Translation commentary on Genesis 34:1

The events described in this chapter show that some years have passed since the mothers and their children bowed before Esau in 33.6-7. In some languages it will be necessary to move the time aspect of the story forward. Dinah, who appeared for the first time in 30.21, has not been mentioned since she was born to Leah. In chapter 34 she is the background figure of the conflict between Jacob’s sons and the people of Shechem. She does not appear as an active character in the rape scene, nor is she ever mentioned again in the Old Testament, aside from 46.15, which gives a list of Jacob’s descendants who went to Egypt.

Now Dinah: Now is the rendering of the Hebrew connective used by various English versions to express a transition to a new episode. It has nothing to do with present time. Good News Translation “One day” is adequate to shift to a new episode; it may not be adequate, however, for languages that require a major step forward in time. Translators who find it necessary to give the story a time setting may say, for example, “When Dinah had grown up,” “Years later,” “After some years had passed.”

The daughter of Leah, whom she had born to Jacob: the identification of Dinah in relation to her parents is suitably expressed by Good News Translation as “daughter of Jacob and Leah,” which is also followed by other English versions.

Went out to visit the women of the land: went out means she went from Jacob’s camp to visit. The text does not say that she was accompanied by others, but it is unlikely that she would go alone. Likewise the text does not say that she went to the city of Shechem, but we may assume that she did from 33.18. Visit translates the common Hebrew verb “to see”; and “see the women of the town” will be the most natural way to translate in many languages. Women is literally “daughters,” which is prefixed by the preposition meaning “in,” and this construction is commonly interpreted to mean “some of the women.” These women are described as of the land, an expression meaning native or local people in 23.7, 12; 27.46. See Good News Translation, which is a good model.

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 .

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