All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just list what was taken, but emphasizes the totality of the plunder. This wasn't just about taking valuables; they took "all their little ones and their wives," meaning the very people and future of the defeated city were seized, leaving nothing behind.
All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following Dinah's violation and the deceptive circumcision of the Shechemites, Jacob's sons Simeon and Levi exact brutal revenge, slaughtering all the men of the city and taking its inhabitants and possessions. This violent act leaves Jacob deeply troubled, fearing the repercussions from the surrounding Canaanite peoples.
Imagine a victory so total, it leaves nothing untouched. This verse paints a stark picture of the material devastation left behind after Simeon and Levi's brutal act.
The sons of Jacob didn't just kill the men; they stripped the city bare.
While Simeon and Levi saw their actions as justified, their father Jacob’s reaction reveals a deeper spiritual and moral dimension to this brutal event.
Jacob’s response to the massacre and plunder is crucial. He isn't celebrating a victory; he's horrified by the repercussions.
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Understand the original words
chayil · Hebrew Noun
A general term for property, goods, or abundance. In a biblical context, wealth is often viewed as a blessing from God, though it can also become a snare or a source of conflict when sought through injustice.
shabah · Hebrew Verb
Used here to denote being taken captive or seized in the context of war. It implies the subjugation of people and the seizure of property, reflecting the harsh realities of ancient conflict.
This verse describes the brutal spoils of war taken by Jacob's sons after their violent retribution. It highlights the immense loss of property, family members, and livelihoods that resulted from the conflict, emphasizing the devastating consequences of the sons' actions.
c. 1700 BC
Jacob and his family settle near Shechem
Jacob's family, including his daughter Dinah, settles in the region of Shechem after a period of wandering. This proximity sets the stage for the events that follow.
c. 1700 BC
Shechem violates Dinah
Shechem, son of the local ruler Hamor, sees Dinah, has relations with her, and then desires to marry her. This act causes great distress and anger within Jacob's family.
c. 1700 BC
Jacob's sons deceive the Shechemites
In response to the violation of Dinah, Jacob's sons Simeon and Levi, feigning a desire for peace and intermarriage, trick the men of Shechem into undergoing circumcision. This leaves them vulnerable.
c. 1700 BC— this verse
Simeon and Levi attack Shechem
While the men of Shechem are still recovering from their circumcision, Simeon and Levi lead an attack, killing all the males in the city and plundering its inhabitants.
c. 1700 BC
Jacob condemns the act
Jacob expresses his deep displeasure and fear to Simeon and Levi, recognizing that their violent actions will make his family a target for the surrounding Canaanites and Perizzites.
This passage shows the devastating consequences of sin and the subsequent loss of 'spoils' or plunder, echoing the theme of taking wealth that doesn't belong to them.
2 Kings 14:14This verse describes a similar act of plundering, where the victors took all the wealth and captives, highlighting the recurring pattern of taking spoils in ancient warfare.
Jeremiah 51:14This prophetic passage speaks of plundering and taking spoils, even referring to the plunderers being filled with them, paralleling the actions in Genesis 34.
Ezekiel 27:33This verse details the immense wealth and spoil that came to a city through trade, and the subsequent lament when that wealth and plunder are lost, connecting to the 'wealth' taken in Genesis 34.
gillGenesis 34:29: "And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house."
And all their wealth,.... Or "power" (o) or "strength"; every thing that made them mighty and powerful; their gold and silver, their jewels, and rich furniture of their houses, their arms and weapons of war, their goods and substance, in which they trafficked: and all their little ones and their wives took they captive: they spared the women and childr…
calvinGenesis 34:1-31: "And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land."
And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done.
Porro filii Iahacob venerunt de agro: qui quum audierunt ipsi, dolore affecti sunt viri, iratique sunt valde: quia flagitium designasset in Israel, ut…
The verse doesn't just list what was taken, but emphasizes the totality of the plunder. This wasn't just about taking valuables; they took "all their little ones and their wives," meaning the very people and future of the defeated city were seized, leaving nothing behind.
Following Dinah's violation and the deceptive circumcision of the Shechemites, Jacob's sons Simeon and Levi exact brutal revenge, slaughtering all the men of the city and taking its inhabitants and possessions. This violent act leaves Jacob deeply troubled, fearing the repercussions from the surrounding Canaanite peoples.
Following Dinah's violation and the deceptive circumcision of the Shechemites, Jacob's sons Simeon and Levi exact brutal revenge, slaughtering all the men of the city and taking its inhabitants and possessions. This violent act leaves Jacob deeply troubled, fearing the repercussions from the surrounding Canaanite peoples.
"All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered." — The verse doesn't just list what was taken, but emphasizes the totality of the plunder. This wasn't just about taking valuables; they took "all their little ones and their wives," meaning the very…
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Last reviewed October 2026