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I am not trying to be insensitive but I was trying to compare nature of the sexual violations of Dinah against those of King David's daughter, Tamar.

Please do Not misunderstand me. Sexual violations by force (especially rape) is always sinful.

When I read Genesis 34:2-7 which recounts the story about Shechem forcefully having sex (i.e, "he took her and lay with her [b]by force") with Dinah, it does mention that Shechem had some kind of genuine affection for Dinah because Genesis 34:2-7 does mention that

-Shechem was deeply attracted to Dinah

-Shechem loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her

When I read 2 Samuel 13:11-16 which recounts the story about Amnon forcefully having sex (i.e, "he violated her and lay with her" which is certainly rape) with Tamar, King David's daughter, it clearly mentions that after having sex with Tamar,

-Amnon hated Tamar "with a very great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her."

Genesis 34:2-4

2 When Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her [b]by force. 3 [c]He was deeply attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and [d]spoke tenderly to her. 4 So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this young girl for a wife.”

34:2 Hebrew OT: Westminster Leningrad Codex וַיַּ֨רְא אֹתָ֜הּ שְׁכֶ֧ם בֶּן־חֲמֹ֛ור הַֽחִוִּ֖י נְשִׂ֣יא הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּקַּ֥ח אֹתָ֛הּ וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב אֹתָ֖הּ וַיְעַנֶּֽהָ׃

בראשית 34:2 Hebrew OT: WLC (Consonants Only) וירא אתה שכם בן־חמור החוי נשיא הארץ ויקח אתה וישכב אתה ויענה׃

בראשית 34:2 Paleo-Hebrew OT: WLC (Font Required) וירא אתה שכם בן־חמור החוי נשיא הארץ ויקח אתה וישכב אתה ויענה׃

בראשית 34:2 Hebrew Bible וירא אתה שכם בן חמור החוי נשיא הארץ ויקח אתה וישכב אתה ויענה׃

Genesis 34:5-7

5 Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob kept silent until they came in. 6 Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7 Now the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done a [e]disgraceful thing in Israel [f]by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done.

34:5 Hebrew OT: Westminster Leningrad Codex וְיַעֲקֹ֣ב שָׁמַ֗ע כִּ֤י טִמֵּא֙ אֶת־דִּינָ֣ה בִתֹּ֔ו וּבָנָ֛יו הָי֥וּ אֶת־מִקְנֵ֖הוּ בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וְהֶחֱרִ֥שׁ יַעֲקֹ֖ב עַד־בֹּאָֽם׃

בראשית 34:5 Hebrew OT: WLC (Consonants Only) ויעקב שמע כי טמא את־דינה בתו ובניו היו את־מקנהו בשדה והחרש יעקב עד־באם׃

בראשית 34:5 Paleo-Hebrew OT: WLC (Font Required) ויעקב שמע כי טמא את־דינה בתו ובניו היו את־מקנהו בשדה והחרש יעקב עד־באם׃

בראשית 34:5 Hebrew Bible ויעקב שמע כי טמא את דינה בתו ובניו היו את מקנהו בשדה והחרש יעקב עד באם׃

2 Samuel 13:11-12

11 When she brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” 12 But she answered him, “No, my brother, do Not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this disgraceful thing!

13:12 Hebrew OT: Westminster Leningrad Codex וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לֹ֗ו אַל־אָחִי֙ אַל־תְּעַנֵּ֔נִי כִּ֛י לֹא־יֵֽעָשֶׂ֥ה כֵ֖ן בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אַֽל־תַּעֲשֵׂ֖ה אֶת־הַנְּבָלָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃

שמואל ב 13:12 Hebrew OT: WLC (Consonants Only) ותאמר לו אל־אחי אל־תענני כי לא־יעשה כן בישראל אל־תעשה את־הנבלה הזאת׃

שמואל ב 13:12 Paleo-Hebrew OT: WLC (Font Required) ותאמר לו אל־אחי אל־תענני כי לא־יעשה כן בישראל אל־תעשה את־הנבלה הזאת׃

שמואל ב 13:12 Hebrew Bible ותאמר לו אל אחי אל תענני כי לא יעשה כן בישראל אל תעשה את הנבלה הזאת׃

2 Samuel 13:13-14

13 As for me, where could I [e]get rid of my reproach? And as for you, you will be like one of the [f]fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” 14 However, he would not listen to [g]her; since he was stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.

13:14 Hebrew OT: Westminster Leningrad Codex וְלֹ֥א אָבָ֖ה לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ בְּקֹולָ֑הּ וַיֶּחֱזַ֤ק מִמֶּ֙נָּה֙ וַיְעַנֶּ֔הָ וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב אֹתָֽהּ׃

שמואל ב 13:14 Hebrew OT: WLC (Consonants Only) ולא אבה לשמע בקולה ויחזק ממנה ויענה וישכב אתה׃

שמואל ב 13:14 Paleo-Hebrew OT: WLC (Font Required) ולא אבה לשמע בקולה ויחזק ממנה ויענה וישכב אתה׃

שמואל ב 13:14 Hebrew Bible ולא אבה לשמע בקולה ויחזק ממנה ויענה וישכב אתה׃

2 Samuel 13:15-16

15 Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up, go away!” 16 But she said to him, “No, because this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you have done to me!” Yet he would not listen to her.

If someone compares the Old Testament Hebrew translation of the sexual violation event in Genesis 34:2-7 to the sexual violation event in 2 Samuel 13 then is there something in the Hebrew translations that suggest/hint/infer/deduce that the nature of Shechem's sexual violation actions were Not as severe as the nature of Amnon's actions?

2 Answers 2

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  1. I think both the events are sinful and the offender got the deserved punishment of death.
  2. I think Shechem’s offense was less offensive(human relativity not G-d's Law) as he did not hate Dinah after he satiated his lust, He loved Dinah even after the event and wanted to marry her. He got circumcised for her.
  3. Amnon was just the opposite, once he got what he wanted from her he hated her. What could be more cruel and demeaning for Tamar?
  4. Also see 2 Samuel 13:12, Amnon had a way to get Tamar rightfully in marriage, but I don't think he had any intentions for marrying her and just wanted to satisfy his lust.
  5. Deuteronomy 22:28-29 has a law that addresses this very type of situation. Note that by this law the man can never divorce her after the marriage showing that the offense the man did requires restitution for the woman as long as he lives
  6. Since Shechem was aHivite this law would not apply to him

Deuteronomy 22:28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay her father fifty shekels[a] of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives. 28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay her father fifty shekels[a] of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.

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https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/dinah-wasnt-raped-tamar-was/

Above is an article showing the differences between the scenarios of Dinah and Tamar; too long to copy here. Title: Dinah wasn't raped; Tamar Was.

Shechem and Dinah always sounded to me as possibly a mutual love - except both knew a marriage between a Canaanite/Hivite and a Hebrew was not possible. Perhaps Shechem convinced Dinah that the only way possible was by sleeping together, then her father would have no alternative but to grant permission. A gamble he lost.

It's striking, to me, that it wasn't Dinah who approached Jacob and reported the 'crime'. Dinah was still at Shechem's house when Simeon and Levi came with their swords. In Gen. 34:26, they killed Hamor (father) and Shechem. Only then did they take Dinah from the house of Shechem.

Have wondered whether Dinah had offspring from their union. And why did Jacob have so little authority over the actions his sons would take? And then accuse them of 'making him stink'. Perhaps the Canannites/Hivites were quite large and it wasn't possible just to take revenge upon Shechem, without the tribe attacking Israel. Quite the diabolical plan they served up to stop a marriage.


As for why Amnon was not punished immediately...because he was David's firstborn (of those born in Hebron) to Ahinoam, the Jezreelite (2Sam. 3:2).

David was told of what happened to Tamar but...2Sam. 13:21: "As for King David, when heard of all these things, he was very angry with him; yet he did not grieve his son Amnon's spirit, for he loved him because he was his firstborn."

Curious how Amnon's name changed after Tamar told Absalom what happened. Amnon [Amn(u)un] became Am(i)in(u)un (once). 2Sam. 13:20.

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  • Incidentally, another reason as to why David did Not punish Amnon for raping his half-sister was because David probably felt like a hypocrite since he had a sexual adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, Uriah the Hittite. Please see my other posting for an elaborate explanation: hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/q/60317/19810 May 7, 2022 at 12:52

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