Genesis 34:31

Should he deal with our sister? But Jacob’s sons did not see things as their father did. To them their reprisal seemed fully justified. They not only vindicated themselves but implied that their father was less concerned for his daughter than they had been for her as their sister. The word “harlot,” zanah, signifying prostitution for hire, is here used for the first time in the Bible. This passage shows that prostitution was then existing in Palestine, and that it was considered a dishonorable profession.

This narrative forms a dark chapter in the history of the patriarchs. It teaches that a just cause for anger is not an excuse for rash action. Patience under injustice merits divine approval (1 Peter 2:19, 20; 3:17), for vengeance and retribution belong to God alone (Rom. 12:19). He alone has the wisdom to measure it out with justice and season it with mercy. Under certain circumstances anger may be fully justified, but it is to be directed against the sin rather than against the sinner. It has been stated that the only anger without sin is anger against sin (Eph. 4:26). Anger against one’s fellow men disqualifies the angered person from exercising unbiased judgment (see Matt. 7:1,2).

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