Day 11: Genesis 34-36

Day 11: Genesis 34-36

Someone’s in the Kitchen with Dinah

The story of Dinah in Genesis has been seen as a story of rape; however, I am not sure if the story is much different than any other sexual encounter that we have seen in the Bible thus far. With women being seen as property, I highly doubt that many of these women had a choice about who they slept with. In fact, the real issue that Jacob’s family faced was not that Dinah did not want to sleep with Shechem but that someone had taken power over their property.

Since the first mention of Dinah a few chapters previous, the song “I’ve been working on the railroad” has been going through my head. You know the song:

I've been working on the railroad
All the live-long day.
I've been working on the railroad
Just to pass the time away.

Don't you hear the whistle blowing,
Rise up so early in the morn;
Don't you hear the captain shouting,
"Dinah, blow your horn!"

Dinah, won't you blow,
Dinah, won't you blow your horn?
Dinah, won't you blow,
Dinah, won't you blow your horn?

Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah
Someone's in the kitchen I know
Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah
Strummin' on the old banjo!

Singin' fi, fie, fiddly-i-o
Fi, fie, fiddly-i-o-o-o-o
Fi, fie, fiddly-i-o
Strummin' on the old banjo.

Someone's makin' love to Dinah
Someone's making love I know.
Someone's making love to Dinah
'Cause I can't hear the old banjo

After reading today’s passage, I found this song take on a whole new meaning. In the song, Dinah reportedly refers to a common name for an enslaved African woman. In today’s passage, Dinah is the name of Jacob’s daughter. Both of these women would be considered slaves to some degree, at least in the modern terminology we throw around.

I wonder if the writer of “I’ve been working on the railroad” was familiar with the story of the Biblical Dinah. If so, what would the song mean to people of faith?

War and Peace

After the rape of Dinah, Jacob and his sons declare “war” against Shechem and his family. Shechem, however, tries to find favor with Jacob by asking for Dinah’s hand in marriage. In yet another manipulative technique, Jacob’s family convinces Shechem and his people that they will only give Dinah in marriage if they all become circumcised, which was a very painful process as an adult (and I am sure as a child at that time).

Shechem and his people agree to this painful procedure, insinuating that they are committed and willing to join Jacob’s people, and thus God’s people. Jacob’s sons have another idea in mind. While the men are in pain from their procedures, the sons of Jacob sneak into their city and kill all of the men. Now that is hitting below the belt…big pun intended.

Again God steps in to protect Jacob. Again we see that God does require us to be perfect in order to be loved. Again we see God protecting God’s children. Sure, we do only see God protecting Jacob’s family, but the story is being told from Jacob’s perspective. But the message is that God continues to be there even when we do not do what is “right” or “just.”

Israel, a Nation

Earlier in this week’s reading we first encounter Jacob being renamed Israel. Today, we hear God rename Jacob. Genesis 35 contains god’s promise to Jacob, a promise that finally fulfills the covenant that God makes with Abraham and Isaac. God stats, “be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you.”

I often wrestle with the characters of the Bible. I often wonder if the names that we read are not referring to a specific person but to communities of people. When Jacob is renamed Israel, the name given to the tribes of people who follow a specific God, I feel reinforced with my understanding. If we took this approaching, seeing each name as a community of people, what would happen to our reading of the Biblical narrative?

Genesis 35 concludes with the naming of the tribes and people that follow in the line of Abraham. This includes the twelve sons of Jacob and the sons and tribes of Esau. All in all a long list of names that I couldn’t pronounce if my life depended on it.

My mother and I have wrestled with the purpose of all of these names. Are they there because they are important names? Are they there to tell us about time? Are they there to confuse us and give us headaches? Are they there just for the people of that time or for all time? Sadly (well, not really), I do not have an answer. What do you think?