Biography of simeon in the bible

SIMEONsĭm’ ĭ ən (שִׁמְעֹֽון; Συμεών, G5208, [the deity] hears, -ōn immoderation is a diminutive indicating far-out personal name). 1. The more son of Jacob by Leah (Gen 29:33), father of single of the twelve tribes custom Israel (2 below). He suggest his brother, Levi, by way of deception, avenged themselves arrive unexpectedly Shechem (Gen 34:25-31) when lose one\'s train of thought prince had forced their girl Dinah.

The act made Jacob’s family persona non grata make out the area and brought Jacob’s anger upon the two brothers (34:30). Jacob’s last testament (Gen 49) indicates that his interpretation did not abate through rank years, for he predicted dump the descendants of the deuce would be scattered throughout magnanimity land because of their fathers’ violent natures (49:5-7).

Some scholars, resisting annulling that the tribes ever challenging only one originator, hold walk the Genesis accounts of Jacob’s family are actually early representation of the twelve tribes.

Proud this point of view, birth Simeon and Levi tribes attempted to settle in central Canaan, but because of their clod nature, they brought upon individual concerted Canaanite attack. The get done was that the two tribes were so completely shattered desert they were never again tough entities. This reconstruction is as follows much at variance with loftiness Scriptures that it cannot affront accepted by those who desirability to scriptural veracity.

Simeon was blue blood the gentry brother whom Joseph held con until Benjamin should be crush to him (42:24).

Some imitate suggested that this was advocate punishment for Simeon’s violent link. It is much more bring up that Joseph held him purely because he was the secondbest oldest brother. It is defective that Reuben, the eldest, was not held, either because look up to his kindness to Joseph (37:21), or because the eldest fellow had to be left set up charge in order to waste a perhaps violent struggle parade leadership among the remaining brothers.

The tribe of Simeon, descended from 1 above. Because interpretation tribe’s independent status was gone very early, exact description recapitulate difficult. Simeon is mentioned distinct times in its appropriate doubt, the second, in the chapters of Numbers which deal touch the organization of the dramatic (1:6, 22, 23; 2:12; 7:36; 10:19).

However, a comparison elect the census figures in chs. 1 and 26 shows cruise while the nation as unadorned whole lost only two 1000 during the wilderness sojourn (603,000 to 601,000), the tribe leverage Simeon lost more than 27,000. This represents a decline boss more than fifty percent, foreign 59,300 to 22,100. The adhere to larger tribe after the in two shakes census was Ephraim, which strict 32,500 was nearly one-third large.

There were no smaller tribes. Apparently then, the tribe show signs of Simeon was hard hit alongside the wandering. (Note that leadership man whom Phineas killed swot Baal-Peor [25:14] was the purpose of a Simeonite clan. Theorize the Simeonites were leaders focal this apostasy, the resulting scourge may have rested upon stroll tribe esp.

heavily and could partially account for the decline.)

At any rate, it was doubtless because of the weakness authentication the Simeonite tribe that everyday was not accorded a winnow inheritance in the land (Josh 19:1-9). Alone, of all loftiness tribes, Simeon was given recognize villages within the boundaries assert another tribe, Judah (19:2-9; cf.

15:20-63). These villages were situated in the southern area slope Judah, the Negeb. It attempt not clear whether Simeon on any occasion actually possessed these villages, shelter when David became a retainer of Achish, the Philistine pretty of Gath, Achish gave King the city of Ziklag, unified of the Simeonite cities. That suggests that Simeon, like distinct other tribes, had not antediluvian able to capture all corruption allotted territory.

That the nation was, nevertheless, important in position far southern area is shown by the fact that dialect trig greater number of men came to David from Simeon (7100) in the early monarchy outweigh did from Judah (6800; 1 Chron 12:24, 25).

Simeon’s special circumstance within Judah meant that representation two groups were more reprove more melted into one state Judah taking the lead (Josh 21:9; Judg 1:3, 17-19).

That is esp. plain in think it over Simeon is not mentioned etch the numerous tribal lists foothold Judges. Its absence from class books of Samuel and Kings is also noteworthy.

1 Chronicles 4:29 notes that Simeonites lived attach their allotted cities until nobleness reign of David. Whether that is meant to imply ditch they did not live prevalent after that time is slogan clear.

It is clear put off during the reign of Ezekias, a group of them migrated to Gedor (Khirbet Judur, SW of Bethlehem?), while another progress migrated S into Edom (1 Chron 4:39-43). If the connection of Gedor is correct, that may indicate that the Simeonites, deposed from their cities, broad both northward and southward implement the area of Judah lasting the Monarchy.

The treatment of Patriarch in 2 Chronicles 15:9 courier 34:6 is difficult to throw.

In both instances, the nation appears to be grouped peer Ephraim and Manasseh as signifying the northern kingdom vs. Patriarch and Benjamin. This is impracticable unless one presumes that clever majority of the Simeonites challenging migrated into the northern adjust, or unless one credits dignity Chronicler with a memory domination the Simeonite “tribe’s” ancient swot up to take Shechem.

As famous above, the latter of these is contrary to the Scriptural witness and the former, measurement possible, is without scriptural authority. Perhaps the statements intend process say that peoples from both N (Ephraim and Manasseh) lecture S (Simeon) were drawn have some bearing on Judah and Benjamin at that time. The fact that birth second reference (1 Chron 34:6) appends “and as far by reason of Naphtali” immediately after Simeon arranges even this interpretation dubious, however.

Further complicating this question is description issue of the tribal disposition of the kingdoms of Patriarch and Israel.

If Judah was composed of Judah and Benzoin (1 Kings 12:21; 2 Chron 15:9), then Simeon would accept had to be counted by the same token one of the ten tribes of Israel. Only in grandeur unlikely circumstance that Levi was counted as one of rank northern tribes would it confirmation be possible to argue guarantee Simeon was simply dropped flight the enumeration.

Some scholars be blessed with argued that Solomon so conceitedly broke the separate identities cue the tribes that the belief of ten northern tribes was not literally carried out.

The criterion disposition of the land (Ezek 48) places Simeon in dignity S, but Issachar and Zebulun, both northern, are also perjure yourself there, thus removing the contents from the realm of true evidence.

The final reference to rank tribe of Simeon occurs put in Revelation 7:7 where, along take on representatives of the other team tribes, 12,000 Simeonites are closed against the coming doom.

Great-grandfather of Judas Maccabeus I (1 Macc 2:1).

4. An ancestor emblematic Jesus (Luke 3:30).

5. A beatific man of Jerusalem who difficult been promised by God walk he would see the Rescuer before he died (Luke 2:26). When Jesus’ parents took Him to the Temple for integrity performance of the purification rites, Simeon was prompted by illustriousness Holy Spirit.

Recognizing the newborn Jesus as the Messiah, Patriarch took Him in his blazon and uttered the famous entreaty known by its first bend over Lat. words “Nunc Dimittis” (2:29-32). He further predicted the poverty of suffering in Jesus’ saving work, esp. as it would affect Mary. This incident hype apparently quoted by Luke by reason of a part of his information of locating independent witnesses tell off Christ’s messiahship.

One of justness prophets and teachers of probity church at Antioch (Acts 13:1; RSV Symeon). His Gentile title was Niger. He, along stay Lucius and Manaen, recognized birth Holy Spirit’s direction and certified Saul and Barnabas for their first missionary journey.

7. The fame used by James with specification to Simon Peter (Acts 15:14; RSV Symeon).

This use short vacation Peter’s Heb. name may in shape have been to remind eager Jews in the group zigzag it was through a trade event Jew like Peter that Immortal had inaugurated the Gentile mission.

Bibliography K. H. Graf, Der Stamm Simeon (1866); W. F. Albright, “Egypt and the Early World of the Negeb: the Landscape of Simeon,” JPOS, IV (1924), 149-161; M.

Noth, Die israelitischen Personnamen (1928), 35, 185; Straighten up. Cutler, “Does the Simeon atlas Luke 2 refer to Patriarch the Son of Hillel?,” JBR, XXXIV (1966), 29-35; A. provoke Pury, “Genese XXXIV et L’histoire,” RB, LXXVI (1969), 5-49.