Simeon
(heard).
The second of Jacob’s son by Leah. His birth is recorded in (Genesis 29:33) The first group of Jacob’s children consists, besides Simeon, of the three other sons of Leah—Reuben, Levi, Judah. Besides the massacre of Shechem, (Genesis 34:25) the only personal incident related of Simeon is the fact of his being selected by Joseph as the hostage for the appearance of Benjamin.
(Genesis 42:19,24,36; 43:23) The chief families of the tribe of Simeon are mentioned int he lists of (Genesis 46:10) At the census of Sinai Simeon numbered 59,300 fighting men. (Numbers 1:23) When the second census was taken, at Shittim, the numbers had fallen to 22,200, and it was the weakest of all the tribes. This was no doubt partly due to the recent mortality following the idolatry of Peor, but there must have been other causes which have escaped mention.
To Simeon was allotted a portion of land out of the territory of Judah, on its southern frontier, which contained eighteen or nineteen cities, with their villages, spread round the venerable well of Beersheba. (Joshua 19:1-8; 1 Chronicles 4:28-33) Of these places, with the help of Judah, the Simeonites possessed themselves, (Judges 1:3,17) and there they were found, doubtless by Joab, residing in the reign of David.
(1 Chronicles 4:31) What part of the tribe took at the time of the division of the kingdom we are not told. The only thing which can be interpreted into a trace of its having taken any part with the northern kingdom are the two casual notices of (2 Chronicles 15:9) and 2Chr 34:6 Which appear to imply the presence of Simeonites there in the reigns of Asa and Josiah.
On the other hand the definite statement of (1 Chronicles 4:41-43) proves that at that time there were still some of them remaining in the original seat of the tribe, and actuated by all the warlike, lawless spirit of their progenitor. A devout Jew, inspired by the Holy Ghost, who met the parents of our Lord in the temple, took him in his arms, and gave thanks for what he saw and knew of Jesus.
(Luke 2:25-35) There was a Simeon who succeeded his father Hillel as president of the Sanhedrin about A.D. 13, and whose son Gamaliel was the Pharisee at whose feet St. Paul was brought up. (Acts 22:3) It has been conjectured that he may be the Simeon of St. Luke.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Simeon
The history of this tribe, which theoretically traced its descent to the second son of Jacob and Leah, is involved in considerable obscurity. From the fact that Shanl, the eponym- ous head of one of its families, is called ' the son of the Canaanitish woman ' (Gn 46'", Ex 6"), we may infer that it contained a considerable admix- ture of non-Israelitish elements. From Jg !'• " we learn that, at the beginning of the conquest of Canaan, Simeon joined his forces with those of Judah. It was probably not long thereafter that Simeon and Le^^ together sought to gain a settle- ment in Mount Ephraim, which was then occupied by the Canaanites. Such at least is a plausible interpretation of the tradition which underlies the narrative of Gn 34. Upon any theory it is dithcnlt to disentangle the details of that storj', for the chapter in question is, in its present form, not homogeneous, and the different narratives date from did'erent periods, and are inspired by different motives (cf. artt. Hamor, and Jacob in vol. ii. p. 530 f.). None of these narratives is at all suitable to pre-Mosaic times, a…
Fausset's Bible Dictionary on Simeon
SIMON. 1. (See LEVI) Jacob's second son by Leah, Gen 29:33. From shaama, "hear"; as the birth of Reuben ("see a son") her firstborn convinced Leah that God saw her, so that of Simeon that God heard her. Levi's and Simeon's slaughter of the Shechemites (Gen 34:25; Gen 34:30) incurred Jacob's reproof (Gen 49:5-7). Judah and Simeon joined together in the conquest of southern Canaan (Jdg 1:3; Jdg 1:17). Joseph's selection of Simeon as hostage for Benjamin's appearance was perhaps due to his having been a leader in the brothers' cruel attack (Genesis 37; Gen 42:24). Simeon's families are enumerated (Gen 46:10; Num 26:12-14; 1Ch 4:24-43). At the census at Sinai Simeon numbered 59,300 (Num 1:23); it was then the most numerous after Judah and Daniel At Shittim it had become the smallest, numbering 22,200. The mortality consequent on the idolatry of Peor was a leading cause (Num 25:9; Num 25:14). Zimri, slain in the act, was a prince of Simeon (Num 26:14). Simeon was doomed by Jacob to be "scattered in Israel" (Gen 49:7); its sins caused its reduction to such small numbers as found adequate t…
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia