We cannot do this thing is a general statement whose content comes in the following clause. This thing refers to giving Dinah to Shechem in marriage. Translators may find that this statement and the following must be made into one for the sake of clarity; for example, “We cannot give our sister to one who is uncircumcised.” See Good News Translation. Some translations say “It is hard [impossible] for us to do this.”

Give our sister may need to filled out to say “let our sister marry” or “give our sister in marriage.”

Uncircumcised: see 17.10 for a detailed discussion of this term and its translation. See also 17.14.

For that would be a disgrace to us: disgrace refers to “shame,” “dishonor,” “humiliation.” The word is used in this sense in such passages as 1 Sam 11.2 and Job 10.15. In some languages disgrace is expressed in figurative terms; for example, “that would make our faces burn” or “that would make us lower our heads.” In some languages for that would be … is more naturally expressed as “If we did that we would have very big shame.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .