Genesis 38 affirms the wisdom of God in preparing to send the Jewish people into Egypt to maintain their religious and ethnic purity by noting how Judah had began to intermarry with the Canaanites. So, chapter 39 continues with God’s preparation, returning the attention back to Joseph.
Genesis 36 ends with the “toldot” (what had became of) Esau. And his genealogical history is outlined to indicate his material prosperity and greatness. But there is an even greater spiritual significance of these things, showing how that the world experiences prosperity when God’s people learn to patiently wait on Him.
When Jacob’s two sons, Simeon and Levi, killed all the men of Shechem, he became fearful that his small tribe would be attacked in vengeance from the surrounding Canaanites. God commanded him to return to Bethel; but before he could leave, he had to purge idolatry from his household and peoples.
After the rape of Dinah, Simeon and Levi, her brothers, took revenge and killed all the men of Shechem. Jacob reprimanded his two sons for their violent acts and feared the destruction of his clans by vengeful Gentile neighbors. God once again rescued Jacob and told him to return to Bethel, where God appeared to him when he fled from his brother Esau.
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