\\INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 34\\

This chapter gives an account of the ravishment of Dinah by Shechem,
\\#Ge 34:1-5\\; of his father Hamor and him treating with Jacob and his
sons about the marriage of her, \\#Ge 34:6-12\\; of the condition proposed
by Jacob's sons, circumcision of all the males in Shechem, which was
agreed to by Shechem and his father, \\#Ge 34:13-19\\; of the men of
Shechem being persuaded to yield to it, \\#Ge 34:20-24\\; and of the
destruction of them on the third day by Simeon and Levi, and of the
plunder of their city and field, and of the captivity of their wives
and children by Jacob's sons, which gave Jacob great offence, and in
which they justified themselves, \\#Ge 34:25-31\\.

Who is supposed to be at this time about fourteen or fifteen years of
age: for that she was but about nine or ten years old is not to be
credited, as some compute it {z}: she is observed to be the daughter of
Leah, partly that the following miscarriage might bring to mind her
forwardness to intrude herself into Jacob's bed, and be a rebuke unto
her; and partly to account for Simeon and Levi being so active in
revenging her abuse, they being Leah's sons: of Dinah it is said, that
she

\\went out to see the daughters of the land\\; of the land of Canaan, to
visit them, and contract an acquaintance with them; and she having no
sisters to converse with at home, it might be a temptation to her to go
abroad. According to the Targum of Jonathan, she went to see the
manners, customs, and fashions of the women of that country, to learn
them, as the Septuagint version renders the word; or to see their habit
and dress, and how they ornamented themselves, as Josephus {a}
observes; and who also says it was a festival day at Shechem, and
therefore very probably many of the young women of the country round
about might come thither on that occasion; and who being dressed in
their best clothes would give Dinah a good opportunity of seeing and
observing their fashions; and which, with the diversions of the season,
and shows to be seen, allured Dinah to go out of her mother's tent into
the city, to gratify her curiosity. Aben Ezra's note is, that she went
of herself, that is, without the leave of either of her parents:
according to other Jewish writers {b} there was a snare laid for her by
Shechem, who observing that Jacob's daughter dwelt in tents, and did
not go abroad, he brought damsels out of the city dancing and playing
on timbrels; and Dinah went forth to see them playing, and he took her,
and lay with her, as follows.

{z} R. Ganz. Tzemach David, par. l. fol. 6. 2.
{a} Antiqu. l. 1. c. 21. sect. 1.
{b} Pirke Eliezer, c. 38. fol. 42. 2.
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