What does Genesis 34:10 mean?

Hamor and his son, Shechem, have come to ask Jacob for Dinah's hand in marriage to Shechem. Jacob and his sons, however, know that Shechem has raped Dinah and that she has not returned from the city (Genesis 34:1–7). Shechem's father is the ruler of the city. He has made it clear that Shechem is in love with Dinah and has asked that Jacob give her as a bride. In addition, he has suggested their peoples intermarry freely, sons to daughters and daughters to sons.

Now he points out the business opportunities this could create for both peoples, encouraging Jacob to make this their permanent home. They could trade freely and make acquisitions. Hamor is not simply appealing to Jacob for a single marriage; he is lobbying for peace between these groups of people.

Hamor may be sincere in these offers, but underneath it all he is attempting to smooth over Shechem's crime. Judging by what happens in the rest of this chapter, he misunderstands how serious this crime was to Dinah's family. Worse, it's possible that this is a blatant attempt to buy off Dinah's father and brothers with the promise of prosperity. Even if that's not Hamor's intention, it's possible that Jacob's sons interpret it that way, making them even more enraged.

Even if Jacob had been willing to consider Hamor's suggestions, he knows he must not allow his sons to intermarry with the Canaanites. He knows, also, that God has already promised to give to him and his descendants all of the land of Canaan. He doesn't need Hamor's offer for his people to eventually take possession of what God has already granted.