Dinah

Interesting story. . . ( found in Genesis 34)

So Dinah was one of Jacob's and Leah's daughters. (Abraham- Issac- Jacob)
When Jacob and his family were in Shechem in the land of Cannan. They had been traveling around and Dinah went out to meet some of the other women in the area. While she was out a guy named Shechem saw her and fell in love with her. He violated her and then asked his father to get her as his wife. Jacob found out and soon did Dinah's brothers. When Shechem's father came to ask for Dinah as a wife for his son they agreed only if the men of the city would be circumcised. They agreed and all became circumcised. 3 days later, while all the men were still in pain, two of Dinah's brothers, Simeon and Levi, went into the city and killed every male. The looted where their sister ad been defiled and took flocks and herds, donkeys and anything else they could find out to the fields. They carried off all of their wealth and their women and children as they left. Jacob yelled at his sons for bringing him trouble in this new land knowing that those left in Cannan could band together and kill him and his family. His sons replied, "Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?"

So family revenge? We aren't really told how Dinah feels about this whole mess. . . just that he charmed her. So alot can be see in this story. . . even without God's view on the story. We see alittle more of humanity here. . . we get angry, we do things we may regret later. We are protective of our family members.

Then I always try to think with a little historical perspective. Think towards the end, the brothers looted and took the animals, wealth, and women and children. Women and children and just thrown in their like donkeys, someones property to be taken. Yet the whole story brought about because of a woman.

These are the stories that i find facinating. . . why is it here in the bible? What does it offer us today? or even. . . how much has been exaggerated over the years until someone wrote the story down? Is it possible that the two brothers killed every male in a city? I'd love to know what you think.

God Bless,
your sister in Christ~Erin