Genesis 34:18 Commentary and Bible Study

Back in the Hivite city there is a public gathering of all. Hamor and Shechem are completely taken in. They become the ambassadors of the sons of Jacob for their evil scheme. They have a difficult task to persuade al their citizens to carry out this costly and painful step, but they manage it and ‘the young man deferred not to do the thing.’ He is more honourable than the sons of Jacob. ‘These men are peaceable with us‘ – how little they knew! Mark you, there is self-interest coming into this, because they go on to say in verse 23, ‘Shall not their cattle and their substance, and every beast of theirs be ours?’ If we are one people, we will be the people who gain in the end. Jacob had much better animals than the Hivites. The Israelites knew exactly what they were doing. They lived a nomadic existence, but they had been rearing these cattle and sheep for generations, and they were beautiful creatures and the Hivites were jealous. ‘We can soon get our hands on their expertise and we will be so much richer and so much better off.’ So with this carrot dangled before them, the men in that population consented to undergo circumcision in order that this agreement could be sealed. Look at the great persuasive argument. Gain is the motive. Prepared to go along with this. They misused the divine seal of circumcision. Their anger is greater than their repulsion for violence. It takes them over and compels them to ignore the warnings of conscience. They have every right to be angry, but it turns into deceit and murder.