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 stood up from the corpse, and talked with the sons of Heth saying,
Thus was the field of Ephron wherein the double cave is before Mamre - even the field and the cave that is therein, and all the trees of the field which grow in all the borders round about - made sure unto Abraham for a possession,
and bought a parcel of ground - where he pitched his tent - of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred lambs. And he made there an altar, and there called upon the mighty God of Israel.
Dina, the daughter of Lea which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, lord of the country, saw her, and took her, and lay with her, and forced her:
And Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, lord of the country, saw her, and took her, and lay with her, and forced her:
and spake unto his father, Hamor, saying, "Get me this maiden unto my wife."
Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob, to commune with him.
And Hamor communed with them, saying, "The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: give her him to wife, and make marriages with us: give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you, read more. and dwell with us, and the land shall be at your pleasure; dwell and do your business, and have your possessions therein."
Then the sons of Jacob answered to Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, because he had defiled Dina their sister. And they said unto them, "We cannot do this thing, that we should give our sister to one that is uncircumcised, for that were a shame unto us. read more. Only in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that all the men children among you be circumcised, then will we give our daughter to you and take yours to us, and will dwell with you and be one people. But and if ye will not hearken unto us to be circumcised, then will we take our daughter and go our ways." And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem his son.
Then Hamor and Shechem went unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying, "These men are peaceable with us, and will dwell in the land and do their occupation therein; And in the land is room enough for them, let us take their daughters to wives and give them ours; read more. only herein will they consent unto us for to dwell with us and to be one people: if all the men children that are among us be circumcised as they are. Their goods and their substance and all their cattle are ours, only let us consent unto them, that they may dwell with us." And unto Hamor and Shechem his son hearkened all that went out at the gate of his city. And all the men children were circumcised, whatsoever went out at the gates of his city. And the third day, when it was painful to them, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dina's brethren, took either of them his sword and went into the city boldly, and slew all that was male;
Then came the sons of Jacob upon the deed, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister: and took their sheep, oxen, asses and whatsoever was in the city and also in the fields. read more. And all their goods, all their children and their wives took they captive, and made havoc of all that was in the houses.
The brethren Simeon and Levi, wicked instruments are their weapons. Into their secrets come not my soul, and unto their congregation be my honour not coupled: for in their wrath they slew a man, and in their self will they houghed an ox. read more. Cursed be their wrath for it was strong, and their fierceness for it was cruel. I will therefore divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
And his sons carried him into the land of Canaan and buried him in the double cave which Abraham had bought with the field to be a place to bury in, of Ephron the Hittite before Mamre.
And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem, for a hundredth pieces of silver, which parcel became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem, for a hundredth pieces of silver, which parcel became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
And Gaal the son of Ebed said, "What is Abimelech, and what is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and Zebul is his officer? Serve such as come of Hamor the father of Shechem. For what reason is it that we should serve him?
These were the sons of Caleb the son of Hur the eldest son of Ephrata: Shobal the father of Kiriathjearim;
and delivered him out of all his adversities, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; which made him governor over Egypt, and over all his household.