Defiled טִמֵּא֙

We are in chapter 34 of Genesis with our word for today is used for the first time in the Bible in our chapter and 3 times in our chapter. טִמֵּא֙ become unclean, defiled, desecrate, become impure. It is used 162 times in the Old Testament. There are a few examples of our word being used in a positive sense with Josiah’s actions as King of Judah. 2 Kings 23:8,10, 13, 16 And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and וַיְטַמֵּ֣א defiled the high places where the priests had made offerings, from Geba to Beersheba. And he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city…And he וְטִמֵּ֣א defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no one might burn his son or his daughter as an offering to Molech …And the king טִמֵּ֖א defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, to the south of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.Most of the uses of our word are in a negative sense and found in Leviticus and Ezekiel. Our word shows a variety of things that become unclean. The whole nation of Israel is defiled Hosea 5:3; 6:10. The people have defiled God’s name Ezekiel 43:8. The people have defiled God’s sanctuary and Sabbaths Ezekiel 23:38. The people defiled the land Leviticus 18:24-25, 28; Numbers 35:34; Deuteronomy 21:23.There are a lot of examples of how people like us have taken God’s good gifts and corrupted them. Here are just a few: Defiled through a skin disease Leviticus 13:8. Defiled through eating unclean foods Leviticus 11:4, 43-44; 22:8; Ezekiel 4:14. Defiled through a dead person or animal Leviticus 11:24; Numbers 19:13; Leviticus 21:1,11; Ezekiel 44:25. Defiled through idol worship Ezekiel 20:7,18, 31; 23:7, 30 (influence of nations around them); 36:18; 37:23; Jeremiah 2:23. Defiled through divination Leviticus 19:31. Defile through sexual immorality. Leviticus 18:20, 23; Ezekiel 33:26. This is the sense it is used in our chapter today. Genesis 34:5, 13, 27 Now Jacob heard that he had טִמֵּא֙ defiled his daughter Dinah… The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully, because he had טִמֵּא֙ defiled their sister Dinah… The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had טִמְּא֖וּ defiled their sister. We will look at what happened in more detail tomorrow but for today it is worth noting that this humiliation and defilement of their sister was answered with killing all the males in the city. One evil is responded to with another evil which is what our history shows that we tend to do. God desires good things for us that is why he creates and gives us good gifts as we see in 1 Timothy 6:17 But to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. And in Romans 8:31-32 If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? So again, God desires good things for us that is why he creates and gives us good gifts. We are the ones that twist them and corrupt them so they no longer bring us and those around us goodness. The good news is that even when we take God’s good gifts and corrupt them and defile ourselves with sin we have hope that God can and will save us if we turn to Him just like he promised to his people a long time ago. They shall not יִֽטַמְּא֣וּ defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. Ezekiel 37:23.