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.

GENESIS 34:30KJV
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Genesis 34:30 (KJV)

What does Genesis 34:30 mean?

Genesis 34:30 describes Jacob rebuking his sons Simeon and Levi after they attacked the city of Shechem. Jacob tells them that their actions have made him “stink” (become hated or despised) among the local people, and he fears that, because his family is small, the surrounding groups might unite against him and destroy his household.

In this verse, Jacob is speaking directly to Simeon and Levi after they killed the men of Shechem in retaliation for their sister Dinah’s defilement. Jacob’s concern is practical and immediate: he worries that the violence will provoke the Canaanites and Perizzites, making his family vulnerable to attack. The verse highlights Jacob’s fear for his family’s survival and his disapproval of his sons’ violent response.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 34:30

  • “Troubled” (עָכַר, ‘akar): This word means to bring trouble, disturb, or cause calamity. Jacob is emphasizing that his sons’ actions have brought real harm or danger to him.
  • “Stink” (בָּאַשׁ, ba’ash): This word means to become odious or detested. Jacob is saying that his reputation among the people of the land is now ruined, making peaceful relations difficult.
  • “Few” (מְתֵי, meṭe): This word refers to being small in number. Jacob is highlighting how vulnerable his family is compared to the larger populations around them.
  • “Destroyed” (שָׁמַד, shamad): This word carries the sense of being completely wiped out or annihilated. Jacob’s fear is not just of conflict, but of total destruction for himself and his household.

Why Genesis 34:30 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Jacob did not approve of Simeon and Levi’s violent actions, showing a difference between his perspective and theirs.
  • The verse emphasizes the real dangers small groups faced in ancient times when surrounded by larger, potentially hostile populations.
  • Genesis 34:30 sets up later tensions within Jacob’s family and among the tribes of Israel, as the consequences of this event echo in later chapters.

Where else these words appear

“troubled” Hebrew H5916 · used in 13 verses

  • Joshua 6:18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
  • 1 Kings 18:17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
  • Proverbs 11:17 The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

“stink” Hebrew H887 · used in 16 verses

  • Exodus 5:21 And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
  • Exodus 16:24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
  • 1 Chronicles 19:6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syriamaachah, and out of Zobah.

“few” Hebrew H4962 · used in 21 verses

  • Deuteronomy 2:34 And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain:
  • 1 Chronicles 16:19 When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.
  • Psalms 17:14 From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.

“Perizzites” Hebrew H6522 · used in 23 verses

  • Genesis 13:7 And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
  • Deuteronomy 7:1 When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
  • Joshua 24:11 And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand.