Genesis 34 · Verse 25

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.
Genesis 34:25, King James Version

Genesis 34:25 in other translations

BSBThree days later, while they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons (Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi) took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and slaughtered every male.
WEBOn the third day, when they were sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males.
ASVAnd 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.
YLTAnd it cometh to pass, on the third day, in their being pained, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, take each his sword, and come in against the city confidently, and slay every male;
DARBYAnd 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 his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.
BBEBut on the third day after, before the wounds were well, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and came into the town by surprise and put all the males to death.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does Genesis 34:25 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 25 On the third day, when they were sore - When the inflammation was at the height, and a fever ensued which rendered the person utterly helpless, and his state critical, Simeon and Levi, the half brothers of Dinah, took each man his sword, probably assisted by that portion of the servants which helped them to take care of the flock, came on the city boldly, בטח betach, securely - without being suspected, and being in no danger of meeting with resistance, and slew all the males. Great as the provocation was, and it certainly was very great, this was an act or unparalleled treachery and cruelty.

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 34:25 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.

וַיְהִי֩vay.Hiand it wasH1961
בַיּ֨וֹםvai.Yomon the dayH3117
הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜יha.she.li.Shi<the> thirdH7992
בִּֽהְיוֹתָ֣םbih.yo.Tamwhen were theyH1961
כֹּֽאֲבִ֗יםko.'a.Vimin painH3510
וַיִּקְח֣וּvai.yik.Chuand they tookH3947
שְׁנֵֽי\־she.nei-two ofH8147
בְנֵי\־ve.nei-[the] sons ofH1121
יַ֠עֲקֹבya.'a.koJacobH3290
שִׁמְע֨וֹןshim.'onSimeonH8095
וְלֵוִ֜יve.le.Viand LeviH3878
אֲחֵ֤י'a.Chei[the] brothers ofH251
דִינָה֙di.NahDinahH1783
אִ֣ישׁ'isheachH376
חַרְבּ֔וֹchar.Bosword hisH2719
וַיָּבֹ֥אוּvai.ya.Vo.'uand they wentH935
עַל\־'al-onH5921
הָעִ֖ירha.'Irthe cityH5892
בֶּ֑טַחBe.tachsecurityH983
וַיַּֽהַרְג֖וּvai.ya.har.Guand they killedH2026
כָּל\־kol-everyH3605
זָכָֽר\׃za.KharmaleH2145

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

Cross references for Genesis 34:25

  • Genesis 49:5-7

    Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

  • Genesis 29:33-34

    And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.

  • 2 Chronicles 32:25

    But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

  • Numbers 31:17

    Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

  • Proverbs 6:34-35

    For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

  • Joshua 5:8

    And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.

  • Numbers 31:7

    And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.

  • Joshua 5:6

    For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: unto whom the Lord sware that he would not shew them the land, which the Lord sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

  • Proverbs 4:16

    For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
sore.
Jos 5:6,8
Simeon.
29:33,34; 49:5,7; Nu 31:7,17; Pr 4:16; 6:34,35
slew.
49:6; 2Ch 32:25

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Genesis 34:26

    And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went out.

Read all of Genesis 34

Genesis 34:25 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y sucedió que al tercer día, cuando sentían ellos el mayor dolor, los dos hijos de Jacob, Simeón y Leví, hermanos de Dina, tomaron cada uno su espada, y vinieron contra la ciudad animosamente, y mataron á todo varón.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il arriva, au troisième jour, comme ils étaient dans les souffrances, que deux fils de Jacob, Siméon et Lévi, frères de Dina, prirent chacun son épée, et vinrent hardiment contre la ville, et tuèrent tous les mâles.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und es geschah am dritten Tage, als sie in Schmerzen waren, da nahmen die zwei Söhne Jakobs, Simeon und Levi, die Brüder Dinas, ein jeder sein Schwert und kamen kühn wider die Stadt und ermordeten alles Männliche;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et ecce, die tertio, quando gravissimus vulnerum dolor est: arreptis duo filii Jacob, Simeon et Levi fratres Dinæ, gladiis, ingressi sunt urbem confidenter: interfectisque omnibus masculis,