Genesis 34:5
But when Jacob had heard this, his sons being absent, and employed in feeding the cattle, he held his peace till they came back.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Quod cum audisset Jacob absentibus filiis, et in pastu pecorum occupatis, siluit donec redirent.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Ἰακὼβ δὲ ἤκουσεν ὅτι ἐμίανεν ὁ υἱὸς Ἐμμὼρ Δείναν τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτοῦ· οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ ἦσαν μετὰ τῶν κτηνῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ· παρεσιώπησεν δὲ Ἰακὼβ ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν αὐτούς.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וְיַעֲקֹ֣ב שָׁמַ֗ע כִּ֤י טִמֵּא֙ אֶת דִּינָ֣ה בִתּ֔וֹ וּבָנָ֛יו הָי֥וּ אֶת מִקְנֵ֖הוּ בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וְהֶחֱרִ֥שׁ יַעֲקֹ֖ב עַד בֹּאָֽם
Haydock's commentary
Heard this, perhaps, from Dina's companion. (Menochius)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Ambrose On the Duties of the Clergy, Chapter XXV. A reason is given why this book did not open with a discussion of the above-mentioned virtues. It is also concisely pointed out that the same virtues existed in the ancient fathers
120. Is there greater wisdom than holy Jacob’s, who saw God face to face and won a blessing? Can there be higher justice than his in dividing with his brother what he had acquired, and offering it as a gift? What greater fortitude than his in striving with God? What moderation so true as his, who acted with such moderation as regards time and place, as to prefer to hide his daughter’s shame rather than to avenge himself? For being set in the midst of foes, he thought it better to gain their affections than to concentrate their hate on himself.
St Ambrose On the Duties of the Clergy, Chapter V. Those things which are generally looked on as good are mostly hindrances to a blessed life, and those which are looked on as evil are the materials out of which virtues grow. What belongs to blessedness is shown by other examples
20. Suppose that things come which are accounted terrible as regards the grief they cause, such as blindness, exile, hunger, violation of a daughter, loss of children. Who will deny that Isaac was blessed, who did not see in his old age, and yet gave blessings with his benediction? Was not Jacob blessed who, leaving his father’s house, endured exile as a shepherd for pay, and mourned for the violated chastity of his daughter, and suffered hunger? Were they not blessed on whose good faith God received witness, as it is written: “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”? A wretched thing is slavery, but Joseph was not wretched; nay, clearly he was blessed, when he whilst in slavery checked the lusts of his mistress. …