וּבְנֵ֨י יַעֲקֹ֜ב בָּ֤אוּ מִן־הַשָּׂדֶה֙ כְּשׇׁמְעָ֔ם וַיִּֽתְעַצְּבוּ֙ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים וַיִּ֥חַר לָהֶ֖ם מְאֹ֑ד כִּֽי־נְבָלָ֞ה עָשָׂ֣ה בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לִשְׁכַּב֙ אֶת־בַּֽת־יַעֲקֹ֔ב וְכֵ֖ן לֹ֥א יֵעָשֶֽׂה׃
Meanwhile Jacob’s sons, having heard the news, came in from the field. They were distressed and very angry, because he had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing not to be done.
Genesis 34:7 (Revised JPS, 2023)
The text shows us two separate responses from Dinah’s brothers: distress and anger.
The distress (עָצַב) is the same word used to describe God’s heart before God flooded the earth. Grieved. In pain.
The anger (חָרָה) is the same word used to describe Cain before he killed his brother.
וְעַתָּ֣ה ׀ אַל־תֵּעָ֣צְב֗וּ וְאַל־יִ֙חַר֙ בְּעֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם כִּֽי־מְכַרְתֶּ֥ם אֹתִ֖י הֵ֑נָּה כִּ֣י לְמִֽחְיָ֔ה שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֱלֹהִ֖ים לִפְנֵיכֶֽם׃
Now, do not be distressed or reproach yourselves because you sold me hither; it was to save life that God sent me ahead of you.
Genesis 45:5 (Revised JPS, 2023)
Much later, Joseph will encourage his brothers to be neither grieved nor angry at themselves for their actions against him. Same words. I can’t help but see a link here.
Dinah, in her weakness, suffers an injustice, and her brothers pour out wrath in her defense.
The same brothers treat Joseph unjustly, and Joseph, in his strength, withholds the justified wrath against them and encourages a new path.
There is a time for grief and wrath, and a time for healing and peace.