Genesis 34:30

Gen 34:30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I [being] few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

Ver. 30. Are have troubled me.] In mind and estate, {a} and many such trouble houses and trouble towns there are abroad. All places are full of them, and so is hell too. There God will trouble them another while, as he did Achan, {Jos 7:25} when he will show mercy to such Jacobs in whose families that is committed that they abhor.

I being few in, number.] So the saints were ever a little flock, a poor few to the many; jewels, nothing so much in bulk as lumber; strangers, few, in respect of home dwellers; sons of God, few, to common subjects. When Christ "came to his own, his own received him not." {Joh 1:12} He wondered at one good Nathanael, and set a "Behold" upon him, as a rare bird. {Joh 1:47}

{a} Cum in animo tum in rationibus. - Jun.

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 34:30. Ye have troubled me, to make me to stink — That is, you have rendered me and my family odious among the inhabitants of the land. Abraham and Isaac had been much respected, though strangers in the country, and their wise, righteous, and benevolent conduct, and that of their families, had gained honour to their religion: but Jacob was apprehensive, and not without reason, that these shameful proceedings of his sons would cause him and his religion to be execrated among these Canaanites, whose crimes they had exceeded. Well might he say, they had troubled him! Well might he always keep their conduct in remembrance and mention it with indignation on his death-bed, for nothing could be more treacherous, base, and cruel. I shall be destroyed, I and my house — Indeed, what else could he expect, but that, numerous and formidable as the Canaanites were, they would unite together against him, and that he and his little family would be an easy prey to them? He knew, indeed, that God had promised to preserve his house; but he might justly fear that these vile practices of his children would amount to a forfeiture, and cut off the entail. When sin is in the house, there is reason to fear ruin at the door.

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

34:30 Jacob responded again out of fear of what would happen to him, but God caused the people of this land to fear him instead (35:5).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, to be abhorred.

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

Jacob said . . . Ye have troubled me--This atrocious outrage perpetrated on the defenseless citizens and their families made the cup of Jacob's affliction overflow. We may wonder that, in speaking of it to his sons, he did not represent it as a heinous sin, an atrocious violation of the laws of God and man, but dwelt solely on the present consequences. It was probably because that was the only view likely to rouse the cold-blooded apathy, the hardened consciences of those ruffian sons. Nothing but the restraining power of God saved him and his family from the united vengeance of the people (compare Gen 35:5). All his sons had not been engaged in the massacre. Joseph was a boy, Benjamin not yet born, and the other eight not concerned in it. Simeon and Levi alone, with their retainers, had been the guilty actors in the bloody tragedy. But the Canaanites would not be discriminating in their vengeance; and if all the Shechemites were put to death for the offense of their chief's son, what wonder if the natives should extend their hatred to all the family of Jacob; and who probably equalled, in number, the inhabitants of that village.

Next: Genesis Chapter 35

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 30. Ye have troubled me] Brought my mind into great distress, and endangered my personal safety; to make me to stink-to render me odious to the surrounding tribes, so that there is every reason to suspect that when this deed is come abroad they will join in a confederacy against me, and extirpate my whole family. And had he not been under the peculiar protection of God, this in all human probability would have been the case; but he had prevailed with God, and he was also to prevail with men. That Jacob's resentment was not dissembled we have the fullest proof in his depriving these two sons of the birthright, which otherwise they had doubtless enjoyed. See Ge 49:5; Ge 49:7, where some additional circumstances are related.

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

30. And Jacob said. Moses declares that the crime was condemned by the holy man, lest any one should think that he had participated in their counsel. He also expostulates with his sons, because they had caused him to stink among the inhabitants of the land; that is, they had rendered him so odious, that no one would be able to bear him. If then the neighboring nations should conspire among themselves, he would be unable to resist them, seeing he had so small a band, in comparison with their great number. He also expressly names the Canaanites and Perizzites, who, though they had received no wrong, were yet by nature exceedingly prone to inflict injury. But Jacob may seem to act preposterously, in overlooking the offense committed against God, and in considering only his own danger. Why is he not rather angry at their cruelty? why is he not offended at their perfidy? why does he not reprove their rapaciousness? It is however probable, that when he saw them terror — stricken at their recent crime, he suited miswords to their state of mind. For he acts as if he were complaining that he, rather than the Shechemites, was slain by them. We know that men are seldom if ever drawn to repentance, except by the fear of punishment: especially when they have any specious pretext as a covering for their fault. Besides, we know not whether Moses may not have selected this as a part out of a long expostulation, to cause his readers to understand that the fury of Simon and Levi was so outrageous, that they were more insensible than brute beasts to their own destruction and that of their whole family. This is clear from their own answer, which not only breathes a barbarous ferocity, but shows that they had no feeling. It was barbarous, first, because they excuse themselves for having destroyed a whole people and plundered their city, on account of the injury done by one man; secondly, because they answer their father so shortly and contumaciously; thirdly, because they obstinately defend the revenge which they had rashly taken. Moreover, their insensibility was prodigious, because they were not affected by the thought of their own death, and that of their parents, wives, and children, which seemed just at hand. Thus we are taught, how intemperate anger deprives men of their senses. We are also admonished, that it is not enough for us to be able to lay blame on our opponents; but we must always see how far it is lawful for us to proceed.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(30) Ye have troubled me.—Jacob’s timidity led him to think first of the danger that would result from the conduct of his sons, and only afterwards of the cruelty and treacherousness of their deed. He commented upon this on his dying bed in words of fitting reprobation, but his reproof now is singularly weak, and the retort of his sons just. If the danger were all, this could have no weight when a shameful wrong had been done; but in avenging this wrong they had committed a crime of a deeper dye

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

30. And Jacob, &c.] This and the following verse continue the narrative of Gen_34:26. Jacob reproaches his two sons for the murder, on account of which the people of the land will be infuriated with Jacob and his house. Cf. Gen_49:5-7.

troubled] The same word used in the story of Achan (Jos_6:18; Jos_7:25; 1Ch_2:7). Jacob’s rebuke turns, not so much upon the dastardly treachery and cruelty of his sons, as upon the evil effects it will produce, and upon the insecurity it will bring upon himself and his house.

make me to stink] A common Heb. metaphor: cf. Exo_5:21 (“make savour to be abhorred”); 1Sa_13:4 (“had in abomination”), Gen_27:12 (“made … abhor”); 1Ch_19:6 (“made … odious”).

the Canaanites and the Perizzites] See note on Gen_13:7.

being few in number] Cf. 1Ch_16:19.

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,.... Simeon and Levi, in a very pert and unseemly manner:

should he deal with our sister as with an harlot? make a whore of her, and then keep her in his house as such? is this to be borne with? or should we take no more notice of his behaviour to our sister, or show no more regard to her than if she was a common prostitute, whom no man will defend or protect? so say the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem,"nor let Shechem the son of Hamor mock at us, or boast and say, as an harlot whom no man seeks after, or no man seeks to avenge her; so it is done by Dinah the daughter of Jacob:''they tacitly insinuate as if Jacob had not that regard for the honour of his daughter and family, and showed his resentment at the wicked behaviour of Shechem, as he ought to have done. It is observed that there is a letter in the word for "harlot" greater than usual, which may either denote the greatness of the sin of Shechem in dealing with Dinah as an harlot, or the great impudence and boldness of Jacob's sons, in their answer to him, and their audaciousness in justifying such baseness and cruelty they had been guilty of. The whole of this history, as related in this chapter, is given by Polyhistor out of Theodotus the poet (q).

(q) Apud Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 9. c. 22. p. 427, &c.

Next: Genesis Chapter 35

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

You have not only discomposed my mind, but perplexed my affairs, and brought me into such troubles and dangers as I am never likely to escape. You have made me odious to

the inhabitants of the land, who will impute this perfidious and bloody fact to my contrivance.

Few in number; Heb. men of number, i.e. few; for such can easily be numbered. So this phrase is used Deu 4:27; 33:6, opposite to which are men without number, 2Ch 12:3.

They shall slay me: he could expect no other in human reason, and they were hindered from so doing only by the hand of the great God smiting them with terror, Gen 35:5.

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

30. Jacob said to Simeon and Levi — His words of reproof partake here largely of worldly policy and prudence. He fears the bad odour in which he will be held by his Canaanitish neighbours, and the danger of their combining together to destroy him. But in the inspiration of his dying psalm, when utterly lifted above all earthly policies and dangers, he cursed the wrath and anger which prompted the bitter cruelties at Shechem.

Gen_49:5-7.

I being few in number — Hebrews, I, males of number; that is, the males of my family, capable of fighting, are so few as to be easily numbered.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me (i.e. brought trouble upon me) to make me to stink or, to cause me to become hateful; mishton me pepoihkate (LXX)among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: (vide Gen_13:7) and I (sc. with my attendants) being few in number, literally, men of number, i.e. that can be easily numbered, a small band (cf. Deu_4:27 Psa_105:12; Jer_44:28) they (literally, and they) shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. That Jacob should have spoken to his sons only of his own danger, and not of their guilt, has been ascribed to his belief that this was the only motive which their carnal minds could understand (Keil, Gerlach); to a remembrance of his own deceitfulness, which disqualified him in a measure from being the censor of his sons (Kalisch, Wordsworth); to the lowered moral and spiritual tone of his own mind (Candlish, "Speaker"s Commentary"); to the circumstance that, having indulged his children in their youth, be was now afraid to reprove them (Inglis). That Jacob afterwards attained to a proper estimate of their bloody deed his last prophetic utterance reveals. (Gen_49:5-7) By some it is supposed that he even now felt the crime in all its heinousness (Kalisch), though his reproach was somewhat leniently expressed in the word "trouble" (Lange); while others, believing Jacob"s abhorrence of his sons" fanatical cruelty to have been deep and real, account for its omission by the historian on the ground that he aimed merely at showing the protection of God, (Gen_35:5) through which Jacob escaped the evil consequences of their conduct" (Hengstenberg, Kurtz).

HOMILIES BY J.F. MONTGOMERY Ver. 30.

Anger unrestrained.

Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me." It was not merely the fear of retaliation by neighboring tribes. He felt the act was; (Gen_49:5-7) God"s blessing could not rest upon it; (cf. Psa_34:7) and he and his family were involved in that wrong (cf. Jos_7:13; 1Co_12:26) But was not the anger of Simeon and Levi just? No doubt there was cause, and no doubt a measure of righteous indignation. But

(1) they thought more of the wrong against themselves than of the gin against God (ver. 31).

(2) Their anger was unrestrained by mercy, or even by justice (ver. 25).

(3) It led them into acts of sin deceit, murder, robbery.

(4) It was soiled by selfish gain (ver. 27). Anger may be right; but need of special, watchfulness. (Eph_4:26) For under its influence the heart is not in a state fitted to judge; and much danger of self-deception, of mistaking a selfish for a godly anger.

I A JUST CAUSE FOR ANGER DOES NOT EXCUSE ITS EXCESS. Anger may be called for

(1) as a protest against wrong;

(2) to deter others from wrong.

But vengeance, retribution, belongs to God. (Rom_12:19) He alone has the knowledge to apportion it, looking both to the past and to the future. But anger tempts to retaliation. (Mat_5:38) The wrong fills the mind. Our own errors and acts of wrong, (cf. Joh_8:7) and the plea, Thine anger brings harm to the innocent, are unheeded. The fact that there was cause for anger blinds to its real nature; for unrestrained anger is in truth an offering to self-love. The plea of zeal for right and of godly indignation may seem sincere; but "ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

II A JUST CAUSE FOR ANGER DOES NOT EXCUSE WRONGDOING. God"s laws cannot be set aside. And he who takes on himself the office of judge should be especially watchful not to transgress. (Psa_37:3) To do wrong on the plea of doing God"s work is to distrust his providential care. (Rom_12:19-21) It is to do evil that good may come; a form of being drawn aside by our own lusts (cf. 1Sa_24:7 1Sa_26:9) Such acts of wrong are especially evil in Christians. They are "a city set on a hill." Men are ever ready to point to their errors as excusing their own. Men see and judge the act, but cannot estimate the provocation, or, it may be, the sorrow, for a hasty action.

III WORKS DONE IN ANGER HINDER THE WORK OF THE CHURCH. That work is to draw men together in one. (Joh_17:21) The power by which this is done is love. The love of Christ reflected in us. (1Jn_4:7) Love wins men"s hearts, reason only their minds. And the presence of anger hinders love; not merely in him against whom it is directed; like a stone thrown into still water, it disturbs its surface far and wide.

IV THE POWER BY WHICH ANGER MUST BE CONTROLLED. Dwelling on the work and example of Christ. He bore all for us. Is not wrath rebuked in the presence of his patience? And if as a "strange work" we are constrained to indignation, must we not watch and pray that no selfish feeling may mingle with it; and, knowing in how many things we offend, that we be "slow to wrath," ready to forgive, and ever "looking unto Jesus"? M.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ye have troubled me, to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land - That is, You have rendered my family odious among them. And what could be expected but that the Canaanites, who were numerous and formidable, would confederate against him, and he and his little family would become an easy prey to them? I shall be destroyed, I and my house - Jacob knew indeed that God had promised to preserve his house; but he might justly fear that these vile practices of his children would amount to a forfeiture, and cut off the entail. When sin is in the house, there is reason to fear ruin at the door.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Jacob reproved the originators of this act most severely for their wickedness: "Ye have brought me into trouble (conturbare), to make me stink (an abomination) among the inhabitants of the land;...and yet I (with my attendants) am a company that can be numbered (lit., people of number, easily numbered, a small band, Deu 4:27, cf. Isa 10:19); and if they gather together against me, they will slay me," etc. If Jacob laid stress simply upon the consequences which this crime was likely to bring upon himself and his house, the reason was, that this was the view most adapted to make an impression upon his sons. For his last words concerning Simeon and Levi (Gen 49:5-7) are a sufficient proof that the wickedness of their conduct was also an object of deep abhorrence. And his fear was not groundless. Only God in His mercy averted all the evil consequences from Jacob and his house (Gen 35:5-6). But his sons answered, "Are they to treat our sister like a harlot?" עשׂה: as in Lev 16:15, etc. Their indignation was justifiable enough; and their seeking revenge, as Absalom avenged the violation of his sister on Amnon (Sa2 13:22.), was in accordance with the habits of nomadic tribes. In this way, for example, seduction is still punished by death among the Arabs, and the punishment is generally inflicted by the brothers (cf. Niebuhr, Arab. p. 39; Burckhardt, Syr. p. 361, and Beduinen, p. 89, 224-5). In addition to this, Jacob's sons looked upon the matter not merely as a violation of their sister's chastity, but as a crime against the peculiar vocation of their tribe. But for all that, the deception they practised, the abuse of the covenant sign of circumcision as a means of gratifying their revenge, and the extension of that revenge to the whole town, together with the plundering of the slain, were crimes deserving of the strongest reprobation. The crafty character of Jacob degenerated into malicious cunning in Simeon and Levi; and jealousy for the exalted vocation of their family, into actual sin. This event "shows us in type all the errors into which the belief in the pre-eminence of Israel was sure to lead in the course of history, whenever that belief was rudely held by men of carnal minds" (O. v. Gerlach).

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

brought trouble on me

Causing someone to experience trouble is spoken of as if trouble were an object that is brought and placed on a person. AT: "caused great problems for me" (See: Metaphor)

to make me stink to the inhabitants of the land

Causing the people in the surrounding areas to hate Jacob is spoken of as if Jacob's sons made him smell bad physically. This can be translated as a new sentence. AT: "You have made me repulsive to the people who live in the land" (See: Metaphor)

I am few in number ... against me and attack me, then I will be destroyed, I and my household

Here the words "I" and "me" refer to all of Jacob's household. Jacob only says "I" or "me" since he is the leader. AT: "My household is small ... against us and attack us, then they will destroy all of us" (See: Synecdoche)

gather themselves together against me and attack me

"form an army and attack me" or "form an army and attack us"

then I will be destroyed

This can be stated in active form. AT: "they will destroy me" or "they will destroy us" (See: Active or Passive)

Should Shechem have dealt with our sister as with a prostitute?

Simeon and Levi use a question to emphasize that Shechem did what was wrong and deserved to die. AT: "Shechem should not have treated our sister as if she were a prostitute!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

translationWords

Jacob

Simeon

Levi

Canaan

Perizzite

household

Shechem

prostitute

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

עכרתם YE HAVE TROUBLED ME — This has the same meaning as (Berakhot 25b) “troubled (עכורים) waters” (i.e. waters that are disturbed, not clear). He meant “Now my mind will never be clear (without worry)”. There is an Agada, (Genesis Rabbah 80:12) “He said: the wine in the cask was clear but you have troubled it”. The Canaanites had a tradition that they would fall by the hands of the sons of Jacob, but they thought that this would happen only when the condition was fulfilled as expressed in the verse (Exodus 23:30) “when thou shalt in-crease, then shalt thou inherit the land”; consequently they had been silent until now (i.e. they had not attacked them).

מתי מספר means A FEW MEN.

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.

ויאמר...עכרתם, an expression meaning “destruction.” The word is used in this sense in Samuel I 14,29 עכר אבי את הארץ, “my father has destroyed the land.” [I do not see this meaning in the root עכר either here or in Samuel. I would translate it more appropriately as “confused, caused confusion. Ed.]

להבאשני, to cause me shame. The Canaanites in the region will despise me and try to remove me from the district as one removes a person who exudes a putrid stench. Yaakov reacted in the time-honoured fashion of being afraid, almost a trademark of his, whereas his sons were stout-hearted men willing to avenge the shame inflicted upon their very personalities.

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.