Simeon

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Simeon (Hebrew: שׁמעון, Shim'on, "God has heard"), (b. 2187 AM 1973 BC
1789 H
2187 AM), was the second son of Jacob and Leah, and the ancestor of the Tribe of Simeon. He had eleven brothers: Reuben, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. He also had a sister, Dinah.

Contents 1 A Display of Anger 2 Brief Imprisonment 3 Entry into Egypt 4 Related References 5 See Also

A Display of Anger

Main Article: Rape of Dinah

In 2213 AM, his sister Dinah strayed from camp near the city of Shechem. The prince of the city, also named Shechem, saw her and took her by force. Shortly thereafter, King Hamor of Shechem came to Jacob to negotiate intermarriage between the Shechemites and Jacob and his children.

Simeon and his brother Levi were outraged, but concealed the full extent of their displeasure. They insisted that the Shechemites circumcise themselves, as Jacob and all his family had done. The night after the Shechemites did this, while they were still sore, Simeon and Levi attacked the city, sacked it, killed every male inhabitant, and brought Dinah out. This display of anger forced Jacob to strike camp and move away.

Brief Imprisonment

In 2216 AM, Simeon participated in the plot to sell his brother Joseph into slavery. Twenty years later, he found himself in an Egyptian prison.

In 2236 AM, famine had struck all the Middle East. Jacob, hearing that grain could be had in Egypt, sent all his sons to Egypt to buy grain. (Benjamin did not go on this first trip.) There they met the viceroy of Egypt, who accused them of spying. At first the viceroy confined them all, but later the viceroy kept Simeon only in prison and sent the rest back to Canaan with strict instructions to come again with Benjamin.

Eventually the brothers came again, and Simeon was released. Later, however, all the brothers were arrested, when the viceroy accused them of stealing a silver cup from his house. The cup was indeed found in the possession of Benjamin. Judah then made a heartfelt plea to the viceroy that he take Judah in Benjamin's place.

The viceroy then shocked all the brothers by revealing that he was none other than their lost brother Joseph. Joseph went on to extend his personal invitation, on behalf of the Pharaoh, to Jacob and all his household to move to Egypt.

Entry into Egypt

In 15 Abib 2238 AM25 April 1921 BC
15 Iyar 1840 H
15 Abib 2238 AM, Simeon, together with his father, entered Egypt. He was about 51 years old at the time and had six sons: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul. The last son was his son by a Canaanitish wife.

Related References

See Also

• Israel
• Israelites
• Arabs
• Palestine