John Calvin Commentary Genesis 34:25

"And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah`s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city unawares, and slew all the males." — Genesis 34:25 (ASV)

Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren. Because Moses says that the slaughter took place on the third day, the Hebrews think that, at that time, the pain of the wound was most severe. The proof, however, is not valid, nor is it very important. Although Moses names only two authors of the slaughter, it does not seem probable to me that they came alone, but that they were the leaders of the troop: for Jacob had a large family, and they might have called some of their brothers to join them. Yet, because the affair was conducted by their counsel and direction, it is attributed to them, just as Carthage is said to have been destroyed by Scipio.

Moses also calls them the brothers of Dinah because they were from the same mother. We have seen that Dinah was the daughter of Leah; for this reason, Simeon and Levi, whose own sister she was by both parents, were even more enraged at the violation of her chastity. They were therefore driven, not so much by the common disgrace brought upon the holy and elect race (according to their recent boast), as by a sense of the infamy brought upon themselves.

However, there is no reader who does not readily perceive how dreadful and execrable this crime was. Only one man had sinned, and he attempted to compensate for the injury with many acts of kindness. But the cruelty of Simeon and Levi could only be satisfied by the destruction of the whole city. Under the pretext of a covenant, they plotted against friends and hospitable people in a time of peace—an act that would have been considered intolerable even against enemies in open war.

Thus we perceive how mercifully God treated that people, since, from the descendants of a bloodthirsty man, and even of a wicked robber, he raised up a priesthood for himself. Let the Jews now go and be proud of their noble origin. But the Lord declared his gratuitous mercy by too many proofs for human ingratitude to obscure it.

Furthermore, we learn from this that Moses did not speak from a merely human perspective; but was the instrument of the Holy Spirit and the herald of the heavenly Judge. For although he was a Levite, he is so far from sparing his own race that he does not hesitate to brand the father of his tribe with perpetual infamy.

And it cannot be doubted that the Lord purposely intended to stop the mouths of impure and profane men, such as the Lucianists, who acknowledge that Moses was a very great man and of rare excellence; but that he gained authority over a great people for himself by craftiness and subtlety—as if, indeed, an intelligent and perceptive man would not have known that by this single act of wickedness, the honor of his race would be greatly tarnished.

He had, however, no other intention than to extol the goodness of God toward his people. And truly, there was nothing he desired less than to exercise dominion, as is clear from the fact that he transferred the office of priesthood to another family and commanded his sons to be only ministers.

Regarding the Shechemites, although before God they were not innocent, since they preferred their own advantage to a religion they considered lawful, yet it was not the Lord’s will for them to be so severely punished for their fault. But he allowed this notable punishment to follow the violation of one young woman, so that he might testify to all ages his great abhorrence of lust.

Besides, since the iniquity had originated with a prince of the city, the punishment is rightly extended to the whole community. For since God never entrusts government to evil and wicked princes, except as a righteous judgment, it is no wonder that when they sin, they draw their subjects with them into the same condemnation.

Moreover, from this example let us learn that if, at any time, fornication prevails with impunity, God will, in the end, exact much more severe punishments. For if the violation of one young woman was avenged by the horrific massacre of a whole city; he will not sleep nor be still if a whole people indulges in a widespread practice of fornication and everywhere connives at each other’s iniquity.

The sons of Jacob indeed acted wickedly; but we must observe that in this way fornication was divinely condemned.