell בָאָ֙רֶץ֙va./'A.retzin the/ land וְיִסְחֲר֣וּve./yis.cha.Ruand/ let them go about in אֹתָ֔הּ'o.Ta/h<obj.>/ it וְהָאָ֛רֶץve./ha./'A.retzand/ the/ land הִנֵּ֥הhi.Nehthere!רַֽחֲבַת־ra.cha.vat-[is] broad of יָדַ֖יִםya.Da.yimboth hands לִפְנֵיהֶ֑םli/f.nei./Hem<to>/ before/ them אֶת־'et-<obj.>בְּנֹתָם֙be.no.Ta/mdaughters/ their נִקַּֽח־ni.kach-we will takeלָ֣נוּLa./nufor <the>/ ourselvesלְנָשִׁ֔יםle./na.Shimto/ wives וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>בְּנֹתֵ֖ינוּbe.no.Tei./nudaughters/ our נִתֵּ֥ןni.Tenwe will giveלָהֶֽם׃la./Hemto <the>/ them

King James Version

These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.