New American Standard Bible 1995

Back to Reader

Genesis

34

:

25

Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and came upon the city unawares, and killed every male.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
Now it came to fall out, come to pass, become, be Verb H1961 וַיְהִי֩ vay·hi
about on the third third (an ord. number) Adjective H7992 הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜י ha·she·li·shi
day, day Noun H3117 בַיֹּ֨ום vai·yo·vm
when they were in pain, to be in pain Verb H3510 כֹּֽאֲבִ֗ים ko·'a·vim
that two two (a card. number) Noun H8147 שְׁנֵֽי־ she·nei-
Analysis:

Two: Two divergent opinions

The classic example for the number "two" is found in Matthew chapter 26. There, Yeshua says to His disciples,

"You know that after two days comes the Passover, and the Son of Man will be given over for crucifixion."  Matthew 26:2

The phrase "after two days" is somewhat meaningless because after two days can mean three or more days. The period is unspecified. The reason for such ambiguous language is because the purpose of the number two in this passage is not solely numerical. This means that the text is not intending to provide the reader with some definite information concerning a time period. Rather, the purpose of the number two in this context is one of the numerological meanings of the number two.  Often the number two relates to two divergent opinions. In the aforementioned verse, the author wants to inform the reader that there are two very different understandings for this coming Passover. Yeshua wants to emphasize that He is going up to Jerusalem in order to die as the true Passover sacrifice. Even though Yeshua states this emphatically, the disciples did not receive this. In fact, the disciples did not perceive at all what was going to take place during Passover in regard to Yeshua. In other words, Yeshua and the disciples have two divergent opinions concerning the Passover.

This same principle is also found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Covenant). In the book of Amos one reads,

"Can two walk together without them having agreed" Amos 3:3

The word which was translated into English with the phrase "them having agreed" is נועדו. The root of this word is יעד, which relates to a specific destination. The word which precedes this word is בלתי and in this context the word implies a change to the condition. In other words, had there not been a change in the condition, then the two could not walk together, i.e. they could not have arrived at the common destination.

The concept of divergent or different is also seen in the book of Genesis. In speaking about the sun and moon one reads, "And God made two great lights…" (Genesis 1:16). Obviously the sun and moon are very different, as one is a source of light, while the latter just reflects light. Also in the book of Genesis, one encounters the account of the flood. Here Noah is commanded to bring onto the ark two sorts of each type of animal. In this passage, the two relates to two different (or divergent) kinds of the same sort, i.e. male and female. 

Likewise, two angels came to Sodom, demonstrating that the people of Sodom had a very different way of living from that of the Law of God. Once again, the reader should not assume that every occurrence of the number two in the Bible demands this interpretation. However, one will find in a great majority of Biblical passages, the reader will be assisted in arriving at the proper interpretation, when he considers this divergent quality for the number two. 

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016 

of Jacob's a son of Isaac, also his desc. Noun H3290 יַ֠עֲקֹב ya·'a·kov
Analysis:
Read more about: Jacob
sons, son Noun H1121 בְנֵי־ ve·nei-
Simeon a son of Jacob, also his tribe, also an Isr. with a foreign wife Noun H8095 שִׁמְעֹ֨ון shim·'o·vn
and Levi, a son of Jacob, also the tribe descended from him Noun H3878 וְלֵוִ֜י ve·le·vi
Analysis:
Read more about: Levi, Levi
Dinah's daughter of Jacob Noun H1783 דִינָה֙ di·nah
brothers, a brother Noun H251 אֲחֵ֤י a·chei
each man Noun H376 אִ֣ישׁ ish
took to take Verb H3947 וַיִּקְח֣וּ vai·yik·chu
his sword a sword Noun H2719 חַרְבֹּ֔ו char·bov,
and came to come in, come, go in, go Verb H935 וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ vai·ya·vo·'u
upon the city city, town Noun H5892 הָעִ֖יר ha·'ir
unawares, security Noun H983 בֶּ֑טַח be·tach;
and killed to kill, slay Verb H2026 וַיַּֽהַרְג֖וּ vai·ya·har·gu
every the whole, all Noun H3605 כָּל־ kol-
male. male Noun H2145 זָכָֽר׃ za·char.

People

Dinah

daughter of Jacob

Levi

a son of Jacob, also the tribe descended from him

Jacob

Jacob, the son of Isaac, and twin to Esau. Jacob [N] [B] [H] [S] one who follows on another's heels; supplanter, ( Genesis 25:26 ;  27:36 ;  Hosea 12:2-4 ), the second born of the twin sons of Isaac by Rebekah. He was born probably at Lahai-roi, when his father was fifty-nine and Abraham one hundred and fifty-nine years old. Like his father, he was of a quiet and gentle disposition, an... View Details

Levi

Levi [N] [H] [S] adhesion.  The third son of Jacob by Leah. The origin of the name is found in Leah's words ( Genesis 29:34 ), "This time will my husband be joined [Heb. yillaveh] unto me." He is mentioned as taking a prominent part in avenging his sister Dinah ( Genesis 34:25-31 ). He and his three sons went down with Jacob ( 46:11 ) into Egypt, where he died at the age of one hundre... View Details

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and came upon the city unawares, and killed every male.
King James Bible Now And it came about to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, sore, that two of Jacob's sons, the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, brethren, took each took man his sword sword, and came upon the city unawares, boldly, and killed every male.slew all the males.
Hebrew Greek English Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and came upon the city unawares, and killed every male.