Tag: wives

Wicked Hamor and Shechem

Posted on by jovial_cynic

וְהִֽתְחַתְּנ֖וּ אֹתָ֑נוּ בְּנֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ תִּתְּנוּ־לָ֔נוּ וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֵ֖ינוּ תִּקְח֥וּ לָכֶֽם׃
Intermarry with us: give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.
Genesis 34:9 (Revised JPS, 2023)

הָאֲנָשִׁ֨ים הָאֵ֜לֶּה שְֽׁלֵמִ֧ים הֵ֣ם אִתָּ֗נוּ וְיֵשְׁב֤וּ בָאָ֙רֶץ֙ וְיִסְחֲר֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ וְהָאָ֛רֶץ הִנֵּ֥ה רַֽחֲבַת־יָדַ֖יִם לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם אֶת־בְּנֹתָם֙ נִקַּֽח־לָ֣נוּ לְנָשִׁ֔ים וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֵ֖ינוּ נִתֵּ֥ן לָהֶֽם׃
“These people are our friends; let them settle in the land and move about in it, for the land is large enough for them; we will take their daughters to ourselves as wives and give our daughters to them.
Genesis 34:21 (Revised JPS, 2023)

The tonal shift is intriguing. We should assume that Hamor and Shechem are more honest in their intentions with their own people than with the Jacob and his sons.

To the sons of Israel: Give your daughters, and take our daughters.

To their own people: We will take their daughters, and give our daughters.

Can you hear it? It sounds like an equal exchange in v9, but in v21, it becomes clear: Hamor and Shechem are bad men who have no regard for the vulnerable, even among their own people.

Favoritism

Posted on by jovial_cynic

וַיִּשָּׂ֨א יַעֲקֹ֜ב עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ וְהִנֵּ֣ה עֵשָׂ֣ו בָּ֔א וְעִמּ֕וֹ אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת אִ֑ישׁ וַיַּ֣חַץ אֶת־הַיְלָדִ֗ים עַל־לֵאָה֙ וְעַל־רָחֵ֔ל וְעַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֥י הַשְּׁפָחֽוֹת׃
Looking up, Jacob saw Esau coming, accompanied by four hundred men. He divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maids,
וַיָּ֧שֶׂם אֶת־הַשְּׁפָח֛וֹת וְאֶת־יַלְדֵיהֶ֖ן רִֽאשֹׁנָ֑ה וְאֶת־לֵאָ֤ה וִֽילָדֶ֙יהָ֙ אַחֲרֹנִ֔ים וְאֶת־רָחֵ֥ל וְאֶת־יוֹסֵ֖ף אַחֲרֹנִֽים׃
putting the maids and their children first, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.
Genesis 33:1-2 (Revised JPS, 2023)

Genesis 33 starts with a looming confrontation between Jacob and Esau. In this meeting, Jacob divides his family based on Jacob’s relationship with the women, and not based on birth order: The maids, Leah, and then Rachel.

Also notable: Joseph is the only son that is mentioned.

This sets up the story of Joseph, Jacob’s favorite son. But it should also cause the reader to wonder about the implications.

Back in Genesis 25, we read that Jacob’s father did not favor him. The text plainly states that Isaac loved Esau. The consequence of favoritism lead to very obvious family division.

Now Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Genesis 25:28 (NKJV)

Here, starting in Genesis 33, we have the beginnings of another story with favoritism as a theme.

Priorities of the Righteous

Posted on by jovial_cynic

Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels…
Genesis 31:17 (NIV)

Esau took his wives and sons and daughters and all the members of his household…
Genesis 36:6 (NIV)

I’m so enthralled by the Jewish studies and interpretations of the Torah.

Look closely at Genesis 31:17 and Genesis 36:6. The rabbis note that Jacob’s priorities were his children, and then his wives, whereas Esau’s priorities were his wives, and then his children. This was written this way intentionally, to teach us something.

What do you suppose it means?

Now, I am a little influenced by some of the Jewish writings on this, so my answer isn’t entirely my own, but I do have my own spin on it.

I think that the Children of Israel are a picture of a promise, and this promise is about the future. They are the hope. The wives, on the other hand, are a symbol of *right now.*

Jacob is thinking on the promise; Esau is thinking on his current and ever-present appetite. Food, sex, and violence.

The Kingdom of Heaven is Like…

Posted on by jovial_cynic

Now it came about, when Abram entered Egypt, that the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.
Genesis 12:14-15 (NASB)

Now it came about, when mankind began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.
Genesis 6:1-2 (NASB)

The scriptures echo. Or perhaps a better way of describing it is that the later instances are parables to teach you the meaning of the earlier ones.