Daughter of the patriarch Jacob and his wife Leah. She was a sister of Simeon and Levi.
About Dinah
Daughter born to Jacob and Leah (Gn 30:21), whose name means “judgment.” Living with her family at Shechem, a Canaanite city (33:18), Dinah went in to visit some neighboring pagan women (34:1). Shechem, the Hivite prince of the area, saw her and, while Dinah’s brothers were away in the fields tending their herds, he raped her. Shechem then requested Dinah from Jacob as a wife.
Jacob’s sons, enraged at the dishonor done to their sister, plotted revenge. They agreed to the marriage on the terms that all the Hivite males be circumcised. Hamor, Shechem’s father, consented. While the Canaanite men were still incapacitated from their surgery, Dinah’s brothers Levi and Simeon led a massacre in the city and killed every male. Dinah was retrieved and the city plundered. The brothers excused their action as a just retribution for one of the Canaanites having treated their sister as a harlot (Gn 34:27–31). For their use of weapons of violence (49:5), Simeon and Levi were later cursed by Jacob.
Family Relationships
- Parents
- Israel, Leah
- Siblings 6
- Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun
- Half-siblings 6
- Dan (Patriarch), Naphtali, Gad (Patriarch), Asher, Joseph, Benjamin
- Nieces & Nephews 57
- Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, Carmi, Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zerah, Shaul, Gershon, Kohath, Merari, Jochebed, Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, Zerah, Hushim (Genesis 46:23), Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, Shillem, Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arod, Areli, Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi (Genesis 46:17), Beriah, Serah, Tola, Puah, Jashub, Shimron, Sered, Elon (Genesis 46:14), Jahleel, Manasseh (Son of Joseph), Ephraim, Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, Ard, Ahiram, Jediael
- Aunt
- Rachel
- Uncle
- Esau
- Cousins 7
- Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, Korah, Joseph, Benjamin
Key References
Again Leah conceived and bore a sixth son to Jacob.
“God has given me a good gift,” she said. “This time my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” And she named him Zebulun.
After that, Leah gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land.
These are the sons of Leah born to Jacob in Paddan-aram, in addition to his daughter Dinah. The total number of sons and daughters was thirty-three.
All Scripture References (8)
Genesis (8)
After that, Leah gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land.
And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly.
Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, he remained silent about it until they returned.
But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully.
Three days later, while they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons (Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi) took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and slaughtered every male.
They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away.
These are the sons of Leah born to Jacob in Paddan-aram, in addition to his daughter Dinah. The total number of sons and daughters was thirty-three.