Where is Shechem in the Bible?
Shechem was an important city in central Canaan, located in the hill country between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. Shechem appears in 51 verses across 10 books of the Bible.
The Bible uses the name Shechem for 2 different places. All 2 are below, each with its own passages.
Shechem in Judges
Shechem was an important city in central Canaan, located in the hill country between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. It is mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible, often in connection with significant events in Israel's history. Shechem first appears in the account of Abraham's journey to Canaan, where he built an altar to the Lord (Gen. 12:6-7). Later, Israel (or 'Jacob') settled near Shechem and purchased a piece of land, setting up an altar there (Gen. 33:18-20). However, the city also became the site of violence when Jacob's daughter Dinah was violated by Shechem, the son of Hamor, leading to the massacre of the city's male inhabitants by Jacob's sons Simeon and Levi (Gen. 34). During the conquest of Canaan, Shechem was allotted to the tribe of Ephraim and designated as a city of refuge (Josh. 20:7; 21:21). Joshua gathered the tribes at Shechem to renew the covenant and set up a stone of remembrance (Josh. 24:1, 25-26). The city later became the site of Abimelech's short-lived kingdom (Judg. 9) and was rebuilt by Jeroboam as the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel (1Ki. 12:25). Shechem held religious significance, as evidenced by the blessings and curses pronounced from Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal (Deut. 11:29; 27:12; Josh. 8:33). The city is also mentioned in the Psalms as a symbol of God's dominion over Israel (Ps. 60:6; 108:7). In the New Testament, Stephen's speech before the Sanhedrin mentions Shechem as the burial place of Jacob and his sons (Act.7.16), although this differs from the Old Testament account of their burial at Hebron (Gen. 49:29-33; 50:13). Shechem's location at the crossroads of major trade routes contributed to its strategic and economic importance. The city's history, marked by both sacred events and periods of violence, reflects the complex dynamics of Israelite settlement and inter-tribal relations in Canaan.
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Shechem in Genesis
Shechem was the founder of a city of the same name located in Canaan, inhabited by the Hivites. Israel (or 'Jacob') camped near Shechem upon returning to Canaan and bought a piece of land there (Gen.33.19). In Genesis 34, Shechem is the setting of a tragic incident. Shechem, the son of the city's ruler Hamor, raped Jacob's daughter Dinah. Shechem wanted to marry Dinah, so Hamor proposed intermarriage between their people and Jacob's family. Jacob's sons deceitfully agreed on the condition that the men of Shechem be circumcised. While the men were recovering, Simeon and Levi attacked the city, killing all the males and plundering it. Jacob rebuked them for this, fearing retaliation from the Canaanites.
11 verses: Genesis 33:19, Genesis 34:2, Genesis 34:4, Genesis 34:6, Genesis 34:8, Genesis 34:11, Genesis 34:13, Genesis 34:18, Genesis 34:20, Genesis 34:24, Genesis 34:26
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Where does Shechem appear in the Bible?
Shechem is referenced in 51 verses across 10 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- 1 Chronicles 6:67
- 1 Kings 12:1
- 1 Kings 12:25
- 2 Chronicles 10:1
- Acts 7:16
- Genesis 12:6
- Genesis 33:18
- Genesis 35:4
- Genesis 37:12
- Genesis 37:13
- Genesis 37:14
- Hosea 6:9
- Judges 8:31
- Judges 9:1
- Judges 9:2
- Judges 9:3
- Judges 9:6
- Judges 9:7
- Judges 9:18
- Judges 9:20
- Judges 9:23
- Judges 9:24
- Judges 9:25
- Judges 9:26
Showing the first 24 of 51.
Open all 51 references in ProtosWhat else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Shechem.
Common questions
How many people in the Bible are called Shechem?
Shechem refers to 2 different places in the Bible: Shechem in Judges; Shechem in Genesis.
How many times does the Bible mention Shechem?
Shechem appears in 51 verses across 10 books, most often in Judges, which accounts for 19 of them.
Which books of the Bible mention Shechem?
Judges, Genesis, Joshua, 1 Kings, Psalms, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Acts, and 2 more.
Where can I read every verse about Shechem?
This page lists 24 of them. Protos carries all 51, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.
