And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, 'You have brought trouble on me and made me hated by the people living in this land - the Canaanites and Perizzites. Since we are so few in number, they will band together against me and attack me, and I will be destroyed along with my entire household.'
Jacob is expressing fear and anger that his sons' violent actions have put their entire family in danger by making enemies of the local people.
📚 Historical Context
This verse follows the brutal revenge of Simeon and Levi, who killed all the men of Shechem after their sister Dinah was violated. Jacob's family was living as foreigners among the Canaanite tribes, dependent on maintaining peaceful relationships for survival. As a small clan surrounded by larger, established populations, any act of violence could provoke devastating retaliation.
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