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Shaul

Old TestamentEgypt & WildernessMaleSon

Shaul, the son of Simeon, was the grandson of Jacob and is listed among the descendants who went to Egypt with Jacob.

Shaul illustration
Shaul

Biography

Shaul, son of Simeon and grandson of the patriarch Jacob, is recorded among the seventy descendants who accompanied Jacob to Egypt (Genesis 46:10; Exodus 6:15; Numbers 26:13). His mother is identified in Genesis 46:10 as a Canaanite woman, making him the product of a mixed union within the lineage of Simeon. Despite this, Shaul became the progenitor of the Shaulite clan, an officially recognized family within the tribe of Simeon as catalogued in the wilderness census of Numbers 26:13. His name, meaning "asked for" or "borrowed," would later become famous as the Hebrew name of Israel's first king, though they were unrelated. Shaul's descendants continued as a recognized tribal subdivision throughout the period of the wilderness wandering.

Significance

Shaul, son of Simeon, occupies a modest but illustrative place in the Israelite tribal narrative. His mixed Canaanite heritage, explicitly noted in Genesis 46:10, is a reminder that the boundaries of Israelite identity were more complex than later idealizations sometimes suggest. Yet his descendants became a recognized clan within the tribe of Simeon (Numbers 26:13), demonstrating God's inclusive purposes even within the framework of covenant community. His life also reflects the broader theme of how God works through imperfect human lineages and circumstances, including interethnic unions, to fulfill promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob regarding a great and numerous people.

Verse Appearances (4)

References

  1. Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
  2. Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
  3. Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
  4. Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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Content compiled from public domain scholarship, academic sources, and verified references. Editorial standards · View all sources