Bible Strands
Genesis 34:7
When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jacob’s sons hear the report of Shechem’s violation of Dinah and return from the field to process the news. Their reaction occurs immediately after Hamor approaches Jacob to negotiate a marriage alliance.
The words — וַ/יִּֽתְעַצְּבוּ֙ (va/i.yit.'a.tze.Vu) translates literally as “they were indignant,” capturing the sons’ immediate emotional response to the reported crime.
The thread — The reported outrage aligns with Joshua 7:15, Judges 20:6, and Deuteronomy 22:21, where Israelite response to covenant violations involves communal mobilization and severe accountability.
Why it lands — The text states the sons’ grief and fury as a direct reaction to a breach of Israel’s moral boundaries. It requires the reader to recognize that sexual violation within the community demands immediate, unambiguous accountability.
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 the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; which thing ought not to be done.
Cross-references
- Joshua 7:15 The one who is caught with the things devoted to destruction must be burned, along with all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD and committed an outrage in Israel.’”
- Judges 20:6 Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.
- Deuteronomy 22:21 she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house, and there the men of her city will stone her to death. For she has committed an outrage in Israel by being promiscuous in her father’s house. So you must purge the evil from among you.
- Genesis 20:9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tremendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.”
- Hebrews 13:4 Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
- Genesis 46:7 Jacob took with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.
- Exodus 19:5 Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine.
- Leviticus 4:2 “Tell the Israelites to do as follows with one who sins unintentionally against any of the LORD’s commandments and does what is forbidden by them:
- Leviticus 4:13 Now if the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly so that they violate any of the LORD’s commandments and incur guilt by doing what is forbidden,
- Leviticus 4:27 And if one of the common people sins unintentionally and does what is prohibited by any of the LORD’s commandments, he incurs guilt.