What If Dinah Was Raped Summary

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In the journal article, What If Dinah Was Raped?, by Lyn Bechtel, she gives her opinion on whether or not Dinah was raped and her explanation why. She claims that it has a lot to do with whether or not the intercourse was for a reason, like continuing family lines. Sexual actions result in power and strength that is shown throughout the family connections. Therefore, the more sex that occurred, the stronger bond there was in their group-orientation.
When you first read the words of Genesis 34, you might think that Dinah was raped by Shechem. The reason for this mistake is because in modern time we have a definition of rape that is different from the early days of the bible. According to Merriam Webster's Dictionary, rape is defined as …show more content…

I agree with Bechtel that rape “is an exploitative act that silences the male's feelings of vulnerability, inferiority and lack of control (which in individual-oriented society are considered 'feminine' and, therefore, unacceptable for a male) by creating the illusion of power, control, dominance and superiority.” On the contrary, I believe that Dinah was raped. In Genesis 34:2, it says And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humiliated her.” The word “seized” stands out to me because it is very powerful and strong. It makes it seem like he was forcing her to go to him, which would display the definition of rape from Merriam Webster’s Dictionary. Depending on which Bible version you use, there are different ways that this passage is stated. In the New International Version, Genesis 34:2 goes “When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.” It physically says “raped” and I don’t think the author would have said that unless it was true. That is not a word to be thrown around for fun and has very severe

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