What If Dinah Was Raped Summary

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

“unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourn these carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female oro with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent — compare.” On the other hand, in the Bible, rape is referred to “If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.” In the Bible, at least the man married the woman after. Nowadays, the victim is left hurt and alone. Rape is a horrible act, no matter what time period, but what happens afterwards is where the difference is made.
No one will ever truly know if Dinah was raped or if it was consensual, but we are all allowed to have our own opinions of what happened.

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

consequences.
According to Lyn Bechtel, rape only occurs when there is a cry of force. Bechtel claims that if “There is sexual intercourse between the man and the already bonded young woman, with no use of force and no cry of help from the woman in a place where it would have been heard. This does not qualify as rape; there is no cry for help and no use of force.” I think that this is outrageous. If it is not consensual, then it is rape. No doubt about it. The problem with Genesis 34 is that it leaves out parts of information that are key to determining whether or not it was rape, so there is no true right or wrong answer.
Bechtel also says, “Sociological studies reveal that rapists feel hostility and hatred toward their victims, not love.” This is not true in all cases though. The National Institute of Justice states that “6 out of 10 rape or sexual assault victims said that they were assaulted by an intimate partner, relative, friend or acquaintance.” The victim might not hate their partner, but it is still considered rape if it was not agreed upon by both partners. The Institute also claims, “34 percent of women surveyed were victims of sexual coercion by a husband or intimate partner.” This shows that love can be involved in rape. Even though the partners are married, it doesn’t mean that gives you a free ticket to have sex without the other’s permission. The “rules” for rape are still the same, whether you are married, dating, or strangers.
Overall, there are a few opinions to the story of Dinah. Was she raped or was it consensual? No one will ever actually know, but it really depends on how you define “rape”. There are people who believe that she allowed Shechem to have sex with her without any force, therefore it was not rape. Others will tell you that Dinah was left without a choice, and there is no evidence of her not struggling. Some people think it is acceptable to assume that it is not rape just because it doesn’t specifically say the victim cried out for help. Dinah was taken advantage of no matter what, which is wrong, in any situation.