The Meaning of Genesis 34:30 Explained

Genesis 34:30

KJV: 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.

YLT: And Jacob saith unto Simeon and unto Levi, 'Ye have troubled me, by causing me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanite, and among the Perizzite: and I am few in number, and they have been gathered against me, and have smitten me, and I have been destroyed, I and my house.'

Darby: And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me, in that ye make me odious among the inhabitants of the land among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and I am few men in number, and they will gather themselves against me and smite me, and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

ASV: And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and, I being few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and smite me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 34:30 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 34:30 mean?

And said Jacob to Simeon and Levi You have troubled me by making me repugnant among the inhabitants of the land among the Canaanite and the Perizzites since I [am] few in number if they unite against me and attack me then I shall be destroyed I and my household
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֜ב אֶל־ שִׁמְע֣וֹן וְאֶל־ לֵוִי֮ עֲכַרְתֶּ֣ם אֹתִי֒ לְהַבְאִישֵׁ֙נִי֙ בְּיֹשֵׁ֣ב הָאָ֔רֶץ בַּֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י וּבַפְּרִזִּ֑י וַאֲנִי֙ מְתֵ֣י מִסְפָּ֔ר וְנֶאֶסְפ֤וּ עָלַי֙ וְהִכּ֔וּנִי וְנִשְׁמַדְתִּ֖י אֲנִ֥י וּבֵיתִֽי

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יַעֲקֹ֜ב  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.
שִׁמְע֣וֹן  Simeon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שִׁמְעֹון  
Sense: the 2nd son of Jacob by his wife Leah and progenitor of the tribe of Simeon.
לֵוִי֮  Levi 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵוִי 
Sense: the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah and progenitor of tribe of Levites.
עֲכַרְתֶּ֣ם  You  have  troubled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: עָכַר  
Sense: to trouble, stir up, disturb, make (someone) taboo.
אֹתִי֒  me 
Parse: Direct object marker, first person common singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
לְהַבְאִישֵׁ֙נִי֙  by  making  me  repugnant 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, first person common singular
Root: בָּאַשׁ  
Sense: to have a bad smell, stink, smell bad.
בְּיֹשֵׁ֣ב  among  the  inhabitants 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
בַּֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י  among  the  Canaanite 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כִּנְעָן 
Sense: descendant of inhabitant of Canaan n.
וּבַפְּרִזִּ֑י  and  the  Perizzites 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פְּרִזִּי  
Sense: a people who inhabited southern Canaan prior to the conquest.
וַאֲנִי֙  since  I  [am] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
מְתֵ֣י  few 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מֹת 
Sense: male, man.
מִסְפָּ֔ר  in  number 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִסְפָּר  
Sense: number, tale.
וְנֶאֶסְפ֤וּ  if  they  unite 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָסַף 
Sense: to gather, receive, remove, gather in.
עָלַי֙  against  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וְהִכּ֔וּנִי  and  attack  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural, first person common singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
וְנִשְׁמַדְתִּ֖י  then  I  shall  be  destroyed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַד  
Sense: to destroy, exterminate, be destroyed, be exterminated.
וּבֵיתִֽי  and  my  household 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.