The Meaning of Genesis 34:13 Explained

Genesis 34:13

KJV: And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:

YLT: And the sons of Jacob answer Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and they speak (because he defiled Dinah their sister),

Darby: And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and spoke because he had defiled Dinah their sister --

ASV: And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with guile, and spake, because he had defiled Dinah their sister,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the sons  of Jacob  answered  Shechem  and Hamor  his father  deceitfully,  and said,  because he had defiled  Dinah  their sister: 

What does Genesis 34:13 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 34:1-17 - Jacob With The Shechemites
Jacob was tempted by the fat pastures of Shechem, without thought or care of the character of its people, and he lived to bitterly rue his choice. How many religious parents have made the same mistake! They first encamp near the world, pitching their tent doors in that direction; then they buy a parcel of land, and finally their children contract alliances that end in shame and disaster. He who came of a pilgrim race, and to whom the whole land had been given by promise, bought real estate right against Shechem, one of the worst cities in the country. Like Lot, Jacob bid high for wealth and worldly advancement, risked the highest for the lowest, and was saved as by fire. Poor Dinah! Yet she was more sinned against than sinning. Jacob had put her in jeopardy by his selfish policy; and Leah was not blameless, for she had let her go unwarned and unaccompanied into the middle of that furnace of trial. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 34

1  Dinah is ravished by Shechem
4  He requests to marry her
13  The sons of Jacob offer the condition of circumcision to the Shechemites
20  Hamor and Shechem persuade them to accept it
25  The sons of Jacob upon that advantage slay them, and spoil their city
30  Jacob reproves Simeon and Levi

What do the individual words in Genesis 34:13 mean?

But answered the sons of Jacob - Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully and spoke because he had defiled - Dinah their sister
וַיַּעֲנ֨וּ בְנֵֽי־ יַעֲקֹ֜ב אֶת־ שְׁכֶ֨ם וְאֶת־ חֲמ֥וֹר אָבִ֛יו בְּמִרְמָ֖ה וַיְדַבֵּ֑רוּ אֲשֶׁ֣ר טִמֵּ֔א אֵ֖ת דִּינָ֥ה אֲחֹתָֽם

וַיַּעֲנ֨וּ  But  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
בְנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יַעֲקֹ֜ב  of  Jacob 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שְׁכֶ֨ם  Shechem 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁכֶם 
Sense: son of Hamor, the chieftain of the Hivites at Shechem at the time of Jacob’s arrival.
חֲמ֥וֹר  Hamor 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֲמֹור  
Sense: the Hivite prince of the city of Shechem when Jacob entered Palestine.
אָבִ֛יו  his  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
בְּמִרְמָ֖ה  deceitfully 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִרְמָה  
Sense: deceit, treachery.
וַיְדַבֵּ֑רוּ  and  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  because 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
טִמֵּ֔א  he  had  defiled 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.
אֵ֖ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
דִּינָ֥ה  Dinah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: דִּינָה  
Sense: daughter of Jacob by Leah, full sister of Simeon and Levi.
אֲחֹתָֽם  their  sister 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָחֹות  
Sense: sister.