[8] And Hamor communed with
them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray
you give her him to wife. [9] And make
ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters
unto you. [10] And ye shall dwell with
us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get
you possessions therein. [11] And Shechem
said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes,
and what ye shall say unto me I will give. [12]
Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall
say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife. [13]
And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully,
and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister: [14]
And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to
one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us: [15]
But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every
male of you be circumcised; [16] Then
will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to
us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. [17]
But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take
our daughter, and we will be gone.
Hamor communed - That is, talked. He came to treat with
Jacob himself, but he turns them over to his sons. And here we have a particular
account of the treaty, in which it is a shame to say the Canaanites were
more honest than the Israelites.
[18] And their words pleased
Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son. [19]
And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight
in Jacob's daughter: and he was more honourable than all the house of his
father. [20] And Hamor and Shechem
his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of
their city, saying, [21] These men
are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade
therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take
their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.
[22] Only herein will the men consent unto
us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised,
as they are circumcised.
Hamor and Shechem gave consent themselves to be circumcised.
To this perhaps they were moved not only by the strong desire they had
to bring about, this match, but by what they might have heard of the sacred
and honourable intentions of this sign, in the family of Abraham, which
it is probable they had some confused notions of, and of the promises confirmed
by it; which made them the more desirous to incorporate with the family
of Jacob.
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