Genesis 34: Group Study Handout

How to use: read Genesis 34 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.

Overview

Genesis chapter 34 recounts the troubling story of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, who went out to visit the city of Shechem. There, she was seized and violated by Shechem, the son of the local prince. Following this traumatic event, Shechem fell in love with Dinah and sought to marry her, leading to a negotiation between his father Hamor and Jacob's sons.

Key verse

“then will we give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. But if you will not listen to us, to be circumcised, then we will take our sister, and we will be gone.”
Genesis 34:16-17 (WEB)

Outline

Genesis 34:1–2 Dinah's Visit to Shechem
Genesis 34:3–5 Shechem's Love and Request
Genesis 34:6–14 Negotiation for Marriage
Genesis 34:15–24 The Deceitful Agreement
Genesis 34:25–29 The Vengeful Attack
Genesis 34:30–31 Jacob's Dismay and Sons' Justification

Discussion questions

In v2, what action does Shechem take toward Dinah?
What do Jacob's sons mean by 'a thing ought not to be done' in v7?
In v13, why do Jacob's sons respond to Shechem with deceit?
Simeon and Levi's actions in vv. 25-26 raise questions about what type of justice?
When has a protective impulse led you to act in a way you later questioned?

Go deeper

Passages that echo Genesis 34: Genesis 49, 2 Samuel 13, Genesis 29.

Before next time: read Genesis 35.