The Meaning of Genesis 34:21 Explained

Genesis 34:21

KJV: These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.

YLT: These men are peaceable with us; then let them dwell in the land, and trade in it; and the land, lo, is wide before them; their daughters let us take to ourselves for wives, and our daughters give to them.

Darby: These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade in it. And the land behold, it is of wide extent before them. We will take their daughters as wives, and give them our daughters.

ASV: These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for, behold, the land is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

These men  [are] peaceable  with  us; therefore let them dwell  in the land,  and trade  therein; for the land,  behold, [it is] large  enough  for them;  let us take  their daughters  to us for wives,  and let us give  them our daughters. 

What does Genesis 34:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 34:18-31 - Jacob's Sons Spoil The Shechemites
It is not easy to steer our family life amid the rocks and quicksands of present-day worldliness; but we shall not prosper by using the world's weapons of duplicity and craft. The true way is to make our homes so attractive that our children will not be tempted to court the alliances that are offered by those whose only portion is in this life. Our Ruths would not leave our fields if we dropped more handfuls on purpose for them. The treachery of these two brethren was absolutely inexcusable. On his dying-bed Jacob reverted to it, and pronounced their scattering in Israel. Though Levi undid that curse by his obedience and devotion, Simeon seems to have made no effort in that direction, and soon became as water absorbed by the desert-sands. But see Revelation 7:7. What an awful thing it is when our conduct is such as to make religion offensive to those who observe our behavior, Genesis 34:30. [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 34:21 mean?

men these at peace are with us therefore let them dwell in the land and trade in it for the land [is] indeed large enough For them - their daughters let us take to us as wives and our daughters let us give them
הָאֲנָשִׁ֨ים הָאֵ֜לֶּה שְֽׁלֵמִ֧ים הֵ֣ם אִתָּ֗נוּ וְיֵשְׁב֤וּ בָאָ֙רֶץ֙ וְיִסְחֲר֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ וְהָאָ֛רֶץ הִנֵּ֥ה רַֽחֲבַת־ יָדַ֖יִם לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם אֶת־ בְּנֹתָם֙ נִקַּֽח־ לָ֣נוּ לְנָשִׁ֔ים וְאֶת־ בְּנֹתֵ֖ינוּ נִתֵּ֥ן לָהֶֽם

הָאֲנָשִׁ֨ים  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הָאֵ֜לֶּה  these 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
שְֽׁלֵמִ֧ים  at  peace 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: שָׁלֵם  
Sense: complete, safe, peaceful, perfect, whole, full, at peace.
אִתָּ֗נוּ  with  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
וְיֵשְׁב֤וּ  therefore  let  them  dwell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בָאָ֙רֶץ֙  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וְיִסְחֲר֣וּ  and  trade 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: סָחַר  
Sense: to go around, go about, travel about in, go about in trade.
אֹתָ֔הּ  in  it 
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.
וְהָאָ֛רֶץ  for  the  land  [is] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
הִנֵּ֥ה  indeed 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
רַֽחֲבַת־  large 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular construct
Root: רָחָב  
Sense: broad, wide.
יָדַ֖יִם  enough 
Parse: Noun, fd
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם  For  them 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
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.
בְּנֹתָם֙  their  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
נִקַּֽח־  let  us  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
לָ֣נוּ  to  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
לְנָשִׁ֔ים  as  wives 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
בְּנֹתֵ֖ינוּ  our  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
נִתֵּ֥ן  let  us  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.

What are the major concepts related to Genesis 34:21?

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