Reference: Hamor
Hastings
Some think that the name points to a totem clan, such as there is reason to believe existed among the early Canaanite, and other Semitic, peoples. He is 'the father of Shechem' (Ge 33:19-20; Jos 24:32; Jg 9:28); but in the first and last two of these passages, the inhabitants of Shechem are called 'the sons of Hamor' and 'the men of Hamor.' It would seem, therefore, that Hamor is not to be considered an historical individual, but the eponymous ancestor of the Hamorites [cf. 'the sons of Heth' = the Hittites, Ge 23:3], who were a branch of the Hivites (Ge 34:2); and 'the father of Shechem' means the founder of the place Shechem (cf. 1Ch 2:50 f.).
Ge 34 contains a composite narrative. According to p (Ge 34:1-2 a, Ge 34:4,6,8-10,13-18,20-25 (partly) Ge 34:27-29), Hamor negotiates with Jacob and his sons for the marriage of Shechem and Dinah, with the object of amalgamating the two peoples; circumcision is imposed by the sons of Jacob upon the whole Hamorite tribe, and then they attack the city, slaying all the males and carrying off the whole of the spoil. In the remaining verses of the chapter, the earlier narrative (Jahwist) pictures a much smaller personal affair, in which Shechem loves, and is ready to marry, Dinah; he only is circumcised, and he and Hamor alone are slain by Simeon and Levi
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,
So the field of Ephron, which was at Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all its borders round about,
And he bought the portion of the field where he had spread his tent, of the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred kesitahs. And there he set up an altar, and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
And Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And when Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and humbled her.
And when Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and humbled her.
And Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, Take me this girl as wife.
And Hamor the father of Shechem came out to Jacob, to speak to him.
And Hamor spoke to them, saying, My son Shechem's soul cleaves to your daughter: I pray you, give her to him as wife. And make marriages with us: give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to you. read more. And dwell with us, and the land shall be before you: dwell and trade in it, and get yourselves possessions in it.
And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and spoke because he had defiled Dinah their sister -- and said to them, We cannot do this, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach to us. read more. But only in this will we consent to you, if ye will be as we, that every male of you be circumcised; then will we give our daughters to you, and take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and be one people. But if ye do not hearken to us, to be circumcised, then will we take our daughter and go away. And their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son.
And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and spoke to the men of their city, saying, These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade in it. And the land behold, it is of wide extent before them. We will take their daughters as wives, and give them our daughters. read more. But only in this will the men consent to us to dwell with us, to be one people if every male among us be circumcised, just as they are circumcised. Their cattle, and their possessions, and every beast of theirs, shall they not be ours? only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us. And all that went out at the gate of his city hearkened to Hamor and to Shechem his son; and every male was circumcised all that went out at the gate of his city. And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.
The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. Their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and what was in the city, and what was in the field they took; read more. and all their goods, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and plundered them, and all that was in the houses.
Simeon and Levi are brethren: Instruments of violence their swords. My soul, come not into their council; Mine honour, be not united with their assembly; For in their anger they slew men, And in their wantonness houghed oxen. read more. Cursed be their anger, for it was violent; And their rage, for it was cruel! I will divide them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel.
and his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah which Abraham had bought along with the field, for a possession of a sepulchre, of Ephron the Hittite, opposite to Mamre.
And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem in the portion of the field which Jacob had bought of the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred kesitahs; and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem in the portion of the field which Jacob had bought of the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred kesitahs; and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
And Ga'al the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abim'elech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Did not the son of Jerubba'al and Zebul his officer serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem? Why then should we serve him?
These are the sons of Caleb. The sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah: Shobal the father of Kirjath-jearim,
and delivered him out of all his tribulations, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he appointed him chief over Egypt and all his house.