Jacob spent a great deal of time worrying over his reception with Esau, only to be greeted as a brother! Esau runs to greet Jacob, kisses him, weeps upon his neck, embraces him: this is not the greeting of someone still angry. I even checked out some commentaries to see if there were nuances in their greetings to one another: was it possible that in the discussion about the gifts that there was some Middle Eastern style bargaining that I, an everyday reader, would miss? But there doesn't appear to be.
Notice, though, that Isaac's blessing on Esau has come to fruition: Esau has thrown off his brother's yoke. He has enough to keep him happy and indeed seems quite happy. He no longer bears any ill-will towards Jacob and is free from that yoke. In fact, Jacob is the one who is humbling himself before Esau, fearing Esau's retaliation.
Poor Dinah. She truly is a victim in all this mess: first demeaned by another man's raped, and then robbed of any opportunity to marry by her brothers' revenge. A woman who has already known a man, albeit unwillingly, would find it very difficult to find a husband. No matter how this matter played out, Dinah would have been the loser.
If one ever thinks that their actions today do not have long term consequences, this story would definitely set things straight. For Dinah, she was "ruined" in the eyes of all, and no longer marriageable. The most she could hope for would be to live in one of her brothers' families and act as nursemaid to nieces and nephews. Simeon and Levi would also eventually feel the results of their actions. They had acted not only deceitfully, but cowardly, coming against the men when they were waylaid by a condition set by Jacob's sons. They did so without their father's knowledge or consent. Jacob's words at the end of the chapter might sound weak, but it all plays out in the blessings Jacob lays on his sons at the end of his life: Simeon and Levi are both left out of the inheritance in the land. After the Exodus and the wilderness wanderings, you see this come to fruition: Simeon is given no portion of the Promised Land. Rather, the tribe is absorbed into others and ceases to be an entity as such at that time; likewise, Levi is not give a portion of land but instead is given towns as part of their priestly duties. Often in the history of Israel, the two tribes spoken of to replace Simeon and Levi are Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph's sons by an Egyptian.
Tomorrow's Reading: Genesis 35:1-29
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