Shechem
Shoulder. (1.) The son of Hamor the Hivite (Gen 33:19; Gen 34:1–31).
(2.) A descendant of Manasseh (Num 26:31; Josh 17:2).
(3.) A city in Samaria (Gen 33:18), called also Sichem (Gen 12:6), Sychem (Acts 7:16). It stood in the narrow sheltered valley between Ebal on the north and Gerizim on the south, these mountains at their base being only some 500 yards apart. Here Abraham pitched his tent and built his first altar in the Promised Land, and received the first divine promise (Gen 12:6, Gen 12:7). Here also Jacob “bought a parcel of a field at the hands of the children of Hamor” after his return from Mesopotamia, and settled with his household, which he purged from idolatry by burying the teraphim of his followers under an oak tree, which was afterwards called “the oak of the sorcerer” (Gen 33:19; Gen 35:4; Judg 9:37). (See Meonenim.) Here too, after a while, he dug a well, which bears his name to this day (John 4:5, John 4:39–42). To Shechem Joshua gathered all Israel “before God,” and delivered to them his second parting address (Josh 24:1–15). He “made a covenant with the people that day” at the very place where, on first entering the land, they had responded to the law from Ebal and Gerizim (Josh 24:25), the terms of which were recorded “in the book of the law of God”, i.e., in the roll of the law of Moses; and in memory of this solemn transaction a great stone was set up “under an oak” (comp. Gen 28:18; Gen 31:44–48; Ex 24:4; Josh 4:3, Josh 4:8, Josh 4:9), possibly the old “oak of Moreh,” as a silent witness of the transaction to all coming time.
Shechem became one of the cities of refuge, the central city of refuge for Western Palestine (Josh 20:7), and here the bones of Joseph were buried (Josh 24:32). Rehoboam was appointed king in Shechem (1 Kgs 12:1, 1 Kgs 12:19), but Jeroboam afterwards took up his residence here. This city is mentioned in connection with our Lord’s conversation with the woman of Samaria (John 4:5); and thus, remaining as it does to the present day, it is one of the oldest cities of the world. It is the modern Nablus, a contraction for Neapolis, the name given to it by Vespasian. It lies about a mile and a half up the valley on its southern slope, and on the north of Gerizim, which rises about 1,100 feet above it, and is about 34 miles north of Jerusalem. It contains about 10,000 inhabitants, of whom about 160 are Samaritans and 100 Jews, the rest being Christians and Mohammedans.
The site of Shechem is said to be of unrivalled beauty. Stanley says it is “the most beautiful, perhaps the only very beautiful, spot in Central Palestine.”
Gaza, near Shechem, only mentioned 1 Chr 7:28, has entirely disappeared. It was destroyed at the time of the Conquest, and its place was taken by Shechem. (See Sychar.)
Named in the Bible
The first 20 of 55 verses
- Genesis 33:18 And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.
- Genesis 33:19 And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money.
- Genesis 34:2 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.
- Genesis 34:4 And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.
- Genesis 34:6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him.
- Genesis 34:8 And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.
- Genesis 34:11 And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give.
- Genesis 34:13 And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:
- Genesis 34:18 And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son.
- Genesis 34:20 And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,
- Genesis 34:24 And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.
- Genesis 34:26 And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out.
- Genesis 35:4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
- Genesis 37:12 And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.
- Genesis 37:13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
- Genesis 37:14 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
- Numbers 26:31 And of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites: and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites:
- Joshua 17:2 There was also a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh by their families; for the children of Abiezer, and for the children of Helek, and for the children of Asriel, and for the children of Shechem, and for the children of Hepher, and for the children of Shemida: these were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph by their families.
- Joshua 17:7 And the coast of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethah, that lieth before Shechem; and the border went along on the right hand unto the inhabitants of Entappuah.
- Joshua 20:7 And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.
From Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897), by Matthew George Easton.
