Into their secret, come not, O my soul! Unto their assembly be not united, O mine honour; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will eradicated a prince.Genesis 49:6 Additional Translations
Clarke's Commentary on the BibleInto their secret council, etc. - Jacob here exculpates himself from all participation in the guilt of Simeon and Levi in the murder of the Shechemites. He most solemnly declares that he knew nothing of the confederacy by which it was executed, nor of the secret council in which it was plotted.
If it should be said that the words תבא tabo and תחד techad should be translated in the future tense or in the imperative, as in our translation, I shall not contend; though it is well known that the preterite is often used for the future in Hebrew, and vice versa. Taken thus, the words mark the strong detestation which this holy man's soul felt for the villany of his sons: "My soul shall not come into their secret council. My honor shall not be united to their confederacy.
For in their anger they slew a man - איש ish, a noble, an honorable man, viz., Shechem.
And in their pleasure - This marks the highest degree of wickedness and settled malice, they were delighted with their deed. A similar spirit Saul of Tarsus possessed previously to his conversion; speaking of the martyrdom of St. Stephen, St. Luke says, Acts 8:1 : Σαυλος δε ην συνευδοκων τῃ αναιρεσει αυτου· And Saul was gladly consenting to his death. He was with the others highly delighted with it; and thus the prediction of our Lord was fulfilled, John 16:2 : Yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And it is represented as the highest pitch of profligacy and wickedness, not only to sin, but to delight in it; see Romans 1:32. As the original word רצון ratson signifies, in general, pleasure, benevolence, delight, etc., it should neither be translated self-will nor willfulness, as some have done, but simply as above; and the reasons appear sufficiently obvious. They murdered a prince - Hamor, the father of Shechem. Instead of שור shor, which we have translated a wall, and others an ox, I read שר sar, a prince, which makes a consistent sense; (see Kennicott's first Dissertation, p. 56, etc.); as there is no evidence whatever that Simeon and Levi either dug down a wall or houghed the oxen, as some have translated the passage; Or houghed oxen; on the contrary, the text, Genesis 34:28, Genesis 34:29, proves that they had taken for their own use the sheep, oxen, asses, all their wealth, their wives, and their little ones.
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
O my soul.
Judges 5:21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, you have trodden down strength.
Psalm 42:5,11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted in me? hope you in God...
Psalm 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him...
Psalm 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Jeremiah 4:19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because you have heard...
Luke 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have much goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
come.
Genesis 34:30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, You have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land...
Psalm 5:10 Destroy you them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions...
Psalm 26:4,5 I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers...
Psalm 38:3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of your anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.
Psalm 94:20,21 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with you, which frames mischief by a law...
Psalm 139:19 Surely you will slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, you bloody men.
Proverbs 1:11,15,16 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privately for the innocent without cause...
Proverbs 12:5 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
secret.
Deuteronomy 27:24 Cursed be he that smites his neighbor secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Psalm 26:9 Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:
Psalm 94:20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with you, which frames mischief by a law?
2 Corinthians 6:14 Be you not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness?...
honour.
Psalm 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
Psalm 30:12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to you, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you for ever.
Psalm 57:8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
a man.
Genesis 34:25,26 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 brothers...
digged down a wall. or, houghed oxen.
Genesis 49:6 Parallel Commentaries
Anger Assembly Cattle Company Council Death Digged Enter Far Glory Hamstring Hamstrung Heart Hocked Honor Honour Houghed Joined Killed Meetings Ox Oxen Part Pleased Pleasure Secret Secrets Self-Will Slay Slew Soul Spirit United Wall Wantonness Wounded WrathAnger Assembly Cattle Company Council Death Digged Enter Far Glory Hamstring Hamstrung Heart Hocked Honor Honour Houghed Joined Killed Meetings Ox Oxen Part Pleased Pleasure Secret Secrets Self-Will Slay Slew Soul Spirit United Wall Wantonness Wounded Wrath |
