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Topic:
Persons Of The Bible -- Simeon
The name "Simeon" is from the Hebrew name
שִׁמְעוֹן (Shim'on).
The name means "hearing" or "heard."
There are several people named "Simeon" in the scriptures.
One person named "Simeon" was 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 in the 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 second person named "Simeon" was 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.
A third person named "Simeon" was one of the ancestors of
Joseph (Luke 3:30).
A fourth person named "Simeon" was the person surnamed
Niger, i.e., "black," perhaps from his dark complexion, a
teacher of some distinction in the church of Antioch (Acts 13:1-3). It
has been supposed that this was the Simon of Cyrene who bore Christ's
cross. Note the number of nationalities represented in the church at
Antioch.
A fifth reference is James, (Acts 15:14) thus designates the apostle
Peter (q.v.).
Derived from Easton's and Smith's Bible Dictionaries
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