Council of Peace
(1-minute read)
When the devastation of Shechem by Simeon and Levi reaches the ears of Jashub, King of Tapnach, disbelief and fury drive him to rally an army of Amorite kings to avenge the city’s destruction. As tens of thousands gather for battle, Jacob, fearing for his family’s safety, rebukes his sons, but Judah boldly defends their actions, reminding him that God delivered Shechem into their hands and will do so again. With armies poised for war, prayers rise from Jacob and Isaac, invoking divine protection, and the kings’ hearts are filled with terror. Swayed by the warnings of their own advisers, the kings retreat, recognizing they would not be battling men but the unstoppable might of Israel’s God.
Major Characters
Minor Characters
Insignificant Characters
JASHER
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Exposition
J: 46 | Y: 2214 | The two spies who escaped return to the city and then seek help from Tapnach
Jasher 34:38-39
Jashub, the king of Tapnach, verified the truth of the story and sought vengeance
Jasher 34:40-46
Rising Action
Jashub requests aid from the Amorites
Jasher 34:47-50
Climax
Jacob scolds his sons and Judah responds
Jasher 34:51-56
Jacob sends out a scout and prepares for war
Jasher 34:57-62
Isaac is informed about what’s happening and prays for his family
Jasher 34:63-68
The sons of Jacob pursue the Amorites and Jacob prays for his sons
Jasher 34:69-70
Falling Action
The Amorite counselors urge the kings to retreat by retelling how God was faithful to the Hebrews
Jasher 35:1-20
Resolution
The Amorites kings retreated and the sons of Jacob returned home
Jasher 35:21-25
Jubilee: 46
Year: 2214
The two spies who escaped return to the city and then seek help from Tapnach
Jasher 34:38-39
37 And all the young men and women that Simeon and Levi had taken captives from the city of Shechem, were servants to the sons of Jacob and to their children after them, until the day of the sons of Jacob going forth from the land of Egypt.
Jashub, the king of Tapnach, verified the truth of the story and sought vengeance
Jasher 34:40-46
40 And the information reached Jashub king of Tapnach, and he sent men to the city of Shechem to see those young men, for the king did not believe them in this account, saying, How could two men lay waste such a large town as Shechem?
41 And the messengers of Jashub came back and told him, saying, We came unto the city, and it is destroyed, there is not a man there; only weeping women; neither is any flock or cattle there, for all that was in the city the sons of Jacob took away.
42 And Jashub wondered at this, saying, How could two men do this thing, to destroy so large a city, and not one man able to stand against them?
43 For the like has not been from the days of Nimrod, and not even from the remotest time, has the like taken place; and Jashub, king of Tapnach, said to his people, Be courageous and we will go and fight against these Hebrews, and do unto them as they did unto the city, and we will avenge the cause of the people of the city.
44 And Jashub, king of Tapnach, consulted with his counsellors about this matter, and his advisers said unto him, Alone thou wilt not prevail over the Hebrews, for they must be powerful to do this work to the whole city.
45 If two of them laid waste the whole city, and no one stood against them, surely if thou wilt go against them, they will all rise against us and destroy us likewise.
46 But if thou wilt send to all the kings that surround us, and let them come together, then we will go with them and fight against the sons of Jacob; then wilt thou prevail against them.
Jashub requests aid from the Amorites
Jasher 34:47-50
47 And Jashub heard the words of his counsellors, and their words pleased him and his people, and he did so; and Jashub king of Tapnach sent to all the kings of the Amorites that surrounded Shechem and Tapnach, saying,
48 Go up with me and assist me, and we will smite Jacob the Hebrew and all his sons, and destroy them from the earth, for thus did he do to the city of Shechem, and do you not know of it?
49 And all the kings of the Amorites heard the evil that the sons of Jacob had done to the city of Shechem, and they were greatly astonished at them.
50 And the seven kings of the Amorites assembled with all their armies, about ten thousand men with drawn swords, and they came to fight against the sons of Jacob; and Jacob heard that the kings of the Amorites had assembled to fight against his sons, and Jacob was greatly afraid, and it distressed him.
Jacob scolds his sons and Judah responds
Jasher 34:51-56
51 And Jacob exclaimed against Simeon and Levi, saying, What is this act that you did? why have you injured me, to bring against me all the children of Canaan to destroy me and my household? for I was at rest, even I and my household, and you have done this thing to me, and provoked the inhabitants of the land against me by your proceedings.
52 And Judah answered his father, saying, Was it for naught my brothers Simeon and Levi killed all the inhabitants of Shechem? Surely it was because Shechem had humbled our sister, and transgressed the command of our God to Noah and his children, for Shechem took our sister away by force, and committed adultery with her.
53 And Shechem did all this evil and not one of the inhabitants of his city interfered with him, to say, Why wilt thou do this? surely for this my brothers went and smote the city, and the Lord delivered it into their hands, because its inhabitants had transgressed the commands of our God. Is it then for naught that they have done all this?
54 And now why art thou afraid or distressed, and why art thou displeased at my brothers, and why is thine anger kindled against them?
55 Surely our God who delivered into their hand the city of Shechem and its people, he will also deliver into our hands all the Canaanitish kings who are coming against us, and we will do unto them as my brothers did unto Shechem.
56 Now be tranquil about them and cast away thy fears, but trust in the Lord our God, and pray unto him to assist us and deliver us, and deliver our enemies into our hands.
Jacob sends out a scout and prepares for war
Jasher 34:57-62
57 And Judah called to one of his father’s servants, Go now and see where those kings, who are coming against us, are situated with their armies.
58 And the servant went and looked far off, and went up opposite Mount Sihon, and saw all the camps of the kings standing in the fields, and he returned to Judah and said, Behold the kings are situated in the field with all their camps, a people exceedingly numerous, like unto the sand upon the sea shore.
59 And Judah said unto Simeon and Levi, and unto all his brothers, Strengthen yourselves and be sons of valor, for the Lord our God is with us, do not fear them.
60 Stand forth each man, girt with his weapons of war, his bow and his sword, and we will go and fight against these uncircumcised men; the Lord is our God, He will save us.
61 And they rose up, and each girt on his weapons of war, great and small, eleven sons of Jacob, and all the servants of Jacob with them.
62 And all the servants of Isaac who were with Isaac in Hebron, all came to them equipped in all sorts of war instruments, and the sons of Jacob and their servants, being one hundred and twelve men, went towards these kings, and Jacob also went with them.
Isaac is informed about what’s happening and prays for his family
Jasher 34:63-68
63 And the sons of Jacob sent unto their father Isaac the son of Abraham to Hebron, the same is Kireath-arba, saying,
64 Pray we beseech thee for us unto the Lord our God, to protect us from the hands of the Canaanites who are coming against us, and to deliver them into our hands.
65 And Isaac the son of Abraham prayed unto the Lord for his sons, and he said, O Lord God, thou didst promise my father, saying, I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and thou didst also promise me, and establish thou thy word, now that the kings of Canaan are coming together, to make war with my children because they committed no violence.
66 Now therefore, O Lord God, God of the whole earth, pervert, I pray thee, the counsel of these kings that they may not fight against my sons.
67 And impress the hearts of these kings and their people with the terror of my sons and bring down their pride, and that they may turn away from my sons.
68 And with thy strong hand and outstretched arm deliver my sons and their servants from them, for power and might are in thy hands to do all this.
The sons of Jacob pursue the Amorites and Jacob prays for his sons
Jasher 34:69-70
69 And the sons of Jacob and their servants went toward these kings, and they trusted in the Lord their God, and whilst they were going, Jacob their father also prayed unto the Lord and said, O Lord God, powerful and exalted God, who has reigned from days of old, from thence till now and forever;
70 Thou art He who stirreth up wars and causeth them to cease, in thy hand are power and might to exalt and to bring down; O may my prayer be acceptable before thee that thou mayest turn to me with thy mercies, to impress the hearts of these kings and their people with the terror of my sons, and terrify them and their camps, and with thy great kindness deliver all those that trust in thee, for it is thou who canst bring people under us and reduce nations under our power.
The Amorite counsellors urge the kings to retreat by retelling how God was faithful to the Hebrews
Jasher 35:1-20
1 And all the kings of the Amorites came and took their stand in the field to consult with their counsellors what was to be done with the sons of Jacob, for they were still afraid of them, saying, Behold, two of them slew the whole of the city of Shechem.
2 And the Lord heard the prayers of Isaac and Jacob, and he filled the hearts of all these kings’ advisers with great fear and terror that they unanimously exclaimed,
3 Are you silly this day, or is there no understanding in you, that you will fight with the Hebrews, and why will you take a delight in your own destruction this day?
4 Behold two of them came to the city of Shechem without fear or terror, and they killed all the inhabitants of the city, that no man stood up against them, and how will you be able to fight with them all?
5 Surely you know that their God is exceedingly fond of them, and has done mighty things for them, such as have not been done from days of old, and amongst all the gods of nations, there is none can do like unto his mighty deeds.
6 Surely he delivered their father Abraham, the Hebrew, from the hand of Nimrod, and from the hand of all his people who had many times sought to slay him.
7 He delivered him also from the fire in which king Nimrod had cast him, and his God delivered him from it.
8 And who else can do the like? surely it was Abraham who slew the five kings of Elam, when they had touched his brother’s son who in those days dwelt in Sodom.
9 And took his servant that was faithful in his house and a few of his men, and they pursued the kings of Elam in one night and killed them, and restored to his brother’s son all his property which they had taken from him.
10 And surely you know the God of these Hebrews is much delighted with them, and they are also delighted with him, for they know that he delivered them from all their enemies.
11 And behold through his love toward his God, Abraham took his only and precious son and intended to bring him up as a burnt offering to his God, and had it not been for God who prevented him from doing this, he would then have done it through his love to his God.
12 And God saw all his works, and swore unto him, and promised him that he would deliver his sons and all his seed from every trouble that would befall them, because he had done this thing, and through his love to his God stifled his compassion for his child.
13 And have you not heard what their God did to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to Abimelech king of Gerar, through taking Abraham’s wife, who said of her, She is my sister, lest they might slay him on account of her, and think of taking her for a wife? and God did unto them and their people all that you heard of.
14 And behold, we ourselves saw with our eyes that Esau, the brother of Jacob, came to him with four hundred men, with the intention of slaying him, for he called to mind that he had taken away from him his father’s blessing.
15 And he went to meet him when he came from Syria, to smite the mother with the children, and who delivered him from his hands but his God in whom he trusted? he delivered him from the hand of his brother and also from the hands of his enemies, and surely he again will protect them.
16 Who does not know that it was their God who inspired them with strength to do to the town of Shechem the evil which you heard of?
17 Could it then be with their own strength that two men could destroy such a large city as Shechem had it not been for their God in whom they trusted? he said and did unto them all this to slay the inhabitants of the city in their city.
18 And can you then prevail over them who have come forth together from your city to fight with the whole of them, even if a thousand times as many more should come to your assistance?
19 Surely you know and understand that you do not come to fight with them, but you come to war with their God who made choice of them, and you have therefore all come this day to be destroyed.
20 Now therefore refrain from this evil which you are endeavoring to bring upon yourselves, and it will be better for you not to go to battle with them, although they are but few in numbers, because their God is with them.
The Amorites kings retreated and the sons of Jacob returned home
Jasher 35:21-25
21 And when the kings of the Amorites heard all the words of their advisers, their hearts were filled with terror, and they were afraid of the sons of Jacob and would not fight against them.
22 And they inclined their ears to the words of their advisers, and they listened to all their words, and the words of the counsellors greatly pleased the kings, and they did so.
23 And the kings turned and refrained from the sons of Jacob, for they durst not approach them to make war with them, for they were greatly afraid of them, and their hearts melted within them from their fear of them.
24 For this proceeded from the Lord to them, for he heard the prayers of his servants Isaac and Jacob, for they trusted in him; and all these kings returned with their camps on that day, each to his own city, and they did not at that time fight with the sons of Jacob.
25 And the sons of Jacob kept their station that day till evening opposite mount Sihon, and seeing that these kings did not come to fight against them, the sons of Jacob returned home.
No notes.
(19-minute read)
Exposition
J: 46 | Y: 2214 | The two spies who escaped return to the city and then seek help from Tapnach
Jasher 34:38-39
All the young men and women that Simeon and Levi had taken captive from the city of Shechem became servants to the sons of Jacob and to their descendants after them, until the day when the sons of Jacob left the land of Egypt.
Jashub, the king of Tapnach, verified the truth of the story and sought vengeance
Jasher 34:40-46
Word reached Jashub, king of Tapnach, and he sent men to Shechem to see these young captives for himself, because he didn’t believe the story. He said, “How could 2 men destroy such a large city as Shechem?”
The messengers returned to Jashub and reported, “We went to the city, and it’s completely destroyed. There’s not a single man left—only weeping women. There are no flocks or cattle either, because everything in the city was taken by the sons of Jacob.”
Jashub was shocked and said, “How could 2 men do this—to destroy such a large city, and not one person was able to resist them? Nothing like this has happened since the days of Nimrod, not even in the most ancient times.” Then Jashub said to his people, “Be strong, and let’s go fight these Hebrews. We’ll do to them what they did to the city and avenge those who lived there.”
Jashub consulted with his counselors about the matter. His advisers said, “You won’t be able to defeat the Hebrews by yourself. They must be incredibly strong to have done this to an entire city. If just 2 of them destroyed it and no one could stop them, then if you go alone, they’ll all rise up and destroy us too. But if you send word to all the kings around us and gather them together, we can go with them and fight the sons of Jacob. Then you’ll have a better chance of defeating them.”
Rising Action
Jashub requests aid from the Amorites
Jasher 34:47-50
Jashub listened to his counselors, and both he and his people were pleased with the advice. So Jashub, king of Tapnach, sent messages to all the Amorite kings surrounding Shechem and Tapnach, saying, “Come with me and help me, and we’ll strike Jacob the Hebrew and all his sons, and wipe them off the earth, because of what they did to the city of Shechem. Don’t you already know about it?”
All the Amorite kings heard about the terrible thing the sons of Jacob had done to Shechem, and they were shocked. The 7 kings of the Amorites gathered their armies—about 10,000 men with drawn swords—and came to fight the sons of Jacob. When Jacob heard that the Amorite kings had assembled to attack his sons, he was extremely afraid and deeply distressed.
Climax
Jacob scolds his sons and Judah responds
Jasher 34:51-56
Jacob scolded Simeon and Levi, saying, “What have you done? Why did you harm me like this—bringing all the people of Canaan against me to destroy me and my household? I was living in peace with my family, and now you’ve stirred up the people of the land against us with your actions.”
Judah responded to his father, “Was it for nothing that Simeon and Levi killed all the people of Shechem? Of course not—it was because Shechem violated our sister and broke God’s command to Noah and his children. Shechem took our sister by force and committed adultery with her. No one in the city tried to stop him or said, ‘Why are you doing this?’ That’s why my brothers attacked the city, and the Lord delivered it into their hands—because the people had broken God’s commands. So was it meaningless? And now, why are you afraid or upset, and why are you angry with my brothers? Surely our God, who handed over the city of Shechem and its people, will also hand over all the Canaanite kings who are coming against us. We’ll deal with them just as my brothers did with Shechem. So calm down and don’t be afraid—trust in the Lord our God and pray for his help and deliverance, and that he’ll hand over our enemies to us.”
Jacob sends out a scout and prepares for war
Jasher 34:57-62
Then Judah called one of his father’s servants and said, “Go and find out where the kings who are coming against us are camped with their armies.”
The servant went, looked from a distance, and climbed opposite Mount Sihon. He saw all the kings’ camps spread out in the fields. He came back and told Judah, “The kings are camped in the fields with their armies. Their numbers are huge—like the sand on the seashore.”
Judah said to Simeon, Levi, and the rest of his brothers, “Strengthen yourselves and be brave, because the Lord our God is with us. Don’t be afraid. Each of you, take up your weapons—your bows and swords—and let’s go fight these uncircumcised men. The Lord is our God; he will save us.”
So they got up, each one arming himself for war. All 11 sons of Jacob and all Jacob’s servants joined them. The servants of Isaac, who were with Isaac in Hebron, also joined them, fully armed with all kinds of weapons. Altogether, Jacob’s sons and their servants—112 men—set out to face the kings, and Jacob went with them.
Isaac is informed about what’s happening and prays for his family
Jasher 34:63-68
Jacob’s sons sent word to their grandfather Isaac, the son of Abraham, in Hebron (also called Kireath-arba), saying, “Please pray to the Lord our God on our behalf, that he’ll protect us from the Canaanites who are coming against us and deliver them into our hands.”
Isaac prayed to the Lord for his sons, saying, “O Lord God, you promised my father, saying, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the sky,’ and you also promised me and kept your word. Now the kings of Canaan are uniting to wage war against my children, even though they’ve done no wrong. So now, O Lord God, ruler of all the earth, confuse the plans of these kings so they won’t attack my sons. Fill their hearts and the hearts of their people with fear of my sons. Bring down their pride, and make them turn away. With your mighty hand and outstretched arm, rescue my sons and their servants, because all power and strength are in your hands to do this.”
The sons of Jacob pursue the Amorites and Jacob prays for his sons
Jasher 34:69-70
The sons of Jacob and their servants advanced toward the kings, putting their trust in the Lord their God. While they were on the way, Jacob also prayed to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, powerful and exalted ruler, who has reigned from ancient times until now and forever—you stir up wars and make them cease. Power and might are in your hands to lift up and bring down. May my prayer be pleasing to you. Turn toward me with your mercy. Fill the hearts of these kings and their people with fear of my sons. Terrify them and their camps. In your great kindness, deliver all who trust in you, because only you can bring nations under us and place people beneath our feet.”
Falling Action
The Amorite counselors urge the kings to retreat by retelling how God was faithful to the Hebrews
Jasher 35:1-20
All the kings of the Amorites gathered in the field to consult their advisers about what to do regarding the sons of Jacob. They were still afraid, saying, “Look, 2 of them destroyed the entire city of Shechem.”
The Lord heard the prayers of Isaac and Jacob, and he filled the hearts of all the kings’ advisers with great fear. They all exclaimed, “Have you lost your minds today? Do you not understand that if you fight the Hebrews, you’re asking for your own destruction? Look—2 of them entered Shechem without fear and killed everyone, and no one stood up to them. How do you expect to fight all of them? Don’t you know their God loves them and has done incredible things for them—things no other god has ever done? He saved their forefather Abraham from Nimrod, who tried many times to kill him. He even saved him from the fire Nimrod threw him into. Who else could do that? It was Abraham who defeated the 5 kings of Elam when they attacked his nephew living in Sodom. With just one faithful servant and a few men, he chased those kings and killed them in one night, getting back all the property they had stolen.
You know their God loves them, and they love him too. Abraham was even willing to offer up his only beloved son to God as a burnt offering—and he would have, if God hadn’t stopped him. Because of that, God swore to protect his descendants from any trouble. Haven’t you heard what God did to Pharaoh in Egypt and Abimelech in Gerar, when they tried to take Abraham’s wife, who he claimed was his sister so they wouldn’t kill him? God punished them and their people.
We saw with our own eyes that Esau, Jacob’s brother, came with 400 men planning to kill him because Jacob took their father’s blessing. He intended to wipe out Jacob’s entire family, but who saved him? His God. That same God delivered Jacob from Esau and from all his enemies.
You must realize their God gave them strength to do what they did to Shechem. Do you really think 2 men could destroy such a large city without divine help? Their God made it happen. Now you plan to fight them—with your entire cities against theirs—even if you had 1,000 times more men, you still couldn’t win. You’re not just fighting people—you’re fighting their God, who chose them. You’ve come here today only to be destroyed. So stop this madness now. It’s better not to fight them, even though they are few, because their God is with them.”
Resolution
The Amorites kings retreated and the sons of Jacob returned home
Jasher 35:21-25
When the Amorite kings heard everything their advisers said, their hearts were filled with fear, and they didn’t dare fight the sons of Jacob. They listened closely and were pleased with the advice, so they acted on it. The kings turned back and stayed away from Jacob’s sons—they didn’t even approach them for battle, because they were terrified and their courage melted away.
This all came from the Lord, because he heard the prayers of his servants Isaac and Jacob, who trusted in him. That day, all the kings returned with their armies to their cities and didn’t attack the sons of Jacob. The sons of Jacob stayed camped opposite Mount Sihon until evening. When they saw the kings weren’t coming to fight, they returned home.
This chart shows who was alive in the year 2214.