Genesis 34:1 And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bore unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.
Another byproduct of thirsting for revenge is that it isn’t the revenger only that is ill affected, because quite often other persons are drawn into the fray, since the spirit of revenge has the tendency to become contagious. In certain cases, entire cities and nations are drawn into the ring, as the opposing parties push ahead to settle the score. This is what took place with the sons of Jacob after their sister Dinah was defiled by the son of a foreign monarch’s son.
Their thirsting for revenge knew no bounds, and in the process, they meted out deadly retribution on persons who had nothing to do with the wrong act. In other words, as far as they were concerned, Peter would pay for Paul, and Paul would pay for all. They did not stop to think that some difference should be made between the innocent civilians, and the guilty. Instead, in their blind rage, they mowed down folks in cold blood and the carnage did not stop until they had spoiled the entire city.
Now, there is no doubt that a great wrong had been committed by the offender, but to go in and kill any and every male person they saw, without making a distinction between the innocent and the guilty was the result of taking vengeance into their own hands. That is what happens when mortals take vengeance out of God’s hands, for they always tend to do much more harm and damage than is justified, warranted, or necessary.
Genesis 34:7 And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter: which thing ought not to be done.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!