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Chapter 34 deals with problems that Jacob had with some of his children. Is it a lesson in keeping the family honor or is it an example of false pretence? Does the "end" justify the "means"? Leah's last child was a daughter named Dinah. She went out from her own camp and mingled with the Hivite women. Shechem, the Prince of the land, saw her and took her. He fell in love with Dinah. He persuaded his father, Hamor, to ask Jacob for his daughter's hand in marriage.
If I understand the story right, it appears that when the sons of Jacob hear what has happened to their sister, they conspire to deceive the men of Shechem (v13). They appear to go along with the marriage on the condition that all of the men of the city be circumcised. They all agreed and while they were convalescing some three days later, Simon and Levi took their swords and killed all the men including Hamor and his son, Shechem. They also took all their herds, their wealth and their families. When Jacob heard about it, he was "concerned" or "troubled". The Canaanites far outnumbered the Hebrews. If they were to attack in retaliation, Jacob and his family would be destroyed. The reason Simon and Levi gave for what they did was that they could not let the men of Shechem treat their sister like a harlot.
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