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The NET Bible®
Genesis 34:12
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
Aske of me abundantly both dowrie and giftes, and I will giue as ye appoint me, so that ye giue me the maide to wife.
Ask me as much as you wish, both dowry and gifts, and I will give you according as you shall say to me; but give me this girl to wife.
Ask me a great amount for a dowry, and I will give whatever you ask of me, but give me the young lady as a wife."
I will give you any gift you want if you will only allow me to marry Dinah. I will give you anything you ask, but let me marry her."
Ask me for as great a bride-price and gift as you will, and I will give whatever you say to me. Only give me the young woman to be my wife."
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.
However great you make the bride-price and payment, I will give it; only let me have the girl for my wife.
Ask anything, no matter how expensive. I'll do anything, just let me marry Dinah."
Ask as large a bride-price as you like, I'll pay whatever you tell me. Just let me marry the girl."
Impose on me very much as dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say to me; but give me the maiden as wife.
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.'
Aske mee neuer so much dowrie and gift, and I will giue according as yee shall say vnto mee: but giue me the damsell to wife.
"Demand of me a very large bridal payment and gift [as compensation for giving up your daughter and sister], and I will give you whatever you tell me; only give me the girl to be my wife."
Multiply your demand of dowry very much, and I will give accordingly as ye shall say to me, only ye shall give me this damsel for a wife.
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.
Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!"
Make the bride price and gift as high as you like; I will give what you say to me. But give me the girl as a wife."
Heap on me ever so much bride-price and gift, and I will give as you say to me; but give me the girl for a wife.
Ask as much as you want for the payment for the bride, and I will give it to you. Just let me marry Dinah."
Ask me ever so much dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me; but give me the young woman as a wife."
No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will gladly pay it—just give me the girl as my wife."
Make your price and wedding gift as much as you want. I will give you as much as you ask. Only give me the girl to be my wife."
Heap on me, exceedingly, dowry and gift, and I will give, just as ye may say unto me, - but give me the young woman, to wife.
Raise the dowry, and ask gifts, and I will gladly give what you shall demand: only give me this damsel to wife.
Ask of me ever so much as marriage present and gift, and I will give according as you say to me; only give me the maiden to be my wife."
Tell me what presents you want, and set the payment for the bride as high as you wish; I will give you whatever you ask, if you will only let me marry her."
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.
encreesse ye the dower, and axe ye yiftis, Y schal yyue wilfull that that ye axen; oonli yyue ye this damysele a wijf to me.
multiply on me exceedingly dowry and gift, and I give as ye say unto me, and give to me the young person for a wife.'
Ask me a great amount for a dowry, and I will give whatever you ask of me, but give me the young lady as a wife."
Ask me ever so much dowry and gift, and I will give according to as you shall say to me: but give me the damsel as wife.
Ask me never so much dower and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say to me: but give me the damsel for a wife.
Aske freely of me both dowry and gyftes, and I wyll geue accordyng as ye say vnto me, so that ye geue me the damsell to wyfe.
Demand of me a high compensation and gift; I’ll give you whatever you ask me. Just give the girl to be my wife!”
requyre the dowrye and gift of me hardely, I wyll geue it acordinge as ye wyll axe, onely geue me the damsell to wife.
"Demand of me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give whatever you tell me; but give me the girl in marriage."
Put the marriage present and gift as high as you like, and I will give whatever you ask me; only give me the girl to be my wife."
"Ask me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give according as you say to me; but give me the girl in marriage."
Ask me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give according as you say to me; but give me the girl as a wife."
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Ask me: On the practice of purchasing wives, Deut. Lam. Roque says, "Properly speaking, a young man who would marry must purchase his wife; and fathers among the Arabs are never so happy as when they have many daughters. They form part of the riches of the house. Accordingly, when a young man would treat with a person whose daughter he is inclined to marry, he says to him, Will you give me your daughter for fifty sheep, for six camels, or for a dozen cows?' according to the rank of her family, and the circumstances of him who desires to marry her."
dowry: Genesis 24:53, Genesis 29:18, Genesis 31:41, Exodus 22:16, Exodus 22:17, Deuteronomy 22:28, Deuteronomy 22:29, 1 Samuel 18:25-27, 2 Samuel 3:14, Hosea 3:2, Matthew 14:17
Cross-References
Then he brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother.
Since Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel, he said, "I'll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel."
This was my lot for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave for you—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, but you changed my wages ten times!
Then we will give you our daughters to marry, and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people.
But if you do not agree to our terms by being circumcised, then we will take our sister and depart."
In three days, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and went to the unsuspecting city and slaughtered every male.
Jacob's sons killed them and looted the city because their sister had been violated.
They took their flocks, herds, and donkeys, as well as everything in the city and in the surrounding fields.
They captured as plunder all their wealth, all their little ones, and their wives, including everything in the houses.
David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth son of Saul with this demand: "Give me my wife Michal whom I acquired for a hundred Philistine foreskins."
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Ask me never so much dowry and gift,.... Or "multiply [them] exceedingly" i, fix them at as high a rate as may be thought fit; the "dowry" was what a man gave to a woman at her marriage; for in those times and countries, instead of a man having a portion with his wife, as with us in our times, he gave one to his wife, or to her parents for her; and especially in after times this was used, and became a law in Israel, in the case of a vitiated virgin, see Exodus 22:16; and "the gift" was either of jewels and clothes to the women, or of such like precious things to her brethren and friends, see Genesis 24:53;
and I will give according as ye shall say unto me; determine among yourselves whatever shall be the dowry and gift, and it shall be punctually observed:
but give me the damsel to wife; only agree to that, and I care not what is required of me.
i ×ר××-××× "multiplicate super me admodum", Drusius, Schmidt.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
- Dinahâs Dishonor
This chapter records the rape of Dinah and the revenge of her brothers.
Genesis 34:1-5
Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land. The Jewish doctors of a later period fix the marriageable age of a female at twelve years and a day. It is probable that Dinah was in her thirteenth year when she went out to visit the daughters of the land. Six or seven years, therefore, must have been spent by Jacob between Sukkoth, where he abode some time, and the neighborhood of Shekerm, where he had purchased a piece of ground. If we suppose Dinah to have been born in the same year with Joseph, who was in his seventeenth year at the time of his being sold as a bondslave Genesis 37:2, the events of this chapter must have occurred in the interval between the completion of her twelfth and that of her sixteenth year. âShekem.â This name is hereditary in the family, and had taken hold in the locality before the time of Abraham. The Hivite was a descendant of Kenaan. We find this tribe now occupying the district where the Kenaanite was in possession at a former period Genesis 12:6. âSpake to the heart of the damsel.â After having robbed her of her honor, he promises to recognize her as his wife, provided he can gain the consent of her relatives. âShekem spake unto his father Hamor.â He is in earnest about this matter. âJacob held his peace.â He was a stranger in the land, and surrounded by a flourishing tribe, who were evidently unscrupulous in their conduct.
Genesis 34:6-17
A conference takes place between the parties. Hamer and Jacob, the parents on both sides, are the principals in the negotiation. The sons of Jacob, being brothers of the injured damsel, are present, according to custom. âWrought fully in Israel;â a standing phrase from this time forward for any deed that was contrary to the sanctity which ought to characterize Godâs holy people. Israel is used here to designate the descendants of Israel, the special people. Hamer makes his proposal. âShekem, my son.â These words are a nominative pendent, for which âhis soulâ is substituted. He proposes a political alliance or amalgamation of the two tribes, to be sealed and actually effected by intermarriage. He offers to make them joint-possessors of the soil, and of the rights of dwelling, trading, and acquiring property. Shekem now speaks with becoming deference and earnestness.
He offers any amount of dowry, or bridal presents, and of gift to the mother and brothers of the bride. It must be acknowledged that the father and the son were disposed to make whatever amends they could for the grievous offence that had been committed. The sons of Jacob answer with deceit. They are burning with resentment of the wrong that âought not to have been done,â and that cannot now be fully repaired. Yet they are in presence of a superior force, and therefore, resort to deceit. âAnd spake.â This goes along with the previous verb âanswered,â and is meant to have the same qualification âwith deceit.â The last clause of the verse then assigns the cause of this deceitful dealing. Their speech, for the matter of it, is reasonable. They cannot intermarry with the uncircumcised. Only on condition that every male be circumcised will they consent. On these terms they promise to âbecome one peopleâ with them. Otherwise they take their daughter, and depart. Our daughter. They here speak as a family or race, and therefore, call Dinah their daughter, though her brothers are the speakers.
Genesis 34:18-24
Hamor and Shekem accept the terms, and immediately proceed to carry them into effect. It is testified of Shekem, that he delayed not to do the thing, and that he was more honorable than all his house. They bring the matter before their fellow-citizens, and urge them to adopt the rite of circumcision, on the ground that the men are peaceable, well-conducted, and they and their cattle and goods would be a valuable addition to the common wealth of their tribe. Hence, it appears that the population was still thin, that the neighboring territory was sufficient for a much larger number than its present occupants, and that a tribe found a real benefit in an accession to his numbers. The people were persuaded to comply with the terms proposed. There is nothing said here of the religious import of the rite, or of any diversity of worship that may have existed between the two parties. But it is not improbable that the Shekemites were prepared for mutual toleration, or even for the adoption of the religion of Israel in its external forms, though not perhaps to the exclusion of their own hereditary customs. It is also possible that the formal acknowledgment of the one true God was not yet extinct. Circumcision has been in use among the Egyptians, Colchians (Herodotus ii. 104), and other eastern nations; but when and how introduced we are not informed. The present narrative points out one way in which it may have spread from nation to nation.
Genesis 34:25-31
Simon and Levi, at the head no doubt of all their fatherâs men, now fall upon the Shekemites, when feverish with the circumcision, and put them to the sword. Simon and Levi were the sons of Leah, and therefore, full brothers of Dinah. If Dinah was of the same year as Joseph, they would be respectively seven and six years older than she was. If she was in her thirteenth year, they would therefore, be respectively in their twentieth and nineteenth years, and therefore, suited by age and passion for such an enterprise. All the sons of Jacob joined in the sacking of the city. They seized all their cattle and goods, and made captives of their wives and little ones. Jacob is greatly distressed by this outrage, which is equally contrary to his policy and his humanity. He sets before his sons, in this expostulation, the danger attendant upon such a proceeding. The âKenaanite and the Perizzite,â whom Abraham found in the land on his return from Egypt Genesis 13:7. âI am a few menâ - men of number that might easily be counted. I here denotes the family or tribe with all its dependents. When expanded, therefore, it is, âI and my house.â Simon and Levi have their reply. It justifies the retribution which has fallen on the Shekemites for this and all their other crimes. But it does not justify the executioners for taking the law into their own hands, or proceeding by fraud and indiscriminate slaughter. The employment of circumcision, too, which was the sign of the covenant of grace, as a means of deception, was a heinous aggravation of their offence.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Genesis 34:12. Ask me never so much dowry — Genesis 29:20; Genesis 29:20, c. See the law relative to this, Exodus 22:16-17.
