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
In the biblical narrative of Genesis 34, Shechem, the son of Hamor, had taken Dinah, Jacob's daughter, by force, leading to negotiations for marriage and alliance between their families. Hamor and Shechem agreed to have all the men in their city circumcised as a condition set by Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, to supposedly unite the groups. This event reflects the cultural tensions and practices of ancient Canaanite societies, where such rituals were tied to identity and covenants.
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