Genesis 34:26 - Exposition

And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son, with the edge (literally, the mouth ) of the sword ,—without excusing the inhuman barbarity of this remorseless massacre, Kurtz offers an elaborate and interesting analysis of the complex motive of which it was the outcome, in particular showing how in Jacob's sons that strange admixture of religious zeal and carnal passion, of lofty faith and low craft, existed which formed so large a portion of the character of the patriarch himself ( vide 'Hist. of the Old Covenant,' vol. 1. § 82)— and took Dinah out of Shechem's house ,—in which up to this time she had been detained against her will (Alford), though this may be open to question (Kalisch)— and went out.