Bible Word Study
שִׁימוֹן
Shîymôwn · Shimon, an Israelite
שִׁימוֹן
Shimon, an Israelite
Definition
Shimon (שִׁימוֹן) is a proper noun referring to an Israelite man mentioned in the genealogical records of the tribe of Judah in 1 Chronicles 4:20. He is listed as a son of Amnon, a descendant of Judah through the line of Shobal. The name appears only once in the Hebrew Bible. While the name is identical to the more common 'Simeon' (שִׁמְעוֹן, H8095), the son of Jacob, this specific individual is a distinct, minor figure in the tribal genealogy. The text provides no narrative about his life or deeds, focusing solely on his place in the lineage.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exactly once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 4:20. It functions strictly as a personal name within a genealogical list. The context is the chronicler's meticulous recording of the descendants of Judah, establishing familial and tribal continuity. There are no patterns of usage beyond this single, archival occurrence.
Etymology
The name Shimon (שִׁימוֹן) is noted in Strong's as being 'apparently for' the word יְשִׁימוֹן (yeshimon, H3452), which means 'desert' or 'wasteland.' This suggests the name may carry a meaning related to 'desert-dweller' or be descriptive of a barren place. It is distinct from the name Simeon (שִׁמְעוֹן), which is derived from the verb 'to hear' (שָׁמַע, H8085). The connection to 'desert' may hint at a geographical or descriptive origin for this particular individual or family line.
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite culture, names were often significant, conveying meaning about character, circumstances, or hopes. A name potentially meaning 'desert' could reflect the family's origin, a challenging circumstance surrounding the birth, or a connection to a specific region. Its inclusion in the Chronicles genealogy underscores the importance of every individual in preserving the tribal identity and God's covenantal promises to the line of Judah, even those about whom no story is recorded. Shimʻown (שִׁמְעוֹן, H8095) — The much more common name 'Simeon,' son of Jacob and founder of a tribe, derived from the verb 'to hear.'
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]