1 Chapter a Day’s take
5-7 Jacob heard that Shechem had raped his daughter Dinah, but his sons were out in the fields with the livestock so he didn’t say anything until they got home. Hamor, Shechem’s father, went to Jacob to work out marriage arrangements. Meanwhile Jacob’s sons on their way back from the fields heard what had happened. They were outraged, explosive with anger. Shechem’s rape of Jacob’s daughter was intolerable in Israel and not to be put up with.
The fact that the last sentence of verse 7 indicates that it was against the law of Israel’s clan to rape a woman and the fact that Jacob did not try to get justice for Dinah immediately in verse 5 indicate that in the Hivite culture, it was most likely not against the law to rape a woman. Unfortunately, many cultures throughout history have not respected women. But God made it clear to his people that a woman is not be treated this way, but is to be treated with honor and respect. From the very beginning of creation, when God made Eve and presented her to Adam, God made it clear that she was not like the animals, but she was Adam’s helper and companion (Genesis 2:18). Like him. His equal. God loves and values women just as much as men.
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