Genesis 34:18
New International Version
Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.

New Living Translation
Hamor and his son Shechem agreed to their proposal.

English Standard Version
Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor’s son Shechem.

Berean Standard Bible
Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.

King James Bible
And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son.

New King James Version
And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.

New American Standard Bible
Now their words seemed reasonable to Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.

NASB 1995
Now their words seemed reasonable to Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.

NASB 1977
Now their words seemed reasonable to Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now their words seemed good in the sight of Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.

Amplified Bible
Their words seemed reasonable to Hamor and his son Shechem,

Christian Standard Bible
Their words seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Their words seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.

American Standard Version
And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son.

Contemporary English Version
Hamor and Shechem liked what was said.

English Revised Version
And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.

Good News Translation
These terms seemed fair to Hamor and his son Shechem,

International Standard Version
What they said pleased Hamor and his son Shechem,

Majority Standard Bible
Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.

NET Bible
Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem.

New Heart English Bible
Their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son.

Webster's Bible Translation
And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son.

World English Bible
Their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And their words are good in the eyes of Hamor, and in the eyes of Shechem, Hamor’s son;

Young's Literal Translation
And their words are good in the eyes of Hamor, and in the eyes of Shechem, Hamor's son;

Smith's Literal Translation
And their words will be pleasing in the eyes of Hamor, and in the eyes of Shechem, Hamor's son.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Their offer pleased Hemor, and Sichem his son:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem.

New American Bible
Their proposal pleased Hamor and his son Shechem.

New Revised Standard Version
Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor’s son Shechem.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem, Hamor's son.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And their words were pleasing in the eyes of Khamor and in the eyes of Shekeem his son.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the words pleased Emmor, and Sychem the son of Emmor.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Revenge of Dinah's Brothers
17But if you will not agree to be circumcised, then we will take our sister and go.” 18Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19The young man, who was the most respected of all his father’s household, did not hesitate to fulfill this request, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.…

Cross References
Genesis 49:5-7
Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence. / May I never enter their council; may I never join their assembly. For they kill men in their anger, and hamstring oxen on a whim. / Cursed be their anger, for it is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

Exodus 34:16
And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.

Deuteronomy 7:3-4
Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, / because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.

Joshua 9:14-15
Then the men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not seek the counsel of the LORD. / And Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.

Judges 14:1-3
One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman. / So he returned and told his father and mother, “I have seen a daughter of the Philistines in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.” / But his father and mother replied, “Can’t you find a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me, for she is pleasing to my eyes.”

2 Samuel 13:12-14
“No, my brother!” she cried. “Do not violate me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing! / Where could I ever take my shame? And you would be like one of the fools in Israel! Please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” / But Amnon refused to listen to her, and being stronger, he violated her and lay with her.

1 Kings 11:1-2
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. / These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love.

Nehemiah 13:25-27
I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves! / Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin. / Must we now hear that you too are doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”

Psalm 106:35
but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs.

Proverbs 6:32
He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.

Proverbs 7:21-23
With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him. / He follows her on impulse, like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding into a trap, / until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare—not knowing it will cost him his life.

Matthew 5:28
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Matthew 15:19
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.

Mark 7:21-23
For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, / greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. / All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”

John 8:34
Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.


Treasury of Scripture

And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son.

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Eyes Good Hamor Pleased Pleasing Proposal Reasonable Seemed Shechem Words
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Eyes Good Hamor Pleased Pleasing Proposal Reasonable Seemed Shechem Words
Genesis 34
1. Dinah is ravished by Shechem.
4. He requests to marry her.
13. The sons of Jacob offer the condition of circumcision to the Shechemites.
20. Hamor and Shechem persuade them to accept it.
25. The sons of Jacob upon that advantage slay them, and spoil their city.
30. Jacob reproves Simeon and Levi.














Their offer
The phrase "their offer" refers to the proposal made by Jacob's sons to Hamor and Shechem. In the Hebrew text, the word for "offer" can be understood as a proposal or condition. This reflects the negotiation process in ancient Near Eastern cultures, where agreements were often reached through dialogue and mutual consent. The offer here is part of a larger narrative involving the defilement of Dinah and the subsequent demand for intermarriage and circumcision. It highlights the complexities of familial and tribal negotiations in biblical times.

seemed good
The Hebrew root for "seemed good" is "yatab," which conveys the idea of something being pleasing or agreeable. This suggests that Hamor and Shechem found the terms of the offer acceptable, indicating a willingness to comply with the conditions set by Jacob's sons. This phrase underscores the subjective nature of human judgment and decision-making, as what seems good to one party may not necessarily be just or righteous in the eyes of God. It invites readers to consider the moral and ethical dimensions of agreements and the importance of aligning human actions with divine principles.

to Hamor and his son Shechem
Hamor and Shechem are central figures in this narrative. Hamor, the father, is a Hivite leader, and Shechem is his son, who has wronged Dinah. Their names are significant in the context of the story. Hamor, meaning "donkey" in Hebrew, may symbolize stubbornness or burden-bearing, while Shechem, meaning "shoulder" or "ridge," could imply strength or responsibility. The mention of both father and son highlights the familial and communal aspects of the decision-making process. It reflects the patriarchal structure of ancient societies, where family heads played crucial roles in negotiations and agreements. This phrase also sets the stage for the unfolding events, where the initial appearance of agreement leads to deeper conflict and moral questions.

(18) Their words pleased Hamor.--We gather from this that circumcision was a rite not only well known, but regarded as something honourable; for otherwise they would not so readily have submitted to a thing so painful.

Verses 18, 19. - And their words pleased (literally, were flood in the eyes of) Hamor, and (literally, in the eyes of) Shechem, Hamor's son. And the young man deferred not (i.e. delayed not) to do the thing (literally, the word, i.e. to submit to circumcision. This is stated here by anticipation), because he had delight in Jacob's daughter: and he was more honorable - literally, more honored, doubtless because more worthy of regard (cf. 1 Chronicles 4:9) - than all the house of his father.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Their offer
דִבְרֵיהֶ֖ם (ḏiḇ·rê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

seemed good
וַיִּֽיטְב֥וּ (way·yî·ṭə·ḇū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3190: To be good, well, glad, or pleasing

to Hamor
חֲמ֑וֹר (ḥă·mō·wr)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2544: Hamor -- father of Shechem

and his
חֲמֽוֹר׃ (ḥă·mō·wr)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2544: Hamor -- father of Shechem

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

Shechem.
שְׁכֶ֥ם (šə·ḵem)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7927: Shechem -- 'ridge', a district in Northern Palestine, also a son of Hamor


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OT Law: Genesis 34:18 Their words pleased Hamor and Shechem Hamor's (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 34:17
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