and he went with his father, Hamor, to present this proposal to the leaders at the town gate.
Parallel translations
- WEB Hamor and Shechem, his son, came to the gate of their city, and talked with the men of their city, saying,
- KJV And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,
- BSB So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and addressed the men of their city:
- ESV So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying,
- NKJV And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and spoke with the men of their city, saying:
- NASB So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the people of their city, saying,
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Hamor and Shechem go to the city gate to persuade the townsmen to accept the terms.
Overview
The city gate was the place of public assembly and decision. There the rulers commend the agreement to their people, using their authority to win consent. Their persuasion draws the whole community into a covenant they do not truly understand, with deadly consequences.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Ruth 4:1Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there. Behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. He said to him, “Come over here, friend, and sit down!” He turned aside, and sat down.
- Deut 17:5then you shall bring out that man or that woman, who has done this evil thing, to your gates, even that same man or woman; and you shall stone them to death with stones.
- Amos 5:10They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.
- Gen 22:17that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your offspring greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gate of his enemies.
- 2 Sam 15:2Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate. When any man had a suit which should come to the king for judgment, then Absalom called to him, and said, “What city are you from?” He said, “Your servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.”
- Zech 8:16These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates,
- Job 29:7when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
- Prov 31:23Her husband is respected in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
- Gen 23:10Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,
- Amos 5:12For I know how many your offenses, and how great are your sins — you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the courts.
- Amos 5:15Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts. It may be that Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 34:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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