Original Word: שִׁמְעִי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Shim`iy
Pronunciation: shim-EE
Phonetic Spelling: (shim-ee')
KJV: of Shimi, Shimites
NASB: Shimeites
Word Origin: [patronymically from H8096 (שִׁמעִי - Shimei)]

1. a Shimite (collectively) or descendants of Shimi

of Shimi, Shimites

Patronymically from Shim'iy; a Shimite (collectively) or descendants of Shimi -- of Shimi, Shimites.

see HEBREW Shim'iy

Word Origin
from Shimi
Definition
desc. of Shimei
NASB Translation
Shimeites (2).

II. שִׁמְעִי adjective, of a people of 3a; — with article as

collective noun ׳הַשּׁ Numbers 3:21; compare Zechariah 12:13.

Genealogical Context

Shimei was the younger of the two sons of Gershon, eldest son of Levi (Numbers 3:17-18). His descendants formed “the family of the Shimeites” (Numbers 3:21), a distinct Levitical clan that, together with the Libnites, constituted the larger Gershonite division. The persistence of this lineage is witnessed centuries later in Zechariah 12:13, demonstrating the Lord’s providential preservation of Levitical genealogies from Sinai to the post-exilic era.

Assigned Service in the Wilderness

Gershonite duties are catalogued in Numbers 3:23-26 and 4:24-28. By extension, the Shimeites shared responsibility for:
• the tabernacle’s tent curtains and coverings
• the screen for the entrance
• the hangings of the courtyard with their ropes
• all related service tasks and transport labor

Camping to the west of the tabernacle (Numbers 3:23), they functioned as custodians of the sacred coverings that sheltered the dwelling place of God among His people.

Continuity into the Second Temple Period

Zechariah’s prophecy records national mourning “the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves” (Zechariah 12:13). The mention of this specific household so late in Israel’s history confirms:

1. genealogical fidelity despite exile and dispersion, and
2. ongoing Levitical presence within Judah after the return from Babylon.

Thus the Shimeites represent the enduring covenantal link between the priestly tribe and the restored community.

Prophetic Significance in Zechariah

Zechariah 12:10-14 portrays a future outpouring of grace when Israel “will look on Me, the One they have pierced” (verse 10). The separate grieving of the Shimeites underscores:
• priestly accountability for the nation’s response to Messiah,
• personal, family-level repentance, not merely collective emotion,
• the inclusion of every stratum of society—royal (David), prophetic (Nathan), and priestly (Levi, Shimei)—in God’s redemptive plan.

Theological Themes

1. Preservation of Covenant Lines: The Shimeites exemplify God’s ability to keep covenant promises through precise, traceable genealogies.
2. Sacred Service and Covering: Their charge over the tabernacle’s fabrics typifies the protective, mediatorial ministry later fulfilled in Christ, the true Tent (John 1:14; Hebrews 9:11).
3. Repentance Leading to Restoration: Their future mourning anticipates the national turning to the pierced Messiah, linking priestly ministry with heartfelt contrition.

Ministry Lessons for Today

• Faithful Stewardship: Like the Shimeites who guarded sacred coverings, believers are stewards of the gospel’s “covering” of grace.
• Generational Continuity: Families are called to transmit faith so that lineage becomes legacy.
• Responsive Worship: Authentic service flows from a heart that mourns sin and exalts the Savior it once pierced.

Key Passages

Numbers 3:21 – “From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these were the Gershonite clans.”

Zechariah 12:13 – “the family of the house of Levi and their wives by themselves, and the family of the Shimeites and their wives by themselves.”

הַשִּׁמְעִ֑י הַשִּׁמְעִי֙ השמעי haš·šim·‘î hashshimI haššim‘îInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts