Genesis 34:1-10: a reflection

1Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. He took her, lay with her, and humbled her. 3His soul joined to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young lady, and spoke kindly to the young lady. 4Shechem spoke to his father, Hamor, saying, “Get me this young lady as a wife.” 5Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah, his daughter; and his sons were with his livestock in the field. Jacob held his peace until they came. 6Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to talk with him. 7The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. The men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had done folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter, a thing that ought not to be done. 8Hamor talked with them, saying, “The soul of my son, Shechem, longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife. 9Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. 10You shall dwell with us, and the land will be before you. Live and trade in it, and get possessions in it.”

This is a painful chapter. Dinah, Jacob's daughter, is violated by Shechem, a grievous wrong; and when her brothers hear of it, they are filled with grief and anger, for a shameful thing had been done. Their grief and anger were right; a real and terrible wrong had been committed. But the story that unfolds from here, though not in these verses, shows their anger turning into a treacherous and violent revenge that went far beyond justice, and brought further ruin.

Notice both the rightness of their grief and anger, and the danger that lay ahead. A genuine wrong had been done, and it was right to grieve and to be angry at it; God is not indifferent to such wrongs, and neither should we be. But the account, read to its end, shows how even justified anger over a real wrong can curdle into a destructive revenge that becomes a new evil. Their legitimate outrage did not stay within the bounds of justice; it became treachery and slaughter.

That is a hard but important lesson. When a real wrong is done to us or to those we love, grief and anger are right; we are not called to be indifferent to genuine evil. But we are warned against letting even justified anger drive us into a destructive revenge that becomes a new wrong. The line between righteous anger and sinful vengeance is one we can easily cross. When you are wronged, do not suppress the rightful grief and anger; but do not let them consume you or drive you to a revenge that becomes its own evil. Entrust justice to God, who judges rightly, rather than taking a vengeance that, however justified it feels, may become a wrong as great as the one you suffered.

Lord, this painful chapter tells of a grievous wrong done to Dinah, and of her brothers' grief and anger, which were right; but the story shows their anger turning into a destructive revenge that became a new evil. Teach me from it. When a real wrong is done to me or to those I love, grief and anger are right; you are not indifferent to genuine evil, and neither should I be. But guard me against letting even justified anger drive me into a destructive revenge that becomes a new wrong. The line between righteous anger and sinful vengeance is one I can easily cross. When I am wronged, help me not to suppress the rightful grief and anger, but also not to let them consume me or drive me to a revenge that becomes its own evil. Help me entrust justice to you, who judge rightly, rather than take a vengeance that, however justified it feels, may become a wrong as great as the one I suffered. Keep my anger from becoming sin.