Hamor now extends his request for Dinah to a more general proposal for an agreement or treaty that would enhance his standing in Canaan.

Make marriages with us translates a verb whose form here means “Make yourself a son-in-law [daughter’s husband].” The thought is expressed in Biblia Dios Habla Hoy as “Make yourselves our relatives.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch asks “Why shouldn’t we relate ourselves to each other?” We may also say, for example, “Let our sons and daughters marry each other.” The sense of making an agreement about intermarrying is given by Revised English Bible “Let us ally ourselves in marriage”; this may also be expressed as “And we should make a promise [agreement] about our people marrying each other.”

Give your daughters to us: this proposal expands on the previous one. We may also express it, for example, “Let my people marry your [plural] girls.”

Take our daughters for yourselves: that is, “Let your people marry our girls.” Note that Good News Translation considers both of these “Let” commands to be included in “Let us make … intermarriages between our people and yours.” Deut 7.3 forbids for Israelites of a later period what Hamor is proposing to Jacob.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .