What does Genesis 34:17 mean?
Dinah's wealthy and powerful rapist has offered to pay any price to be married to her and, presumedly, to not be held accountable for the crime (Genesis 34:1–12). Jacob's sons, however, want nothing but revenge (Genesis 34:13).They pretend to agree to Shechem's proposal on one condition: all males in the community of Shechem must be circumcised, as Jacob's people are. Then the two peoples can freely intermarry and become one. In contrast, they claim, if all the male Shechemites are not circumcised, there would be no wedding and no joining of their peoples. The reference to "taking" Dinah back might have also been a form of a threat. She has not appeared on the scene since being assaulted, and it seems that she is being held by Shechem's people (Genesis 34:26).
Faced with what seems to be a choice between being held accountable, versus increased wealth and status, Hamor and Shechem will fall for this trap (Genesis 34:18).
