Commentary - Genesis 34:18-24

Bird's-eye view

In this section of the narrative, we see the disastrous results of worldly negotiations. The sons of Jacob have proposed a covenantal sign, circumcision, as a condition for a merger. But their motives are deceitful and vengeful. On the other side, Hamor and his son Shechem, along with the men of their city, consider this proposal. Their evaluation is entirely carnal, driven by lust, greed, and a pragmatic desire for assimilation. They see the sign of God's covenant not as a holy seal, but as a trivial price of admission for acquiring the wealth and women of Jacob's clan. This passage is a master class in the folly of the unregenerate mind. It demonstrates how the world will always profane what is holy by reducing it to a means to a worldly end. The stage is being set for a terrible judgment, and the Shechemites, in their covetous wisdom, are the ones who hand the knife to their executioners.

Outline

Commentary

18 Now their words seemed good in the sight of Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.

The proposal from Jacob's sons "seemed good." This is the judgment of the natural man. He evaluates everything by the standard of worldly utility. Does it get me what I want? Hamor and Shechem are not considering the theological implications of circumcision. They do not care about the covenant with Abraham or the God of Abraham. They hear the terms of a deal, and the deal looks profitable. The world is always willing to adopt religious appearances if there is a material benefit attached. They see a path to getting what they desire, and so the words seem good to them. This is the logic of pragmatism, and it is always, at root, godless.

19 So the young man did not delay to do the thing because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. Now he was more honored than all the household of his father.

Shechem's motivation is laid bare. He is driven by his delight in Dinah, a delight that began with a violent crime. He is not repentant; he is simply infatuated. He wants the girl, and he is willing to do anything to get her. His haste is the haste of unbridled passion, not righteous zeal. The text adds that he was "more honored" than anyone in his father's house. This is not incidental. His high status gives him the influence to push this deal through. But his honor is worldly honor, the kind that God brings to nothing. He is a prince of his city, a man of high repute, and he is using all his social capital to pursue his lust. This is a picture of how the world's elite often operate, using their power and influence to gratify their own desires, all under the guise of what "seems good."

20 So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying,

The city gate was the place of public assembly, commerce, and legal proceedings. It was the ancient equivalent of city hall. Hamor and Shechem are not making this decision in a back room; they are making a public case for it. They are politicians seeking the consent of the governed. They are about to make a speech, a sales pitch, to convince their fellow citizens to go along with a plan that is rooted in the lust of one man and the greed of them all.

21 “These men are peaceful with us; therefore let them live in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters for us as wives and give our daughters to them.”

The pitch begins with a calculated misrepresentation. "These men are peaceful with us." Based on what? They are a family whose daughter was just defiled by the prince of the city. The proposal they have made is dripping with menace, but Hamor and Shechem present it as a friendly business arrangement. They propose economic and social integration. Let them trade, let them settle, let's intermarry and become one big, happy, prosperous people. This is the perennial promise of secular multiculturalism. Erase the distinctions, merge the cultures, and everyone will get rich. It is an appeal to comfort and prosperity, and it requires them to ignore the deep religious chasm that separates them from the people of God.

22 Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people: that every male among us be circumcised as they are circumcised.

Here is the catch, the fine print of the contract. They present the sign of God's covenant as a mere procedural requirement. It is a peculiar custom that must be adopted in order to close the deal. Notice how they frame it: this is what "the men" require to "consent to us." They are completely blind to the spiritual reality. They think they are negotiating with men, when the sign belongs to God. To them, circumcision is not a seal of righteousness by faith; it is a cultural peculiarity, a bit of flesh to be cut away for a great reward. They are treating a sacrament as a secular token.

23 Will not their livestock and what they acquire and all their cattle be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will live with us.

And now, the heart of the matter. The real argument is not about peace or becoming one people. It is about raw, unadulterated greed. This is the clincher. Hamor and Shechem are telling the men of their city that if they will endure a few days of pain, they will absorb the entire economic output of Jacob's clan. "Their livestock... their cattle... will be ours." This is a hostile takeover disguised as a merger. They believe they are being shrewd. They are playing the long game. By absorbing this "peaceful" people, they will get all their stuff. This is the wisdom of the serpent, and it is as foolish as it is wicked. They are so blinded by their avarice that they cannot see the trap being laid for them.

24 And all who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

The pitch is successful. The men of the city, being just as carnal as their leaders, hear the promise of plunder and agree. The appeal to their greed worked perfectly. The unanimity is telling. "Every male was circumcised." They all submitted. They all went under the knife, not in faith toward Yahweh, but in faith toward the prospect of material gain. They took upon themselves the sign of the covenant, profaning it in the most profound way possible. And in doing so, they marked themselves for the slaughter. They voluntarily rendered themselves helpless, an entire city of men, because they thought it was the fastest way to get rich.

Application

This passage is a stark warning against the dangers of worldly pragmatism and syncretism. The Shechemites represent the world's approach to the things of God. The world is happy to adopt Christian language, symbols, and rituals so long as it can use them for its own ends, whether that be personal gratification, political power, or financial gain.

We see this today whenever the church makes deals with the world. We are told that if we just soften our stance here, or adopt this worldly method there, we can have influence, or a bigger budget, or cultural acceptance. We are tempted to offer a "circumcision" that is stripped of its meaning, a cheap grace that makes no demands, in order to get the world to "live with us."

The Shechemites thought they were the clever ones. They were using a religious rite to achieve a financial end. But their worldly wisdom was utter foolishness. By embracing the sign of the covenant for carnal reasons, they were marking themselves for judgment. This is a permanent principle. To treat the holy things of God, like baptism and the Lord's Supper, as mere tools for social cohesion or personal advancement is to invite judgment. God will not be mocked. His covenant signs are not bargaining chips. This story, in all its brutality, reminds us that there can be no peaceful merger between the people of God and the city of man. We are called to be separate, and when we try to negotiate a compromised peace, the result is always disaster.