Commentary for Genesis 34:23

אך נאותה להם LET US CONSENT UNTO THEM in this matter, and because of this they will dwell with us.

‘MIKNEIHEM’ AND THEIR SUBSTANCE AND ALL THEIR BEASTS. The reason for referring to cattle by the word mikneihem is that beasts of the herds which are in the field are called mikneh — [from the root kanah, which means “acquire”] — because whether they are clean or unclean, they are the mainstay of a man’s substance, just as it is written, Behold, the hand of the Eternal is ‘b’miknecha’ (upon thy cattle) which are in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the herds, and upon the flocks.¹⁷⁵Exodus 9:3. And those which do not constitute a herd, as, for example, single beasts in the house, are not called mikneh, and they are included in the term, and all their beasts. It may be that [mikneh and “all their beasts” both refer to the same cattle], and the redundancy is for the purpose of emphasis, meaning, and all their beasts which were very numerous.

מקניהם, this is one of 3 instances where the letter י after the נ is missing in this word. As spelled, the word means “they are cattle.” [Ibn Ezra sees in this a hint that the people of Shechem saw in Yaakov’s family and belongings prospective property of theirs, placing man and beast on the same footing. Ed.]

מקנהם וקניים וכל בהמתם, “their cattle, their chattels and all their livestock.” According to Nachmanides the word מקנה refers to animals which form part of the herd, and which represented the backbone of the family’s wealth. Animals that were not part of carefully supervised herds, are called בהמות, i.e. stray animals tagging along. It is also possible that the reason why Chamor spoke both about מקנה and about בהמות was to emphasise that the livestock of Yaakov’s family was extremely numerous.

To this matter and, as a result, they will settle with us. Rashi is answering the question: The verse seems to implythat the sons of Yaakov asked for consent to live with them. But it was just the opposite!