Historical Notices of Sichem, Shechem

From: Present Testimony: Volume N1, 1867-1868

• 1 min. read • grade level: 8

Here Jehovah first appeared to His pilgrim servant Abram in the land, and promised it to his seed. Here was his first halt and altar to the Lord, who appeared to him.

At Shalem in Shechem.—Gen. 33:18-20¹⁸And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan-aram; and pitched his tent before the city. ¹⁹And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money. ²⁰And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel. (Genesis 33:18‑20). Jacob returning from exile, bought a field of Shechem, spread a tent, and built an altar to El-elohe-Israel.

Gen. 34, And, ere forced by the sin and treachery of his sons to move on, he gathered all the strange gods which were in their hands, and the earrings, and buried them under an oak. Gen. 35:4⁴And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. (Genesis 35:4). (Was it about this time that he dug the well?)

Shechem.—Gen. 37:12,13¹²And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. ¹³And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. (Genesis 37:12‑13). Joseph's brethren, after his dreams, fed their flocks here. He went thither (ver.14) seeking them.

Josh. 24:32³²And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. (Joshua 24:32). It was his (Joseph's) burying-place, on a shoulder (or Shechem) of Gerizim. Deut. 11, 27; Josh. 8 Moses ordered six tribes to stand, as to God's blessing the obedient people.

Shechem--Josh. 20:7;21:21⁷And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. (Joshua 20:7)
²¹For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her suburbs, (Joshua 21:21); 1 Chron. 6:67⁶⁷And they gave unto them, of the cities of refuge, Shechem in mount Ephraim with her suburbs; they gave also Gezer with her suburbs, (1 Chronicles 6:67)—in Ephraim was a city of refuge for the manslayer.

Josh. 24:1¹And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God. (Joshua 24:1). Was Joshua's final rendezvous, for his charge to the people.

Judg. 9 City of Levites though it was, strange wickednesses were wrought as to God and as to man there.

Judg. 9:1¹And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, (Judges 9:1). As a kingdom had here been first attempted, so here David's and Solomon's kingdom was divided. 1 Kings 12:1,25; 2¹And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. (1 Kings 12:1)
²⁵Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. (1 Kings 12:25) Chr. 10:1.

Click here to show subject links in the text for more information.

Present Testimony: Volume N1, 1867-1868

• Scripture on the Judgment to Come

• Self Judgment

• Shechem and Sychar

• Sichem, Shechem, Historical Notices of

• The Gospel of John, Part 3

• Things as They Are and the Time of the End