What is the meaning of Genesis 34:8? But Hamor said to them • The speaker is Hamor, ruler of the Hivite city of Shechem (Genesis 34:2, 6). • Instead of addressing Jacob directly, he speaks “to them,” meaning Jacob’s sons who have just returned from the field (Genesis 34:7). This reveals his awareness that the brothers—not Jacob—hold the emotional leverage after Dinah’s violation. • Hamor is opening a formal negotiation, much like Abraham did with the Hittites over Sarah’s burial site (Genesis 23:3-6). Yet, while Abraham sought a burial place in faith, Hamor is seeking to cover sin with a pragmatic alliance. • Proverbs 18:17 notes, “The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.” Hamor speaks first, hoping to shape the narrative before the brothers can demand justice. My son Shechem longs for your daughter • “Longs” points to intense desire, but the preceding story shows it is desire that already overstepped God’s moral boundary (Genesis 34:1-4). • Compare Amnon’s so-called “love” for Tamar that quickly turned to hatred after he violated her (2 Samuel 13:1-15). Desire apart from obedience corrodes true affection. • True love “does not dishonor others” (1 Corinthians 13:5), yet Shechem dishonored Dinah by taking her before marriage. • James 1:14-15 reminds us that unchecked desire “gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” Shechem’s longing is already bearing rotten fruit: violence, deceit, and looming bloodshed. Please give her to him as his wife • Hamor appeals for a legal resolution—marriage—to legitimize the illegitimate. • The phrase mirrors earlier patriarchal negotiations for brides (Genesis 24:50-51; 29:18-19), but here it is used to mask sin rather than celebrate covenant faithfulness. • Intermarriage with Canaanites had been strongly discouraged (Genesis 28:1; later codified in Exodus 34:15-16). Hamor’s offer therefore tempts Jacob’s family to compromise their distinct calling. • 2 Corinthians 6:14 warns, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers,” a principle foreshadowed in this very scene. • Beneath Hamor’s polite request lies an agenda: secure economic and social integration (Genesis 34:21-23), turning a moral offense into a political merger. summary Genesis 34:8 presents Hamor’s polished attempt to transform his son’s sin into an alliance with Jacob’s family. By flattering the brothers, glossing over Shechem’s wrongdoing, and proposing marriage, Hamor seeks to legitimize lust and secure advantage. The verse contrasts human diplomacy with God’s moral order, reminding us that true love honors God’s standards, protects the vulnerable, and refuses to trade righteousness for convenience. |
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