Simeon
“Hearing, from the root meaning God has heard”
Summary
A name borne by several biblical figures, most notably Jacob's second son whose tribe was eventually absorbed into Judah, and the devout elder who blessed the infant Jesus in the Temple.
☩The Patriarch and Tribe
Simeon was the second son of Jacob and Leah, named because the Lord had "heard" that Leah was unloved. Together with his brother Levi, Simeon massacred the men of Shechem in retaliation for the violation of their sister Dinah, an act that earned Jacob's dying curse: they would be divided and scattered in Israel. Joseph selected Simeon as hostage for Benjamin's appearance, possibly due to his leading role in the earlier attack on Joseph himself. The tribe's territory consisted of cities within Judah's southern allotment, fulfilling Jacob's prophecy of scattering.
☩Tribal History
At the Sinai census, Simeon numbered 59,300 fighting men, but by the second census at Shittim this had dramatically declined to 22,200—the smallest of all tribes. This reduction is partly attributed to the plague following the idolatry at Peor, in which Zimri, a Simeonite prince, was a principal offender. The tribe received no independent territory but was allotted cities within Judah's portion. Moses' blessing notably omits Simeon entirely. While nominally part of the northern kingdom after the division, Simeon's isolation in the south meant it was effectively absorbed into Judah, fulfilling Jacob's prophecy of scattering.
☩Simeon in the Temple
A different Simeon appears in Luke's Gospel as a righteous and devout man in Jerusalem, who had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before seeing the Lord's Messiah. When Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the Temple for presentation, Simeon took the child in his arms and proclaimed the Nunc Dimittis, blessing God for the salvation prepared for all peoples—a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory for Israel. He then prophesied to Mary that her son would be a sign spoken against and that a sword would pierce her own soul.
☩Other Figures Named Simeon
Several other biblical figures bear this name: an ancestor of Jesus in Luke's genealogy; Simeon called Niger, a prophet and teacher in the church at Antioch; and Simon Peter, whose Hebrew name Simeon appears in James's speech at the Jerusalem Council. The name remained common among Jews, derived from the verb meaning "to hear," commemorating God's attentiveness to Leah's suffering.
Related Verses48 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Simeon," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Simeon (1)," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Simeon," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 4.James Hastings (ed.), "Simeon," in Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, vol. II (T. & T. Clark, 1906–1908).
- 5.George Morrish, "Simeon," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).