And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us:

GENESIS 34:14KJV
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Genesis 34:14 (KJV)

What does Genesis 34:14 mean?

Genesis 34:14 records Jacob’s sons telling Shechem and his father Hamor that they cannot give their sister Dinah in marriage to someone who is uncircumcised, because that would be a disgrace to their family. The verse shows the brothers drawing a clear line based on their cultural and religious identity.

In this situation, Jacob’s sons are responding after Shechem, a local prince, has asked to marry Dinah following his violation of her. The brothers use the issue of circumcision—a physical sign of their covenant with God—to explain why they cannot agree to the marriage as things stand. Their answer sets up the conditions for what will happen next in the story.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 34:14

  • "uncircumcised" (עָרֵל, ʿarel): This word means someone who has not undergone circumcision, which in the context of Genesis marks someone as an outsider to the covenant community. The brothers’ use of this word emphasizes the deep cultural and religious divide.
  • "reproach" (חֶרְפָּה, ḥerpah): This word means disgrace or shame. The brothers are saying that allowing such a marriage would bring shame on their family, highlighting the seriousness with which they view their distinct identity.

Why Genesis 34:14 matters

  • The verse clarifies that the brothers’ objection is not just personal anger, but rooted in their understanding of what it means to belong to their community and faith.
  • By focusing on circumcision, the verse shows how important outward signs of faith and identity were in ancient Israel.
  • This statement sets the stage for the events that follow, revealing the brothers’ intentions and the seriousness of the cultural boundaries at play in the story.

Where else these words appear

“uncircumcised” Hebrew H6190 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 17:11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
  • Exodus 4:25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.
  • 1 Samuel 18:25 And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

“reproach” Hebrew H2781 · used in 72 verses

  • Genesis 30:23 And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:
  • Psalms 74:22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
  • Jeremiah 42:18 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.

“cannot” Hebrew H3808 · used in 73 verses

  • Genesis 2:5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
  • Numbers 19:2 This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:
  • Psalms 17:1 A Prayer of David. Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.

“sister” Hebrew H269 · used in 104 verses

  • Genesis 4:22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.
  • Leviticus 18:18 Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.
  • Job 1:4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.