Dinah Sociology

Introduction

The Book of Genesis is the first book in the Bible and was written by Moses. It is the first of 5 books of Moses and was written between 1450 and 1400 BC. The word Genesis means “beginning” or ‘origin”. (Holman 2013). The Historical coverage of Genesis is from creation to the death of Joseph in Egypt. (Gordon 2002). In the book of Genesis in chapter 33, we read about Jacob entering the city of Shechem which means “Shoulder” and in chapter 34:1- 31 we read about Dinah, (in Hebrew, Dinah means justice) (Blank n.d.). Dinah was the daughter of Leah and Jacob; she went out to visit the women of Shechem. Hamor the prince of the land had a son named Shechem and while Dinah was going to visit the women he “took Dinah and lay with her

But if we look at the story of the nameless Samaritan woman at the well, recorded in the Gospel of John in the New Testament, we today have a hope that Dinah didn’t have. This Samaritan woman like Dinah also suffered shame from being used and abused. But Jesus; ironically went to Jacobs well which was in the vicinity of where Dinah’s violation happened, “Shechem” at this place Jesus gave hope to the broken Samaritan woman. Jesus was making a statement for Dinah at Jacobs well with the Samaritan woman. Restoration had come; Justice (the meaning of Dinah’s name) had come through Jesus for the woman at the well and for many women of today. Not only did Jesus give restoration and hope to the Samaritan women and us; he also gave us the assurance of the fathers shoulder to lean on in times of trouble, something Dinah didn’t have; a shoulder to lean on in her father Jacob. This tells us that the father in heaven cares for our brokenness and that we are not forgotten. Dinah was not forgotten, the father in heaven didn’t forget the violation of Dinah; He sent Jesus to Jacobs well and brought restoration. Dinah’s story is a story of brokenness on many levels that we can relate to in our lives today. But through Jesus; Dinah’s story was restored

We never hear the voice of Dinah in Scripture. But we here how Jacob’s sons deceitfully plotted to kill Shechem and others for his act of defilement. One rape resulted in slaughter. But the act of revenge did not bring healing or restoration to Dinah; Women who were defiled in those days were considered unclean and not worthy of marriage. The rape was not her fault—but she bore the guilt. Dinah became the prototype of all women who have been violated. We don’t read much more in the Bible about that awful place where Dinah was violated until the Son of God arrives on the scene in the New Testament. Jesus was willing to visit that unholy site. Jesus went into Samaria and sat down at a well, located on the plot of ground that Jacob had purchased centuries earlier. We don’t know the Samaritan woman’s name, but I am sure she was familiar with what had happened to Dinah so long ago in that land. On that day in Samaria, the dark clouds that had cast heavy burdens over all women in that region were lifted. Jesus answered Dinah’s cry and gave hope to the Samaritan woman and all the Dinah’s in the world