Texts in Conversation
Genesis 34 says Shechem clings to Dinah after assaulting her, using the same language for a man uniting with his wife in Genesis 2. This creates an ironic contrast between the ideal bond in Genesis 2 and Shechem’s harmful behavior.
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Genesis 2:24
Hebrew Bible
23 Then the man said, “This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and unites with his wife, and they become one family. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, but they were not ashamed.
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Genesis 34:3
Hebrew Bible
2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who ruled that area, saw her, he grabbed her, forced himself on her, and sexually assaulted her. 3 Then he became very attached to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. He fell in love with the young woman and spoke romantically to her. 4 Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Acquire this young girl as my wife.”
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... We can move to observe such connections in passages that are more widely separated but still within Genesis. For example, when the first male is drawn to the first female, we are informed that “on account of this a man ... clings to his woman” (Genesis 2:24). Later comes the story in which Shechem is intimate with Dinah. Whether it is a rape, a seduction, or some other inappropriate sexual conduct, Shechem then finds afterward that “his soul clung to Dinah” (Genesis 34:3). The phenomenon that is formulated at Eden becomes the necessary motivation of the action and outcome at Shechem ..."
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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