Original Word: שִׁמְעוֹן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Shim`own
Pronunciation: shee-MOHN
Phonetic Spelling: (shim-one')
KJV: Simeon
NASB: Simeon, Shimeon
Word Origin: [from H8085 (שָׁמַע - heard)]

1. hearing
2. Shimon, one of Jacob's sons, also the tribe descended from him

Simeon

From shama'; hearing; Shimon, one of Jacob's sons, also the tribe descended from him -- Simeon.

see HEBREW shama'

Word Origin
from shama
Definition
a son of Jacob, also his tribe, also an Isr. with a foreign wife
NASB Translation
Shimeon (1), Simeon (43).

שִׁמְעוֺן₄₄ proper name, masculine (compare proper name שמעון in Palmyrene Lzb³⁷⁸; meaning doubtful; Rs and others compare said to mean offspring of hyena and wolf; see Hogg^{EBiv. 4531}); —

1 second son of Jacob and Leath, Συμεωη: Genesis 29:33 (name explanation from שָׁמַע), Genesis 35:23; Exodus 1:2 14t. (associated especially with Levi Genesis 34:25,30; Genesis 49:5).

2 tribal name Judges 1:3 (twice in verse); Judges 1:17; Numbers 1:6 +; so ׳גְּנֵי שׁ Numbers 1:22 7t., ׳מַטֵה שׁ Numbers 1:23; Numbers 2:12; Numbers 13:5; ׳מַטֵּה גְנֵי שׁ Numbers 10:19; Numbers 34:20; Joshua 19:1,8; Joshua 21:9; 1 Chronicles 6:50.

3 post-exilic Jew with foreign wife Ezra 10:31.

Canonical Occurrences and Distribution

שִׁמְעוֹן (Simeon) appears approximately forty-four times in the Hebrew Scriptures. The name refers primarily to Jacob’s second son and, by extension, to the tribe that descended from him. References cluster in Genesis (patriarchal narratives), Exodus–Deuteronomy (censuses and wilderness travel), Joshua–Chronicles (allotment and later history), and a few post-exilic lists (Ezra–Nehemiah).

Patriarch Simeon

Born to Leah after Reuben, Simeon received his name because “the LORD has heard” (Genesis 29:33), reflecting God’s attentiveness to Leah’s affliction. Simeon’s life is woven into the larger account of the sons of Jacob:

1. Violence at Shechem – Along with Levi, Simeon masterminded the slaughter of the men of Shechem after Dinah was violated (Genesis 34). Their zeal defended family honor but revealed unrestrained anger.
2. The Sale of Joseph – Simeon joined his brothers in selling Joseph (Genesis 37:28). Joseph later selected Simeon to be held hostage in Egypt, perhaps because he was second-oldest or most responsible for the earlier betrayal (Genesis 42:24).
3. Hostage in Egypt – While bound, Simeon experienced the consequences of past sin and the beginnings of family reconciliation.
4. Family Migration – Simeon, his sons, and grandsons appear in the move to Egypt (Genesis 46:10).

Prophetic Pronouncements

Jacob’s deathbed words condemn Simeon’s violence yet foresee dispersion:

“Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence… I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel” (Genesis 49:5-7).

Moses’ blessing in Deuteronomy 33 omits Simeon by name, an omission often viewed as the outworking of Jacob’s prophecy. Some interpreters see Simeon’s destiny absorbed into the adjacent blessing on Judah (Deuteronomy 33:7), a reality reflected geographically when Simeon’s inheritance is enclosed within Judah’s territory.

The Tribe of Simeon

Census Numbers
• First census: 59,300 fighting men (Numbers 1:22-23).
• Second census (after Baal-Peor judgment): 22,200 (Numbers 26:14), the sharpest decline of any tribe—underscoring both divine discipline and the moral vulnerability of the Simeonites.

Wilderness Encampment

Simeon camped on the south with Reuben and Gad (Numbers 2:12). Its standard followed Reuben’s, echoing fraternal association.

Geographic Allotment

“The second lot came out for Simeon… their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah” (Joshua 19:1). Towns are listed in Joshua 19:2-9, including Beersheba, Hormah, and Ziklag. Later, “the portion of the children of Simeon was taken from the allotment of the children of Judah, because the share of the children of Judah was too large for them” (Joshua 19:9). By dwelling among Judah’s cities, Simeon’s dispersion was fulfilled while providing security and eventual assimilation.

History after the Settlement

Early Conquests

Simeon fought jointly with Judah against the Canaanites (Judges 1:3, 17).

Genealogical Expansions

1 Chronicles 4:24-43 records Simeonite clans that migrated southward to Seir and subdued Amalekite remnants, marking obedience to God’s mandate to finish the task left undone in earlier generations.

Participation in Reform

Men of Simeon responded to Asa’s covenant renewal (2 Chronicles 15:9) and to Hezekiah’s Passover invitation (2 Chronicles 30:11), signaling continued though diminished tribal identity.

Post-Exilic Mentions

Lists in Ezra 10:31 and Nehemiah 12:34 include descendants named Simeon, indicating residual family lines despite the tribe’s earlier absorption.

Notable Later Individuals Named Simeon

• Simeon, a post-exilic priestly family head (Nehemiah 12:34).
• Several Levites and gatekeepers carry the name in Chronicles and Nehemiah, illustrating the name’s enduring popularity though distinct from the tribal lineage.

Theological and Ministry Insights

God Hears – The name itself (“heard”) affirms divine responsiveness. Leah’s testimony establishes a pattern: God hears the afflicted.

Sin’s Consequences – Simeon’s unchecked anger led to dispersion and numerical decline, illustrating that forgiven sin may still yield temporal repercussions.

Grace within Discipline – Though scattered, Simeon was never cut off. Their inclusion in the national blessings of Israel, participation in reforms, and presence in post-exilic communities display God’s preserving mercy.

Integration into Judah – By dwelling inside Judah, Simeon benefited from the messianic tribe’s prominence, pre-figuring the gathering of diverse peoples under the authority of the Lion of Judah.

Representative Passages

Genesis 29:33 – Birth and naming.

Genesis 34:25-26 – Violent zeal at Shechem.

Genesis 42:24 – Simeon bound in Egypt.

Genesis 49:5-7 – Jacob’s prophecy.

Numbers 26:14 – Census decline.

Joshua 19:1-9 – Territorial allotment.

1 Chronicles 4:38-43 – Conquest of Seir.

2 Chronicles 15:9 – Participation in Asa’s revival.

וְשִׁמְע֖וֹן וְשִׁמְע֣וֹן וְשִׁמְעוֹן֙ וּמִשִּׁמְע֑וֹן ומשמעון ושמעון לְשִׁמְע֔וֹן לְשִׁמְע֕וֹן לְשִׁמְע֨וֹן לשמעון שִׁמְע֑וֹן שִׁמְע֔וֹן שִׁמְע֖וֹן שִׁמְע֗וֹן שִׁמְע֞וֹן שִׁמְע֣וֹן שִׁמְע֥וֹן שִׁמְע֨וֹן שִׁמְעֽוֹן׃ שִׁמְעוֹן֙ שִׁמְעוֹן֮ שמעון שמעון׃ lə·šim·‘ō·wn leshimon ləšim‘ōwn shimon šim‘ōwn šim·‘ō·wn ū·miš·šim·‘ō·wn umishshimon ūmiššim‘ōwn veshimOn wə·šim·‘ō·wn wəšim‘ōwnInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts