The Meaning of Genesis 34:7 Explained

Genesis 34:7

KJV: And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done.

YLT: and the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard, and the men grieve themselves, and it is very displeasing to them, for folly he hath done against Israel, to lie with the daughter of Jacob -- and so it is not done.

Darby: And the sons of Jacob came from the fields when they heard it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had wrought what was disgraceful in Israel, in lying with Jacob's daughter, which thing ought not to be done.

ASV: And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the sons  of Jacob  came  out of the field  when they heard  [it]: and the men  were grieved,  and they were very  wroth,  because he had wrought  folly  in Israel  in lying  with Jacob's  daughter;  which thing ought not to be done. 

What does Genesis 34:7 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 34:7 mean?

And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard [it] And were grieved the men and angry - very because an outrage he had committed in Israel by lying with with the daughter of Jacob and this thing not ought to be done
וּבְנֵ֨י יַעֲקֹ֜ב בָּ֤אוּ מִן־ הַשָּׂדֶה֙ כְּשָׁמְעָ֔ם וַיִּֽתְעַצְּבוּ֙ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים וַיִּ֥חַר לָהֶ֖ם מְאֹ֑ד כִּֽי־ נְבָלָ֞ה עָשָׂ֣ה בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לִשְׁכַּב֙ אֶת־ בַּֽת־ יַעֲקֹ֔ב וְכֵ֖ן לֹ֥א יֵעָשֶֽׂה

וּבְנֵ֨י  And  the  sons 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, 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.
בָּ֤אוּ  came  in 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הַשָּׂדֶה֙  the  field 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
כְּשָׁמְעָ֔ם  when  they  heard  [it] 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
וַיִּֽתְעַצְּבוּ֙  And  were  grieved 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָצַב 
Sense: to hurt, pain, grieve, displease, vex, wrest.
הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים  the  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וַיִּ֥חַר  and  angry 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָרָה  
Sense: to be hot, furious, burn, become angry, be kindled.
לָהֶ֖ם  - 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
מְאֹ֑ד  very 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
כִּֽי־  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
נְבָלָ֞ה  an  outrage 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְבָלָה  
Sense: senselessness, folly.
עָשָׂ֣ה  he  had  committed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  in  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
לִשְׁכַּב֙  by  lying  with 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁכַב  
Sense: to lie down.
בַּֽת־  the  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
יַעֲקֹ֔ב  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.
וְכֵ֖ן  and  this  thing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
יֵעָשֶֽׂה  ought  to  be  done 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.