Genesis 34:1

Summary

The verse opens a new narrative unit by reporting that Dinah, identified as the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, left her surroundings with the stated purpose of seeing the daughters of the land. The sentence establishes both her genealogical identity and the reason for her going out.

Key words

• va-tetze ("and she went out", H3318G) — qal narrative verb marking the start of a new episode; the vav-consecutive form ties the action directly to the ongoing story sequence.
• bat ("daughter of", H1323G) — feminine singular construct noun linking Dinah to Leah, forming a genealogical identifier rather than a standalone noun.
• yal'dah ("she had borne", H3205) — qal perfect, indicating a completed action prior to the main narrative moment, explaining the relative clause "whom she bore to Jacob."
• lir'ot ("to look/see", H7200G) — qal infinitive construct with the preposition le, expressing purpose: the infinitive explains why Dinah went out, not merely what she did afterward.
• benot ("daughters of", H1323G) — feminine plural construct noun paired with ha-aretz ("the land", H0776G), forming the object of her intended action.

What the text says

The Hebrew sentence is built around a single main verb, va-tetze ("and she went out"), which uses the narrative vav construction typical of Biblical Hebrew storytelling — it signals sequence within the larger narrative rather than standing as an isolated statement. The subject, Dinah, is immediately qualified by an appositional phrase, bat-Leah ("daughter of Leah"), and then further specified by a relative clause introduced by asher ("whom"): asher yal'dah le-Ya'akov ("whom she bore to Jacob"). This relative clause uses the qal perfect yal'dah, marking an action completed before the main verb's narrative moment — it supplies background genealogical information rather than advancing the plot.

The purpose of Dinah's going out is expressed through the infinitive construct lir'ot ("to see/look"), governed by the preposition le. This infinitive of purpose is followed by the prepositional phrase bi-venot ha-aretz ("among/concerning the daughters of the land"), using the preposition be attached to the construct plural benot ("daughters of"). The construct chain benot ha-aretz parallels the earlier bat-Leah, both being construct noun phrases that define relationships — one familial, one geographic/social.

Differences between versions

The LXX renders the infinitive lir'ot ("to look/see") with καταμαθεῖν ("to observe closely, study"), a more intensive verb than the Hebrew's general "to see." The Vulgate uses ut videret ("in order that she might see"), matching the Hebrew's purpose construction, but renders benot ha-aretz ("daughters of the land") as mulieres regionis illius ("the women of that region"), shifting from "daughters" to "women."