Genesis Chapter 34 v.1-31

Here's a heartwarming tale:

Dinah was Jacob and Leah's daughter. When he settled down in Succoth to avoid following his brother home, Dinah went out to make friends with the women of the town there. While she was wandering around, presumably unescorted, she was raped by the son of the ruler of that area, Shechem (son of Hamor). Also, he spoke tenderly to her. I dunno.

Well, that sucks. What sucks worse, perhaps, is that Shechem then asked his father if he could keep her. As his wife.

When Jacob first heard about this he kept quiet, because his sons were in the fields. I don't understand that ancient logic, but okay.

Hamor visited Jacob to ask after Dinah. Jacob's sons must've heard the news because they came in during the meeting all pissed off.

But Hamor tried to make the whole thing sound palatable. "Look, just give my son your daughter, and you can take our daughters for your sons, and we'll live as one people."

Shechem even told Jacob to name his dowry. Anything at all to smooth things over. As long as he could marry Dinah.

The sons of Jacob named their price: circumcision. Yikes. But Shechem and his father Hamor agreed. And then they agreed to ask everyone in the town to submit. And the men all agreed. For the sake of peace, one assumes.

But Jacob's sons were bastards just like their father.

Three days after the circumcision, while the men were still recovering, Levi and Simeon slaughtered every male in the town, looted all the houses, and took their sister back.

Jacob scolded them by telling them they'd made quite a stink in the land. Also, if those people joined forces and attacked, they'd all be killed.

His sons replied: That's what they get for treating our sister like a prostitute.

I don't really have any commentary on this story. I think it speaks for itself.