Genesis 34-38: Jacob’s sons sinned, God kept His Word
Reading through Genesis, we find that Jacob’s sons were steeped deeply in sin. Despite this, the covenant given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still becomes fulfilled through them. Their story serves to show us that we are never forsaken by God. Instead, God is always ready to extend His mercy to us and receive us into His embrace. God did this for the descendants of Jacob, something I have experienced myself.
Shechem rapes Dinah
Jacob and his sons were dwelling in the land of Shechem (see Gen 33:18-20). Shechem, the prince of the land, raped Dinah, Jacob and Leah’s daughter. Shechem then spoke tenderly to Dinah expressing his desire to have her has his wife. Jacob learned of all this and “held his peace” until his sons returned from the field. After the sons learned what happened, they returned from the field very angry. Shechem was there with his father Hamor and they were speaking with Jacob trying to persuade Jacob to give Dinah to Shechem for marriage, at the cost of anything.
Jacob’s sons then deceitfully tell Shechem and his father that if they circumcise themselves and all their men, they would then allow Shechem to marry Dinah and they would join their peoples together. This delighted Hamor and Shechem and they immediately circumcised themselves and all the men of the city. “Every male was circumcised” (Genesis 34:24)
Three days later, when all the men were sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, also children of Leah, took their swords and attacked the city by surprise, killing all the men, including Hamor and Shechem. They then took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and left. Then the sons of Jacob plundered the city. Jacob was upset with Simeon and Levi, saying that they have brought trouble on him making him at risk of being attacked by other inhabitants of the land. Jacob noted that he did not have enough man power to fight off others. The brothers simply said “Should he treat our sister as a harlot?” (Genesis 34:31).
This passage shows that biblical stories are not always filled with biblical moral behavior. This story is a historical recount of the lives of Jacob and his family a story filled with sin showing us the disorder lives of this family.
Walking through this, we can see that Jacob took no part in the actions of his sons, instead condemning their actions. We also see that Jacob was not given an opportunity to express an alternative plan because his sons usurped his authority in the matter. The sons immediately stepped in to deceive Shechem.
But why did the sons usurp his authority and why did he allow it? Ultimately, this would be much speculation. There aren’t any details in the Scriptures regarding this but we do know that Jacob sinned in letting his sons step in to handle the situation sinfully.
Regardless of whatever explanation, Jacob failed as a father. Jacob did not handle this situation well to protect his daughter and his family, which left a vacuum for the sons to enact a plan of revenge. We see at the end that Jacob’s only concern was for himself because he was worried about how he was affected by all this and not at all worried about his daughter, a common theme with his past deceitful habits.
We also see how this sin of Jacob begot more sins from his sons. They deceived Shechem so they could then murder Shechem and all his men. This was a violation of God’s future commandment, “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” (Exodus 21:24). Furthermore, this passage shows why this commandment was instituted in the first place. It was not to condone revenge, but was to limit it. Murdering an entire city was not the proper punishment for the rape of their sister. The rape of their sister was terrible, but it did not warrant that response.
Ultimately, Jacob disagreed with his sons’ actions as shown by his last words word to Simeon and Levi:
“Simeon and Levi are brothers;
weapons of violence are their swords.
O my soul, come not into their council;
O my spirit, be not joined to their company;
for in their anger they slay men,
and in their wantonness they hamstring oxen.
Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
and their wrath, for it is cruel!
I will divide them in Jacob
and scatter them in Israel.” (Genesis 49:5-7)
There are prophecies throughout this which are tied to this action of Simeon and Levi, “for in their anger they slay men.”
The rape of Dinah shows a long sequence of sin begetting sin. Jacob sinned in not handling this in a fatherly fashion which was reinforced by the fact that he did not assert his authority over his sons, who were filled with a sinful wrath. This sin of Shechem led to Jacob’s sins, and then the sons’ sins, which grew from anger and wrath into greed as they plundered the city.
Reuben lays with Bilhah
Levi and Simeon had usurped Jacob’s authority, and now Reuben tried as well by laying with Bilhah. “While Israel dwelt in that land Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard of it” (Genesis 35:22). At this time, we do not see any action taken by Jacob but later in in chapter 49 when Jacob speaks his last words to Reuben before his death, he says,
“Reuben, you are my first-born,
my might, and the first fruits of my strength,
pre-eminent in pride and pre-eminent in power.
Unstable as water, you shall not have pre-eminence
because you went up to your father’s bed;
then you defiled it—you went up to my couch!” (Genesis 49:3-4)
Reuben was trying to assert authority as the firstborn, but because of this, he lost all his firstborn rights. This loss is something that manifests itself throughout the remainder of his story and culminates during Jacob’s last words to his sons.
Joseph’s dreams
Joseph was favored by his father and given a long coat. Because of this favoritism, Joseph’s brothers “hated him and could not speak peaceably to him” (Gen 37:4). Joseph then had a dream that he and his brothers were binding sheafs, his sheaf rose, and his brothers sheafs bowed down to his sheaf. His brothers were taken aback asking “Are you indeed to reign over?” (Gen 37:8). So, they hated him more. Then he had a second dream that the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down to him. This time, his father rebuked him as well saying “Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” (Gen 37:10). His brothers grew in jealousy but his father kept this dream in mind.
Joseph was hated by his brothers because of their father’s favoritism extended to him. The long tunic is very significant because this was a princely garment that heavily contrasted the shorter tunic of shepherds.1 This acted as a physical sign of Jacob’s preferential treatment of Joseph. We also can see typology with Christ in this. The Greek Septuagint suggests the tunic may have been striped or multicolored, which allegorically acts as a prefigurement.2 Joseph was clothed with this glorious garment from Jacob, just as Jesus Chrst, was clothed by the glory of God the Father. Joseph was hated by his brothers for this just as the pharisees hated Christ. Joseph’s brothers sell him to slavery just as the pharisees crucified Jesus. Joseph rose as lord of Egypt and Jesus showed that He is the Lord of all.
Then with Joseph’s dreams, he seems to see that his brothers will bow down to him. Both these prophecies come true when the brothers and Jacob eventually enter Egypt after Joseph is lord and they bow down to him. We also see after the second dream that Joseph’s “father kept the saying in mind.” (Genesis 37:11). It is quite possible that Jacob recalled his own dream in Genesis 28 that led to God’s providence in his life and he did not take such dreams lightly. Jacob must have wondered how this just may be fulfilled if it is indeed prophetic.
Joseph is sold into slavery
Some time later, Joseph’s brothers were tending their flocks and Joseph caught up to them at Dothan. As they saw him approach, they conspired to kill him. When Reuben heard this plan, he said “Shed no blood; cast him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him” (Gen 37:22). The brothers heeded this advice, stripped joseph of his robe, and cast him into the barren pit that had no water.
The brothers then saw a caravan of Ishmaelites passing through to Egypt. Judah suggested they sell Joseph to them rather than killing him, showing that Judah had not let go of the original murderous idea. They then sold Joseph for 20 shekels of silver and he was towed to Egypt.
The Scriptures note that Reuben returned and was very upset. The brothers then took Joseph’s robe and dipped it in goat’s blood. They brought it to their father so he may believe that Joseph was killed. Jacob rent his clothes and gird himself with sackcloth to mourn. Meanwhile, Joseph was sold into slavery to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh.
Yet again we see a type of Christ in all this. Joseph was sold for twenty shekels, Jesus was betrayed for thirty pieces of silver. Joseph was thrown into a pit, and then pulled out to eventually become lord. Jesus was crucified and buried in a tomb to rise manifesting His glory as Lord over all .
We also see irony in this because Joseph’s tunic was brought back to Jacob deceptively with goat’s blood on it, just as Jacob had worn the bloody skins of a goat to deceive Isaac.3 Sin always has its consequences and Jacob continued to receive recompense for his past sins.
Lastly, Joseph’s brothers were blinded by hate and greed unable to see the love of God. They despised Joseph and this led to them selling him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver, which turned into blood money.
Judah and Tamar
The Scriptures continue that Judah left and ended up marrying a Canaanite woman and they conceived a son named Er. She conceived and bore a second son named Onan. Judah took Tamar to be the wife for Er, but, Er was “wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord slew him” (Gen 38:7). Judah then told his son Onan to perform the duty of a brother-in-law and raise up offspring for his brother. However, whenever Onan went into Tamar, he spilled his seed on the ground. This was displeasing in the sight of the Lord and so He slew him. Judah then told Tamar to stay at her father’s house. He promised his younger son, Shelah, to Tamar when he grew up.
Judah was traveling and was going to pass through the town that Tamar resided in and she heard of his journeys. She “put off her widow’s garments, and put on a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to [the town] …. she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage.” (Gen 38:14). Judah thought she was a harlot. He offered her a kid goat for payment, to which she asked for his signet, cord, and staff, as a pledge for the payment. He went into her and she conceived.
After Judah had returned home, he sent the kid goat by his friend for payment but his friend was unable to find Tamar. He returned to Judah saying that the men told him that no harlot had been there. Judah told him that the woman could keep the things, rather thank risk shame by seeking her out for them.
Three months later, Judah was told that Tamar had conceived as a harlot. Judah was not concerned for her and said “bring her out and let her be burned” (Gen 38:24). As she was brought out, she sent word to Judah, her father-in-law, saying “Mark, I pray you, whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.” (Gen 38:25). Judah acknowledged they were his and noted that she was more righteous than he. She gave birth to twins, Perez and Zerah.
We start off reading that Judah married a Canaanite woman, a direct violation of what Abraham wanted for Isaac and what Isaac wanted for Jacob. This demonstrates that Judah does not follow the God of his fathers and instead follows the god of his own desires.
We also read that Judah’s sons were sinful men. Er was so sinful that his life was cut short. Onan sinned with Tamar in a multi-faceted situation. First, it was Onan’s duty as the brother-in-law to provide children for his widowed sister-in-law so that his own brother’s lineage can continue and the sons can inherit his estate; this is called a levirate marriage.4 Technically this obligation could be declined, but this was a shameful thing to do as outlined in Deuteronomy with sandal slapping and spitting. Onan understood the shame with declining this and seemed to accept the levirate marriage, but then he was deceptive during the marital act. Rather than complete the marital act, Onan would withdraw and spill his seed so as not to give her an heir to his brother’s line. This was displeasing to God and so he was slain also. This was displeasing because of the contraceptive measure taken and also because Onan was impeding God’s plan. Had Onan acted in conformity to God, he would have become a great man, because it was through Judah’s line, and thus Tamar, that Jesus Christ, the Messiah was to be born. Onan’s contraceptive measure showed that he rejected God and was acting as an obstacle, thus the obstacle was removed.
It was Judah’s responsibility to make sure Tamar received children as heirs of Er, but Judah failed. He promised Tamar that Shelah would be given to her, but he clearly lied because she saw Shelah had grown but was not given to her. So, Tamar took matters into her own hands and deceived Judah to conceive the heirs to the line.
It is also important to understand that God is not tied to the sins of Judah and Tamar. Yes, the Messiah was to come from Judah, but God did not actively will for the lineage to continue by means of this deception. Judah could have given Tamar his son, Shelah, but he did not. Judah also could have not married a Canaanite woman, but he chose to marry a woman from the line of Ham who was cursed by Noah (Genesis 9:25). God willed for the line to continue but God did not will for them to sin in this; they chose to sin.
Conclusion
These sons of Jacob were very sinful, but despite this, there was always hope for the Messiah to save us all. These men were the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel…far from perfect but God did not forsake us due to their sin. We see this because Jesus was a descendant of Judah and Tamar, through a deceitful and lustful act that comes after sin and deception. God is not asking us to be perfect though we are called to pursue perfection by following the good and perfect God who will teach us His ways and lead us. Growth towards perfection through cultivating virtue is a lifelong endeavor. These deeply sinful men ultimately repent before Joseph and become God fearing men. We can too.
No matter how steeped we find ourselves in sin, God is ready to welcome us back into His embrace so we may be born anew. We are never forsaken by God. We can always turn to God for forgiveness and mercy. All of mankind depended on God’s will to be done through the sinful sons of Jacob. God’s will can also be done through each and every one of us.
References
1 2020. New Catholic Bible. Totowa, NJ: Catholic Book Publishing Corp.pg46
2 2024. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press.pg104
32024. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press.pg105
42024. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press.pg106
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