Genesis 34 · Verse 24

Genesis 34:24

And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.

Genesis 34:24, King James Version

Genesis 34:24 in other translations

BSB	All the men who went out of the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male of the city was circumcised.
WEB	All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor, and to Shechem his son; and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.
ASV	And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.
YLT	And unto Hamor, and unto Shechem his son, hearken do all those going out of the gate of his city, and every male is circumcised, all those going out of the gate of his city.
DARBY	And all that went out at the gate of his city hearkened to Hamor and to Shechem his son; and every male was circumcised — all that went out at the gate of his city.
BBE	Then all the men of the town gave ear to the words of Hamor and Shechem his son; and every male in the town underwent circumcision.
Webster	And to Hamor and to Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city: and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.

What does Genesis 34:24 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 24 Every male was circumcised - These simple people must have had very great affection for their chief and his son, or have been under the influence of the most passive obedience, to have come so readily into this measure, and to have submitted to this rite. But the petty princes in Asiatic countries have ever been absolute and despotic, their subjects paying them the most prompt and blind obedience. I shall give a few examples from Mr. Richardson's Dissertations - "Abu Thaher, chief of the Carmathians, about the year nine hundred and thirty, ravaged the territory of Mecca, defiled the temple, and destroyed nearly 40,000 people. With only 500 horse he went to lay siege to Bagdad: the caliph's general, at the head of 30,000 men, marched out to seize him, but before he attacked him he sent an officer to summon him to surrender. 'How many men has the caliph's general?' said Abu Thaher. 'Thirty thousand,' replied the officer. 'Among them all,' says the Carmathian chief, 'has he got three like mine?' Then, ordering his followers to approach, he commanded one to stab himself, another to throw himself from a precipice, and a third to plunge into the Tigris; all three instantly obeyed, and perished. Then turning to the officer, he said, 'He who has such troops needs not value the number of his enemies!' "Hassan Sabat, one of those petty princes formerly known in Asia and Europe by the title Sheekh-ul-jibel, or old man of the mountain, being required by an ambassador to do homage to his master, the Sultan Malekshah Jelaleddin, without giving any answer, ordered one of his attendants to poniard himself, and another to leap from the battlements of the tower; and he was instantly obeyed! Then turning to the ambassador, he said, 'Seventy thousand are thus attentive to my commands. Let this be my answer. On a principle of this kind we may account for the prompt obedience of the people of Hamor.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 34:20-31

The Shechemites submitted to the sacred rite, only to serve a turn, to please their prince, and to enrich themselves, and it was just with God to bring punishment upon them. As nothing secures us better than true religion, so nothing exposes us more than religion only pretended to. But Simeon and Levi were most unrighteous. Those who act wickedly, under the pretext of religion, are the worst enemies of the truth…

Read the full comment on Genesis 34:20-31 →

Genesis 34:24 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּשְׁמְע֤וּvai.yish.me.'Uand they listenedH8085

אֶל\־'el-toH413

חֲמוֹר֙cha.mOrHamorH2544

וְאֶל\־ve.'el-and toH413

שְׁכֶ֣םshe.KhemShechemH7927

בְּנ֔וֹbe.Noson hisH1121

כָּל\־kol-allH3605

יֹצְאֵ֖יyo.tze.'Ei[those who] went out ofH3318

שַׁ֣עַרSha.'ar[the] gate ofH8179

עִיר֑וֹi.Rocity hisH5892

וַיִּמֹּ֙לוּ֙vai.yi.Mo.luand they were circumcisedH4135

כָּל\־kol-everyH3605

זָכָ֔רza.KharmaleH2145

כָּל\־kol-allH3605

יֹצְאֵ֖יyo.tze.'Ei[those who] went out ofH3318

שַׁ֥עַרSha.'ar[the] gate ofH8179

עִירֽוֹ\׃i.Rocity hisH5892

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 34:24

Genesis 23:10
And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,
1 Corinthians 7:19
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
Isaiah 1:10-16
Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. …
Genesis 23:18
Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.
Romans 2:28-29
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Genesis 17:23
And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.
Matthew 7:6
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

hearkened.In thus falling into this measure, the Shechemites must either have had great affection for their chief and his son, or have been under the influence of the most passive obedience. The petty princes of Asia have always been absolute and despotic; their subjects paying them the most prompt and blind obedience. The following instance will sufficiently illustrate and confirm this statement: Abu Thaher, chief of the Carmathians, about the year 930, with only 500 horse, went to lay siege to Bagdad: the khalif's general marched out to seize him; but before the attack, sent an officer to summon him to surrender. "How many men has the khalif's general?" said Abu Thaher; "30,000," replied the officer. "Among them all," says the Carmathian chief, "has he got three like mine?" Then ordering his followers to approach, he commanded one to stab himself, another to throw himself from a precipice, and a third to plunge into the Tigris: all three instantly obeyed, and perished! Then turning to the officer, he said, "He who has such troops need not value the number of his enemies!"
went out.
23:10,18
every male.
17:23; Isa 1:10-16; Mt 7:6; Ro 2:28,29; 1Co 7:19

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Genesis 34:23
Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us.
Genesis 34:24
And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.
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 boldly, and slew all the males.

Read all of Genesis 34

Genesis 34:24 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y obedecieron á Hamor y á Sichêm su hijo todos los que salían por la puerta de la ciudad, y circuncidaron á todo varón, á cuantos salían por la puerta de su ciudad.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et tous ceux qui sortaient par la porte de sa ville écoutèrent Hamor et Sichem, son fils; et tout mâle fut circoncis, tous ceux qui sortaient par la porte de sa ville.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und sie hörten auf Hemor und auf Sichem, seinen Sohn, alle die zum Tore seiner Stadt ausgingen; und alles Männliche wurde beschnitten, alle, die zum Tore seiner Stadt ausgingen.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Assensique sunt omnes, circumcisis cunctis maribus.