Who was Shemuel in the Bible?

Shemuel was the son of Ammihud and was appointed as the leader of the tribe of Simeon. His primary role was to help distribute the Promised Land among the tribes after the Israelites entered Canaan (Numbers 34:20).

What did Shemuel do in the Bible?

Shemuel's key event was serving as a tribal leader appointed by God to assist in the allotment of the land of Canaan. He represented the tribe of Simeon alongside leaders from the other tribes during this important division of territory (Numbers 34:16-29).

Why is Shemuel mentioned in the Bible?

Shemuel is significant because his appointment highlights God's orderly and just process for distributing the inheritance He promised. His mention underscores that every tribe had a designated, God-chosen leader for this foundational event in Israel's history.

Shemuel

Old TestamentEgypt & WildernessMaleLeader

Shemuel, the son of Ammihud, appointed as the leader of the tribe of Simeon for land allotment.

Shemuel

Biography

Shemuel son of Ammihud was appointed as the designated representative of the tribe of Simeon during the formal allotment of the land of Canaan recorded in Numbers 34:20. He was selected by God, through Moses, to serve on the commission of tribal leaders charged with supervising the division of the Promised Land among the twelve tribes following Israel's entry under Joshua. Each tribe had a representative for this task, and Shemuel was Simeon's appointed figure, a man of sufficient standing and trust to oversee the distribution of one of Israel's tribal inheritances. His name, meaning "God has heard," connects him linguistically to the great prophet Samuel, though he predates him and belongs to the wilderness generation.

Significance

Shemuel's appointment to oversee Simeon's territorial allotment reflects the biblical principle that God's covenant blessings are distributed through accountable human leadership. His role in Numbers 34 illustrates the ordered, communal nature of Israel's inheritance, no tribe received its land arbitrarily, but through a divinely supervised process involving representative leaders. Shemuel stands as an example of faithful stewardship in service to the covenant community. His inclusion in the allotment commission also signals Simeon's full standing within Israel's covenant structure, despite Simeon's later partial absorption into Judah (Joshua 19:1-9), underscoring God's faithfulness to every tribe within His people.

Verse Appearances (1)

Numbers

Numbers 34:20

References

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

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