Original Word: שִׁמְעֹנִי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Shim`oniy
Pronunciation: shim-oh-nee
Phonetic Spelling: (shim-o-nee')
KJV: tribe of Simeon, Simeonites
NASB: Simeonites
Word Origin: [patronymically from H8095 (שִׁמעוֹן - Simeon)]

1. a Shimonite (collectively) or descendants of Shimon

tribe of Simeon, Simeonites

Patronymically from Shim'own; a Shimonite (collectively) or descendants of Shimon -- tribe of Simeon, Simeonites.

see HEBREW Shim'own

Word Origin
from Shimon
Definition
desc. of Simeon
NASB Translation
Simeonites (4).

שִׁמְעוֺנִי adjective, of a people with article as collective noun, Numbers 25:14; Numbers 26:14; 1 Chronicles 27:16; ׳מַטֵּה הַשּׁ Joshua 21:4.

Identity

Shimeonite (Hebrew שִׁמְעֹנִי) designates a member of the tribe of Simeon, Jacob’s second son by Leah. The name appears four times, always in the singular but functioning collectively for the clan. Its occurrences span the wilderness wanderings, the conquest, and the united monarchy, providing snapshots of a tribe whose history moves from prominence to near-absorption into Judah.

Biblical Occurrences

• Numbers 25:14 records Zimri “the leader of a Simeonite family,” whose sin with Cozbi at Peor brought judgment on Israel.
• Numbers 26:14 notes the tribe’s post-plague census: “their registration numbered 22,200,” a drastic decline from the earlier 59,300 (Numbers 1:23).
• Joshua 21:4 lists Simeon among the donors of Levitical cities when “the descendants of Aaron the priest… received thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.”
• 1 Chronicles 27:16 names Shephatiah son of Maacah as the Simeonite commander in David’s rotational army.

Tribal History and Census Data

At Sinai Simeon stood as Israel’s third-largest tribe. The Peor apostasy, led in part by a Simeonite prince, preceded its staggering loss of 37,100 men—a 62 percent decrease unique among the tribes. The second census therefore testifies both to divine discipline and to the preservation of a remnant.

Inheritance and Territorial Integration

Joshua 19 assigns Simeon towns “within the inheritance of the sons of Judah” (Joshua 19:1). Geographically encircled by Judah’s larger allotment, Simeon’s borders lacked natural defenses and prominent landmarks. Over time, economic dependence, intermarriage, and shared worship in Jerusalem drew the Simeonites into Judah’s orbit. By the monarchy the two tribes functioned as a southern coalition; later prophetic and post-exilic lists rarely distinguish Simeon, suggesting near-complete absorption.

Spiritual Highlights and Warnings

1. Holiness among leadership: Zimri’s fall demonstrates that rank affords no exemption from covenant fidelity. The plague that followed vindicates the LORD’s holiness (Numbers 25:11-13).
2. Consequences of corporate sin: The population collapse between the censuses stands as a tangible reminder that sin can bear multi-generational cost.
3. Grace in preservation: Though diminished, Simeon survives, receives cities, and supplies servants of the king, exhibiting divine mercy after judgment.

Service in the Monarchy

David’s military organization included a Simeonite commander (1 Chronicles 27:16), indicating the tribe’s ongoing contribution to national defense. Earlier, 1 Chronicles 4:24-43 (outside the four occurrences of שִׁמְעֹנִי yet related) records Simeonite expeditions, cattle management, and expansions into Edomite territory, revealing initiative and resilience.

Legacy for Today

Shimeonite history underscores both the severity of divine discipline and the steadfastness of divine promise. The tribe’s account calls believers to covenant faithfulness, warns against complacency in leadership, and illustrates how God weaves chastened but restored people into His unfolding plan—eventually centering all tribes’ hope in the Messiah who came through Judah yet gathers the faithful from every lineage.

הַשִּׁמְעֹנִ֑י הַשִּׁמְעֹנִ֜י השמעני לַשִּׁ֨מְעוֹנִ֔י לַשִּׁמְעֹנִֽי׃ לשמעוני לשמעני׃ haš·šim·‘ō·nî hashshimoNi haššim‘ōnî laš·šim·‘ō·nî laš·šim·‘ō·w·nî lashshimoNi laššim‘ōnî laššim‘ōwnîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts