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Simeon (son of Jacob)

Coordinates: 32°12′08″N 34°57′35″E / 32.202224°N 34.959608°E / 32.202224; 34.959608
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Not to be confused with Simeon (Gospel of Luke).
Simeon
שִׁמְעוֹן‎
Painting by Francisco de Zurbarán (from Jacob and his twelve sons, c. 1640–45)
PronunciationŠim'ōn
Born1568 BCE or 1567 BCE (21 or 28 Tevet, AM 2194)
Harran, Paddan Aram
DiedAged 120 or 127
Resting placeMaybe Shim'on Ben Ya'akov Tomb, Israel
32°12′08″N 34°57′35″E / 32.202224°N 34.959608°E / 32.202224; 34.959608
Children
  • Jemuel/Nemuel (son/fourth and fifth cousin)
  • Jamin (son/fourth and fifth cousin)
  • Ohad (son/fourth and fifth cousin)
  • Jachin (son/fourth and fifth cousin)
  • Zohar (son/fourth and fifth cousin)
  • Shaul (son of the Canaanite woman)
Parents
Relatives

Simeon (Hebrew: שִׁמְעוֹן, Modern: Šīmʾōn, Tiberian: Šīmʾōn)[1] was the second of the six sons of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite tribe, The Tribe of Simeon, according to the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible. Biblical scholars regard the tribe as having been part of the original Israelite confederation. The tribe is absent from the parts of the Bible. Some scholars think that Simeon was not originally regarded as a distinct tribe.[2] However, many Biblical scholars believe that Simeon isn't regarded as a distinct tribe due to the scandal involving Zimri. The Blessing of Moses before his death had omitted the Tribe of Simeon because Jacob had castigated him Genesis 49:5-7, and because of the terrible affair of Baal-peor.

Simeon's name

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The text of the Torah states that the name of Simeon is in reference that God heard that Leah was unloved by Jacob and preferred her sister Rachel.[3][4] This implies a derivation from the Hebrew root (שְׁמַע‎) šāma meaning 'to hear', 'to listen', and the verb (אוֹנִי‎) ʾōnī meaning 'my suffering'. At other times it is thought to derive from (שָׁם‎) šhām and (עָוֺן‎) ʿāvōn, meaning 'there is sin', which is argued to be a prophetic reference to Zimri's sexual miscegenation with a Midianite woman, a type of relationship which rabbinical sources regard as sinful.[5][6]

Alternatively, Hitzig, W. R. Smith, Stade, and Kerber compared שִׁמְעוֹן Šīmə‘ōn to Arabic سِمع simˤ 'the offspring of the hyena and the female wolf'; as supports, Smith points to Arabic tribal names Simˤ 'a subdivision of the defenders (the Medinites)' and Samˤān 'a subdivision of Tamim'.[7]

Simeon in Shechem

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Simeon and Levi slay the Shechemites

In the Torah's account of the rape of Dinah, wherein Dinah was raped (or in some versions, merely seduced) by a Canaanite named Shechem. Simeon and his brother Levi took violent revenge against the inhabitants of Shechem by tricking them into circumcising themselves and then killing them when they are weakened.[8] The account dramatizes the theme of tension between marriage within a group (endogamy) and marriage with outsiders (exogamy).[9]

Jacob castigates Simeon and Levi for this as their actions have placed the family in danger of a retaliatory strike by their neighbors. Later, in his final blessing, he condemns Simeon's descendants to become divided and scattered. Some Biblical scholars regard the account of the rape of Dinah as an aetiological myth, created by the Jahwist, to justify the presence of a sanctuary at Shechem; in comparison to the Elohist's justification of the Shechem sanctuary, where the land is simply purchased by Jacob, and dedicated to El Elohe Israel (meaning El is the God of Israel, mighty is the God of Israel, or God, the God of Israel).[10] The Jahwist's account is viewed as a veiled slight against the sanctuary.[11]

Simeon's vengeance, and punishment in the blessing, are viewed by biblical scholars as aetiological postdictions which were designed to explain why, in the time of the author of the blessing (900-700BC), the tribe of Simeon was dwindling out of existence.[11] The midrashic book of Jasher, argues that it was Simeon who deceived Hamor by insisting that the men of Shechem would need to be circumcised. It goes on to argue that Simeon was extremely strong, despite only being 14 years old, and was able to slaughter all the men of Shechem nearly single-handedly, only having assistance from his brother Levi, and captured 100 young women, marrying the one named "Bonah".[2]

Relation with Joseph

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The classical rabbinical sources argue that Simeon was very fearless, but also was particularly envious, and so had always been antagonistic and spiteful towards Joseph, owing to Joseph being Jacob's favourite son. The midrashic book of Jasher argues that Simeon was the one who proposed that the brothers should kill Joseph, and other classical sources argue that it was Simeon who threw Joseph into a pit, and became furious when he found out that Judah had sold Joseph rather than killed him. According to the classical sources, Simeon suffered divine punishment for this inhumanity, with his right hand withered, but this caused Simeon to repent, and so his hand was restored a week later.[2]

In the biblical Joseph narrative, when Joseph, having settled in Egypt, asks his brothers to bring Benjamin to him, he takes Simeon hostage to ensure that they return.[12] According to classical rabbinical sources, Joseph chose Simeon to be the hostage because he was concerned that if Simeon was not separated from Levi, then Levi and Simeon might destroy Egypt together, since they had already destroyed Shechem.[13] Another theory was that Joseph singled out Simeon due to his taking a prominent role in Joseph's betrayal. According to the midrashic book of Jasher, Simeon was not willing to become a hostage, so Joseph sent 70 strong Egyptians to take Simeon by force, but Simeon had a very powerful voice, and so was able to scare off the Egyptians simply by shouting. The text states that Simeon was eventually subdued by Manasseh, and imprisoned.[2]

According to the Book of Jubilees, Simeon was born on 21 Tevet,[14] and according to the book of Genesis he had six sons.[15] Although some classical rabbinical sources argue that the mother of his children, and his wife, was Bonah, one of the women from Shechem, other classical rabbinical sources argue that Simeon's wife (and the mother of his children) was Dinah, his sister, who had insisted on the marriage before she would be willing to leave Shechem's home (Shechem was her rapist/lover). Many of the rabbinical sources argue that Simeon died aged 120, roughly three years before the death of his brother Reuben,[2] although Numbers Rabbah states that Simeon became the senior of the brothers after Reuben had died.[16]

Tomb

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A Samaritan tradition recorded in the late 19th century considered Neby Shem'on, a maqam near Kfar Saba, to be the burial place of Simeon.[17]

Children

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  • Jemuel (also called Nemuel)[18] - The Clan of The Nemuelites
  • Jamin - The Clan of The Jaminites
  • Ohad
  • Jachin - The Clan of The Jachinites
  • Zohar (also called Zerah)[19] - The Clan of The Zerahites
  • Shaul (also called Saul)[20] (Son of The Canaanite Woman)[21] - The Clan of The Saulites

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Khan, Geoffrey (2020). The Tiberian Pronunciation Tradition of Biblical Hebrew, Volume 1. Open Book Publishers. ISBN 978-1783746767.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Simeon, Tribe of", Jewish Encyclopedia
  3. ^ Genesis 29:33
  4. ^ "Genesis 29:33". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  5. ^ Deuteronomy 7:3
  6. ^ "Deuteronomy 7:3". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  7. ^ Encyclopædia Biblica: Q to Z, edited by Thomas Kelly Chase. p. 4531
  8. ^ Genesis 34:25
  9. ^ "Dinah: Bible.", Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. 20 March 2009. Jewish Women's Archive. (Viewed on August 6, 2014)
  10. ^ Genesis 33:19
  11. ^ a b Friedmann, Richard Eliot, Who wrote the Bible
  12. ^ Genesis 42:24+
  13. ^ Genesis Rabbah 91:6
  14. ^ Jubilees 28:13
  15. ^ Genesis 46:8, 46:10
  16. ^ Numbers Rabbah 13:10
  17. ^ Conder and Kitchener, 1882, SWP II, p. 219
  18. ^ "Numbers 26:12". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  19. ^ See Shlomo ben Aderet: (responsa i., No. 12; quoted in the Jewish Encyclopedia): "one of the sons of Simeon is called Zohar in Gen. 46:10 and Ex. 6:15, and Zerah in Num. 26:13, but since both names signify 'magnificent,' the double nomenclature is explained."
  20. ^ "Numbers 26:13". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  21. ^ "Genesis 46:10". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
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