And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.
All the men who lived in Hamor and Shechem's city listened to them and agreed to their plan. Every male in the city was circumcised, just as they had requested.
The writer is showing that all the men in Shechem's city agreed to be circumcised as part of the agreement with Jacob's sons.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes after Shechem violated Dinah (Jacob's daughter) and then wanted to marry her. Jacob's sons had demanded that all the men in Shechem's city be circumcised before any marriage could take place. The phrase 'went out of the gate of his city' refers to the adult men who conducted business and made decisions at the city gate, which was the center of civic life in ancient times.
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