Bible Strands
Genesis 34:3
And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Shechem acts immediately after forcibly taking Dinah, shifting his focus from violence to affectionate pursuit. He turns his attention to Jacob’s daughter as he prepares to demand her as a wife.
The words — The text states his soul tidbak (cleaved or drew) to Dinah, indicating a forceful attachment. It then records that he ye'ehav (loved) the young girl and spoke to her tenderly.
The thread — The phrase for a soul cleaving appears in Ruth 1:14 for Ruth’s loyal commitment, while the directive to speak tenderly surfaces in Isaiah 40:2 and Hosea 2:14 as divine reassurance to a broken people.
Why it lands — The verse documents a violent seizure followed by an emotional pivot, requiring the reader to track the sequence without smoothing the contradiction. It asks the reader to note how affection is narratively attached to coercion and to judge the action by its textual placement rather than its later emotional framing.
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
King James Version
And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 40:2 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her forced labor has been completed; her iniquity has been pardoned. For she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.”
- Hosea 2:14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her and lead her to the wilderness, and speak to her tenderly.
- Ruth 1:14 Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.
- 1 Samuel 18:1 After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.
- 2 Samuel 19:7 Now therefore get up! Go out and speak comfort to your servants, for I swear by the LORD that if you do not go out, not a man will remain with you tonight. This will be worse for you than all the adversity that has befallen you from your youth until now!”
- 2 Chronicles 30:22 And Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites who performed skillfully before the LORD. For seven days they ate their assigned portion, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD, the God of their fathers.