Genesis 34:20-24

34:20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate ¹  of their city and spoke to the men of their city, 34:21 “These men are at peace with us. So let them live in the land and travel freely in it, for the land is wide enough ²  for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry. ³  34:22 Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand ⁴  that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised. 34:23 If we do so, ⁵  won’t their livestock, their property, and all their animals become ours? So let’s consent to their demand, so they will live among us.”

34:24 All the men who assembled at the city gate ⁶  agreed with ⁷  Hamor and his son Shechem. Every male who assembled at the city gate ⁸  was circumcised.

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¹ sn The gate. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the location for conducting important public business.

² tn Heb “wide on both hands,” that is, in both directions.

³ tn The words “to marry” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁴ tn Heb “when every one of our males is circumcised.”

⁵ tn The words “If we do so” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

⁶ tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”

⁷ tn Heb “listened to.”

⁸ tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”