Genesis 34:3 kjv
And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.
Genesis 34:3 nkjv
His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman.
Genesis 34:3 niv
His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.
Genesis 34:3 esv
And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.
Genesis 34:3 nlt
But then he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her affection with tender words.
Genesis 34 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 2:24 | Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. | "Clung" (דבק) in its positive, covenantal sense of marital union. |
| Deut 22:28-29 | If a man meets a young woman who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, then the man who lay with her shall give the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver and she shall be his wife… | The legal context concerning the defilement of a virgin. |
| 2 Sam 13:14-15 | But he would not listen to her; and being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her. Then Amnon hated her with great hatred... | Similar pattern of sexual violence; contrasting "love" and subsequent "hate." |
| Judg 19:24-25 | ...Here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. Let me bring them out now. Dishonor them and do with them what seems good to you... | Theme of women treated as objects; severe sexual violence and its consequences. |
| Prov 7:21 | With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. | Seductive or persuasive words ("spoke kindly to her heart") used for manipulative ends. |
| Prov 23:27 | For a prostitute is a deep pit; a loose woman is a narrow well. | The dangers and destructive nature of illicit sexual desire. |
| Song 3:4 | Scarcely had I left them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him and would not let him go... | Use of "clung" (דבק) and "loved" in a genuine, positive romantic context. |
| Hosea 4:11 | Wine and new wine take away the understanding. | Lust and passion cloud judgment and lead to sinful acts. |
| Matt 5:28 | But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. | Heart's intent in sexual desire; highlights sin even before action. |
| Mark 7:21-23 | For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit... | Origin of impure thoughts and actions. |
| Rom 13:9 | For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” | Violation of "love neighbor" through lust and force. |
| 1 Cor 6:18 | Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. | Call to flee sexual immorality; its unique sinfulness. |
| Col 3:5 | Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. | Exhortation against passions and evil desires. |
| Heb 13:4 | Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. | Sanctity of marriage and judgment for sexual sin. |
| Jas 1:14-15 | But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. | The progression from desire to sin to death. |
| 1 Pet 4:3 | For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do—living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. | Gentile ways marked by sensuality and passions, contrasting with righteous living. |
| Gen 6:5 | The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. | Human depravity stemming from the heart's intentions. |
| 2 Sam 11:2-4 | ...he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman... And David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her... | Powerful individual seizing a woman for his pleasure; misuse of power. |
| Jer 3:3 | Therefore the showers have been withheld, and the spring rain has not come; yet you have the forehead of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed. | Consequences of unashamed immorality. |
| Eph 5:25 | Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her... | Standard for true, selfless love in marriage, contrasting Shechem's self-serving "love." |
| 1 Jn 4:7-8 | Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. | God as the source of true love, absent in Shechem's act. |
Genesis 34 verses
Genesis 34 3 Meaning
Genesis 34:3 describes Shechem's actions following the violation of Dinah, Jacob's daughter. It states that "his soul clung to Dinah the daughter of Jacob," indicating an intense, possibly obsessive, attachment or desire for her. Immediately following, it clarifies that "he loved the young woman" and subsequently "spoke kindly to the young woman," signifying an attempt to win her favor, affection, or to placate her after the profound transgression. This verse sets the stage for Shechem's desire to marry Dinah, viewing the forced act as a prelude to a marital claim rather than a grave offense requiring restitution.
Genesis 34 3 Context
Genesis chapter 34 details a significant crisis for Jacob's family immediately after their return to Canaan. Dinah, Jacob and Leah's daughter, went out to see the local women in Shechem. She was seen, seized, violated, and humiliated by Shechem, the son of Hamor, the Hivite prince of the land. This verse (34:3) highlights Shechem's immediate response to his heinous act. Culturally and historically, the violation of a virgin brought immense shame upon her family. For Shechem, a Hivite prince, desiring to maintain a local alliance or solidify his power, taking Dinah was perhaps an impulsive act, but his subsequent "clinging" and "love" were part of his attempt to normalize the situation by seeking to marry her. In the ancient Near East, while some cultures allowed for seizure of women, for a covenant people like Jacob's family, such an act was an egregious violation of honor and personhood. This narrative lays bare the conflict between the corrupt practices of the local inhabitants and the emerging covenant morality of Jacob's household, ultimately leading to severe repercussions.
Genesis 34 3 Word analysis
- And his soul clung:
- soul (נפשׁו, nap̄šō): Often translated as "soul" or "person," but here it implies a deep emotional and even physical core of a person. It points to the inner being, indicating a powerful, driving impulse. It is not merely physical attraction but an overwhelming preoccupation from within.
- clung (דבקה, ḏāḇəqāh): This Hebrew root (דבק, dabaq) signifies adhering, cleaving, or being strongly attached. While used in positive contexts for faithful attachment (e.g., a man clinging to his wife in Gen 2:24), here, in the immediate aftermath of violence, it suggests a possessive and perhaps obsessive attachment, possibly bordering on infatuation, rather than healthy affection. It implies a strong emotional bond that, in this context, is deeply troubling given how it was initiated.
- to Dinah the daughter of Jacob;
- This phrase clearly identifies the victim and emphasizes her connection to the patriarch Jacob, signifying her standing within the covenant family and the gravity of the offense against them.
- and he loved the young woman
- loved (וַיֶּאֱהַב, wayye’ĕhav): The Hebrew verb ’aheb (to love) is used here. While it can mean genuine affection, in this context following a non-consensual act, it can also signify desire or strong infatuation. Scholars interpret this as either a true, though perverse, development of affection or, more commonly, a self-serving declaration of affection aimed at legitimizing his actions and claiming possession. It might be his attempt to view the relationship through a more socially acceptable lens post-violation.
- and spoke kindly to the young woman.
- spoke kindly (וַיְדַבֵּר עַל־לֵב, wayədabbēr ‘al-lēḇ): Literally "spoke to her heart." This idiomatic phrase often means to speak consolingly, comfortingly, persuasively, or even seductively. Given the context, it suggests an attempt by Shechem to pacify Dinah, perhaps to win her over, reduce her distress, or to gain her acceptance and cooperation for a future marriage. It’s a manipulative use of comforting language, not an act of true solace.
- young woman (הַנַּעֲרָה, hanna‘arāh): The repetition of this term emphasizes Dinah's status as a vulnerable, unmarried young woman. It contrasts her innocent status with the profound violation she endured. The continued use suggests her primary identification in Shechem's eyes is tied to her youth and sexual viability.
Genesis 34 3 Bonus section
The Hebrew word dabaq used for "clung" here also has applications in spiritual contexts. It is used to describe cleaving to God (e.g., Deut 10:20; Joshua 23:8), which means an intense and loyal devotion. The use of this word to describe Shechem's attachment to Dinah, immediately after a violent transgression, implicitly contrasts his worldly, self-serving attachment with the ideal, covenantal cleaving to God, thereby highlighting the perversion of true relationship and commitment in this scenario. Dinah herself has no voice or agency within this verse or most of the chapter, highlighting the vulnerable position of women in that societal structure and how often they were objects of men's actions, whether violent or intended "kindness." The chapter's climax of vengeance by Simeon and Levi, Dinah's full brothers, underlines the immense importance placed on family honor and the protection of female family members, albeit through extreme and unacceptable means, showing a raw reflection of tribal justice.
Genesis 34 3 Commentary
Genesis 34:3 is a disturbing yet crucial verse. It starkly portrays the mind-set of the perpetrator, Shechem. His actions reveal a common ancient mindset where sexual assault could be viewed as a means to a marital claim, particularly in a patriarchal society where women were often seen as property. The term "clung" (dabaq) here signifies a possessive and overwhelming desire that has roots in a violent act. The assertion that he "loved" her is highly contentious; it challenges the very nature of true love (which is selfless and respectful) by associating it with a brutal, coercive act. This "love" appears to be either a delusional byproduct of his lust or a calculating attempt to legitimize the illegitimacy of his actions for a political or social purpose—to incorporate Dinah into his household. The phrase "spoke kindly to her heart" further underscores this attempt at manipulation or appeasement. He sought to calm or convince her to accept his subsequent desire for marriage. This verse tragically encapsulates how violence can be swiftly followed by an attempt to normalize or rationalize the aggression under the guise of affection, laying the foundation for the deep family conflict that unfolds.