Commentators like Calvin and Henry see this event as a tragic illustration of how sin spirals. The brothers' anger over their sister's violation led to murder, which then escalated into city-wide plunder. Calvin notes that the initial motive of revenge gave way to simple greed. This serves as a powerful warning that unchecked passions can lead from one transgression to another, creating what one scholar calls a "dreadful conflagration" of wickedness.