Shechem (Son of Hamor)

Biblical Account

Shechem was the son of Hamor the Hivite and "prince of the country" (Genesis 34:2). He bore the same name as Shechem, a town in central Canaan. Scripture also mentions another man of the same name, Shechem, a descendant of Gilead of the tribe of Manasseh (Numbers 26:31), who is distinct from the subject of this article.

When Jacob returned from Padan-aram, he pitched his tent before the city of Shechem. He then bought the parcel of field there "at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money" (Genesis 33:18-19).

According to Genesis 34, when Dinah, the daughter of Leah, went out to see the daughters of the land, Shechem saw her, took her, and violated her (34:1-2). The text then states that "his soul clave unto Dinah" and that "he loved the damsel." Shechem asked his father to obtain Dinah for him as his wife (34:3-4). Hamor proposed that the two households intermarry and dwell together in the land, and Shechem offered to give whatever dowry and gift might be asked (34:8-12).

Jacob's sons answered deceitfully, saying that they would consent to the marriage only if every male in the city of Shechem were circumcised (34:13-17). Shechem, who "was more honourable than all the house of his father," accepted the condition without delay (34:19). Hamor and Shechem persuaded the men of their city at the gate, and all the males were circumcised (34:20-24). On the third day Simeon and Levi attacked the city and killed the males. Hamor and Shechem were also slain, and the two brothers took Dinah out of Shechem's house (34:25-26).

Significance Within Scripture

After this incident Jacob rebuked Simeon and Levi (Genesis 34:30). Before his death Jacob again censured the anger of these two sons (Genesis 49:5-7). The land that Jacob had bought from the children of Hamor later became the burial place of the bones of Joseph (Joshua 24:32).

In Judges 9:28, Gaal speaks of "the men of Hamor the father of Shechem." The New Testament contains no passage that deals with this figure directly. The sermon of Stephen (Acts 7:16) mentions "the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem"; whether "Shechem" there refers to a person or a place is read differently depending on the manuscript and translation. "The parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph" in John 4:5 is commonly understood as referring to this same land.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

• Opinions differ on how to characterize Shechem's act. The Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Revised Version render it as "rape," but scholars debate the meaning of the Hebrew expression. Because the text goes on to describe Shechem's love for Dinah and his proposal of marriage, interpreters also differ on how he should be evaluated.
• Whether the retaliation of Simeon and Levi was justified is likewise disputed. One view sees their action as a defense of their sister's honor (34:31); another regards it as deceit and excessive violence (49:5-7).
• An interpretation that blames Dinah, holding that the incident occurred because she "went out," has been handed down in parts of the Jewish and Christian traditions. The text itself does not evaluate Dinah's conduct, nor does it record any words of her own.
• Some scholars note that the man Shechem and the town of Shechem share the same name, and they sometimes read the story as reflecting relations between the ancestors of Israel and the inhabitants of the Shechem region.

In the Korean Church

Shechem is rarely treated as a subject in his own right in sermons or Sunday school. Genesis 34 is usually read as one episode within the Jacob narrative and is often preached together with the following chapter, in which God tells Jacob to go up to Bethel (35:1).