Genesis 34:14

Gen 34:14 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:

Ver. 14. That were a reproach unto us.] And yet the world reproached them with nothing more than with their circumcision; as it is to be seen in Horace, Juvenal, Tacitus. Appion scoffs at it, and is answered by Josephus. But, as he were a fool that would be mocked out of his inheritance; so he, much more, that would be mocked out of his religion. "Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor," saith David, "because the Lord is his refuge"; because he runs to God by prayer. But to show how little he regarded their reproaches, he falls presently a-praying, "Oh that the salvation of Israel," &c. {Psa 14:6-7} So Nazareth was a reproach cast upon Christ; and he glories in it: {Act 22:8} "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest." He saith not; I am the Son of God, heir of all things, King of the Church, &c.; but, "I am Jesus of Nazareth." "If this be to be vile," said David, "I will be yet more vile." {2Sa 6:22}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gen 34:14. We cannot give our sister to one who is uncircumcised — They were not prohibited from doing this by any law yet in force, as the examples of Isaac and Jacob show, who both married the daughters of uncircumcised persons; and therefore they do not here reject the proposal as simply unlawful, but only as dishonourable and reproachful. Religion is too often pleaded for the vilest practices.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They made the holy ordinance of God a means to compasse their wicked purpose.

As it is abomination for them that are baptized to join with Infidels.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 14. That were a reproach unto us] Because the uncircumcised were not in the covenant of God; and to have given an heiress of the promise to one who had no kind of right to its spiritual blessings, from whom might spring children who would naturally walk in the way of their father would have been absurd, reproachful and wicked. Thus far they were perfectly right; but to make this holy principle a cloak for their deceitful and murderous purposes, was the full sum of all wickedness.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

14. uncircumcised] The passage contains the interesting and early tradition, that circumcision was not practised by the Canaanite dwellers in Shechem. On the widespread prevalence of this rite, see note on ch. 15. In J and E, Israelite circumcision is specially connected with the names of Moses and Joshua (Exo_4:25; Jos_5:2). The peculiar treachery of Jacob’s sons is made to turn upon their insistence on the sacred national rite of circumcision. The condition which Shechem, in Gen_34:19 (J), undertakes to satisfy, is not explained, in view of E’s account (Gen_34:13-18).

a reproach] Compare the similar expression in Jos_5:9, where it appears that the Egyptians reproached the Israelites for their neglect of circumcision.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And they said unto them,.... Levi and Simeon, to Hamor and Shechem:

we cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; not that there was any law against it at that time; and there were, on the other hand, precedents for it both in Isaac and Jacob, who had married the daughters of uncircumcised persons; nor indeed do they plead any law, only that it was not becoming their character, nor agreeably to their religion, nor honourable in their esteem:

for that were a reproach unto us; and they should be reflected upon for slighting the institution of circumcision, which was of God: so they pretend it might be interpreted, should they enter into affinity with uncircumcised persons.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Abominable. To be uncircumcised, was a reproach among the Hebrews. Yet there was no law forbidding to marry such. Laban was of this description, and the Chanaanites also; whose daughters the sons of Jacob themselves espoused, at least Juda and this very Simeon, as the Scripture assures us.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

There was no such law yet in force, as the examples of Isaac and Jacob show, who married the daughters of uncircumcised persons; and therefore they do not here reject it as simply unlawful, but only as dishonourable and reproachful.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

They said to them

"Jacob's sons said to Shechem and Hamor"

We cannot do this thing, to give our sister

"We cannot agree to give Dinah in marriage"

for that would be a disgrace to us

"for that would cause us shame." Here "us" refers to Jacob's sons and all the people of Israel. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive "We")

give our daughters to you ... take your daughters to ourselves

This means they will allow a person from Jacob's family to marry a person who lives in Hamor's land.

translationWords

circumcise

circumcise

people group

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

חרפה הוא THAT WERE A DISGRACE — Amongst us it is somewhat of a blot on our pedigree, for if one wishes to revile another, he says to him: “You are an uncircumcised person”, or “the son of an uncircumcised person”. The word חרפה always means “reviling”.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

ויאמרו...כי חרפה היא לנו, to be intermarried with the uncircumcised, seeing that our males are all circumcised.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.