How does Genesis 34:2 connect with the commandment against adultery in Exodus 20:14? Opening the Texts Together • Genesis 34:2—“When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.” • Exodus 20:14—“You shall not commit adultery.” Genesis 34:2—What Happened? • Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, left her family’s camp to visit the women of the land. • Shechem, a Hivite prince, “took her and lay with her by force,” a plain description of sexual violation. • The verb phrases emphasize coercion; Dinah’s consent is absent. • The act shattered her honor, caused family outrage, and ignited wider conflict. Exodus 20:14—God’s Unchanging Standard • “You shall not commit adultery” establishes God’s boundary for sexual intimacy: reserved for a covenant marriage between a man and a woman. • The commandment protects individuals, families, and society by safeguarding the marriage covenant. • Though given centuries after Dinah’s assault, the command codifies a moral law already rooted in God’s character. Connecting the Two Passages • Moral Consistency—Shechem’s act violates the same moral boundary later stated in Exodus 20:14; adultery forbids any sexual union outside marriage, including rape. • Covenant Protection—Dinah belonged to a covenant family; Shechem ignored that covenant setting, trampling both personal dignity and future marital prospects. • Sin’s Ripple Effect—Genesis 34 shows the immediate consequences (deception, revenge, slaughter). Exodus 20:14 anticipates such fallout by forbidding the sin at its root. • Divine Authority—Even before Sinai, God’s standard existed; Shechem sinned not merely against Jacob’s family but against God Himself. • Holiness and Justice—The narrative reveals God’s concern for purity and the demand for justice. The commandment formalizes these concerns for all Israel—and, by extension, for all people. Lessons for Us Today • Sexual morality is not culture-defined but God-defined; Genesis 34 proves the standard predates the written law. • Violating God’s order brings turmoil far beyond the individuals involved. • Upholding marital faithfulness guards the vulnerable, honors God, and preserves community peace. |
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