The Meaning of Genesis 34:2 Explained

Genesis 34:2

KJV: And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.

YLT: and Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite, a prince of the land, seeth her, and taketh her, and lieth with her, and humbleth her;

Darby: And when Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and humbled her.

ASV: And Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her; And he took her, and lay with her, and humbled her.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when Shechem  the son  of Hamor  the Hivite,  prince  of the country,  saw  her, he took  her, and lay  with her, and defiled her. 

What does Genesis 34:2 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 34:2 mean?

And when saw her Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite prince of the country then he took and lay with her and violated her
וַיַּ֨רְא אֹתָ֜הּ שְׁכֶ֧ם בֶּן־ חֲמ֛וֹר הַֽחִוִּ֖י נְשִׂ֣יא הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּקַּ֥ח וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב אֹתָ֖הּ וַיְעַנֶּֽהָ

וַיַּ֨רְא  And  when  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֹתָ֜הּ  her 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person feminine singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שְׁכֶ֧ם  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.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
חֲמ֛וֹר  of  Hamor 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֲמֹור  
Sense: the Hivite prince of the city of Shechem when Jacob entered Palestine.
הַֽחִוִּ֖י  the  Hivite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חִוִּי  
Sense: 6th generation of descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham, who were living in northern Canaan near Mount Hermon at the time of the conquest.
נְשִׂ֣יא  prince 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נָשִׂיא 
Sense: one lifted up, chief, prince, captain, leader.
הָאָ֑רֶץ  of  the  country 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַיִּקַּ֥ח  then  he  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב  and  lay  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁכַב  
Sense: to lie down.
אֹתָ֖הּ  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
וַיְעַנֶּֽהָ  and  violated  her 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: עָנָה 
Sense: (Qal) to be occupied, be busied with.