Simeon (Hebrew Bible)

Simeon () was the second of the six sons of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite tribe of Simeon, according to the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible. Simeon is absent in some sections of the Bible that list the other tribes, and some scholars think that it was not originally regarded as a distinct tribe."Simeon, Tribe of", ''Jewish Encyclopedia''
/ref> Some Biblical scholars believe that Simeon was not 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 hi
Genesis 49:5-7
and because of the affair of Baal-peor.

Simeon's name

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. This implies a derivation from the Hebrew root () ''šāma'' meaning 'to hear', 'to listen', and the verb () ''ʾōnī'' meaning 'my suffering'. At other times it is thought to derive from () ''šhām'' and () ''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.

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'.

Simeon in Shechem

In the Torah account, Simeon's sister Dinah is raped (or in some versions, seduced) by a Canaanite named Shechem. Simeon and his brother Levi take violent revenge against the inhabitants of Shechem by tricking them into circumcising themselves and then massacring them while they are weakened. The account dramatizes the theme of tension between marriage within a group (endogamy) and marriage with outsiders (exogamy)."Dinah: Bible.", ''Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia''. 20 March 2009. Jewish Women's Archive. (Viewed on August 6, 2014)
/ref>

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''). The Jahwist's account is viewed as a veiled slight against the sanctuary.Friedmann, Richard Eliot, ''Who wrote the Bible''

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. 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".

Relation with Joseph

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.

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. 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. 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.

According to the Book of Jubilees, Simeon was born on 21 Tevet, and according to the book of Genesis he had six sons. 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, although Numbers Rabbah states that Simeon became the senior of the brothers after Reuben had died.

Tomb

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.

Children

*Jemuel (also called Nemuel) - The Clan of The Nemuelites
*Jamin - The Clan of The Jaminites
*Ohad
*Jachin - The Clan of The Jachinites
*Zohar (also called Zerah) - The Clan of The Zerahites
*Shaul (also called Saul) (Son of The Canaanite Woman) - The Clan of The Saulites

See also

* Tribe of Simeon
* Simeon in rabbinic literature

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Simeon
Founders of biblical tribes
Children of Jacob
Book of Genesis people
Tribe of Simeon
Book of Jubilees
Biblical murderers