What does Genesis 34:26 mean?

Amid their slaughter of every man in the city, the fighting forces of Levi and Simeon kill Hamor and Shechem. Shechem had raped Jacob's daughter, Dinah (Genesis 34:1–8). Then he and his father Hamor had attempted to negotiate for marriage rights by speaking to her father and brothers (Genesis 34:9–12). Jacob's sons responded with a trap, offering free trade and intermarriage if the men of the town would be circumcised (Genesis 34:13–16). When the townspeople agreed (Genesis 34:20–24), it left their fighting men temporarily handicapped and vulnerable. This was when Dinah's brothers swept in and took their bloody revenge (Genesis 34:25).

This verse notes that as part of the raid, Dinah is taken from Shechem's house. This implies that from the time of her assault until now—at least several days—she has been held in the home of her rapist. Scripture does not explicitly say she was held as a captive, but it's most likely she was there against her will.

It's possible that favoritism has played a double role in this event. Shechem's depiction in this passage is that of a spoiled, impulsive man, used to getting his way without consequences. Levi, Simeon, and Dinah are all children of Leah, a wife Jacob treated with much less favor than Rachel. This multiplied revenge may have expressed their anger. Jacob's seemingly-passive attitude towards Dinah's rape (Genesis 34:5–7) could have struck a nerve with the other children of the less-loved wife.