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(Redirected from Simeon (Biblical figure))
'Simeon' () was, according to the Book of Genesis, the second son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Simeon; however Biblical scholars view this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the Israelite confederation[1]. With Leah as a matriarch, Biblical scholars regard the tribe as having been believed by the text's authors to have been part of the original Israelite confederation[2], however, the tribe is absent from the parts of the bible which textual scholars regard as the oldest (for example, the ancient Song of Deborah), and so some scholars think that Simeon was not originally regarded as a distinct tribe[3].
The text of the Torah argues that the name of ''Simeon'' refers to Leah's belief that God had heard that she was hated by Jacob, in the sense of not being as favoured as Rachel[4], implying a derivation from the Hebrew term ''shama on'', meaning ''he has heard of my suffering''; this is a similar etymology as the Torah gives for the theophoric name ''Ishmael'' (''God has heard'')[5], implying that the names are cognate, and that the tribe of Simeon may originally have been an Ishmaelite group[6]. In classical rabbinical sources, the name is sometimes interpreted as meaning ''he who listens to the words of God''[7], and at other times thought to derive from ''sham 'in'', 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[3].
In the Torah's account of the rape of Dinah, Simeon is one of those who took violent revenge against the inhabitants of Shechem[9]; in the account, Jacob heavily castigates Simeon for this, and, in his blessing condemns his descendants to become ''divided and scattered''. 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[1][11]; 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'')[12], the Jahwist's account is viewed as a veiled slight against the sanctuary[13]. 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[14][1]. 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[3]; it goes on to argue that Simeon was extremely strong, despite only being 13 years old, and was able to slaughter all the men of Shechem nearly single-handedly, only having assistance from his brother Levi, and captured 85 young women, marrying the one named ''Bonah''[2].
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[3]. 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[2]; 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[2].
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[21]. According to classical rabbinical sources, Joseph chose Simeon to be the hostage because he was concerned that if Simeon wasn't separated from Levi, then Levi and Simeon might destroy Egypt together, since they had already destroyed Shechem[22]. According to the midrashic book of Jasher, Simeon wasn't 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[3]; the text states that Simeon was eventually subdued by Manasseh, and imprisoned[2]. The Testament of Simeon, on the other hand, declares that Simeon acknowledged that it was just for him to be imprisoned, given his earlier mistreatment of Joseph, and so he went willingly[25].
According to the Book of Jubilees, Simeon was born on the 21st of Tevet[26], and according to the book of Genesis he had six sons[27]. Although some classical rabbinical sources argue that the mother of the 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 the children) was Dinah, his sister, who had insisted on the marriage before she would be willing to leave Hamor's home (Hamor was her rapist)[3]. Many of the rabbinical sources argue that Simeon died at the age of 120, roughly three years before the death of his brother Reuben[2], though Numbers Rabbah states that Simeon became the senior of the brothers ''after'' Reuben had died[30].
★ Tribe of Simeon
1. ''Peake's commentary on the Bible''
2. ibid
3. ''Jewish Encyclopedia''
4. Genesis 29:33
5. Genesis 16:11
6. Cheyne and Black, ''Encyclopedia Biblica''
7. Genesis Rabbah 61:4
8. ''Jewish Encyclopedia''
9. Genesis 34:25
10. ''Peake's commentary on the Bible''
11. Richard Elliott Friedmann, ''Who wrote the Bible''
12. Genesis 33:19
13. Richard Elliott Friedmann, ''Who wrote the Bible''
14. Richard Elliott Friedman, ''Who wrote the Bible?''
15. ''Peake's commentary on the Bible''
16. ''Jewish Encyclopedia''
17. ibid
18. ''Jewish Encyclopedia''
19. ibid
20. ibid
21. Genesis 42:24+
22. Genesis Rabbah 91:6
23. ''Jewish Encyclopedia''
24. ibid
25. ''Testament of Simeon'' 4
26. Jubilees 28:13
27. Genesis 46:8, 46:10
28. ''Jewish Encyclopedia''
29. ibid
30. Numbers Rabbah 13:10
'Simeon' () was, according to the Book of Genesis, the second son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Simeon; however Biblical scholars view this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the Israelite confederation[1]. With Leah as a matriarch, Biblical scholars regard the tribe as having been believed by the text's authors to have been part of the original Israelite confederation[2], however, the tribe is absent from the parts of the bible which textual scholars regard as the oldest (for example, the ancient Song of Deborah), and so some scholars think that Simeon was not originally regarded as a distinct tribe[3].
The text of the Torah argues that the name of ''Simeon'' refers to Leah's belief that God had heard that she was hated by Jacob, in the sense of not being as favoured as Rachel[4], implying a derivation from the Hebrew term ''shama on'', meaning ''he has heard of my suffering''; this is a similar etymology as the Torah gives for the theophoric name ''Ishmael'' (''God has heard'')[5], implying that the names are cognate, and that the tribe of Simeon may originally have been an Ishmaelite group[6]. In classical rabbinical sources, the name is sometimes interpreted as meaning ''he who listens to the words of God''[7], and at other times thought to derive from ''sham 'in'', 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[3].
In the Torah's account of the rape of Dinah, Simeon is one of those who took violent revenge against the inhabitants of Shechem[9]; in the account, Jacob heavily castigates Simeon for this, and, in his blessing condemns his descendants to become ''divided and scattered''. 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[1][11]; 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'')[12], the Jahwist's account is viewed as a veiled slight against the sanctuary[13]. 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[14][1]. 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[3]; it goes on to argue that Simeon was extremely strong, despite only being 13 years old, and was able to slaughter all the men of Shechem nearly single-handedly, only having assistance from his brother Levi, and captured 85 young women, marrying the one named ''Bonah''[2].
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[3]. 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[2]; 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[2].
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[21]. According to classical rabbinical sources, Joseph chose Simeon to be the hostage because he was concerned that if Simeon wasn't separated from Levi, then Levi and Simeon might destroy Egypt together, since they had already destroyed Shechem[22]. According to the midrashic book of Jasher, Simeon wasn't 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[3]; the text states that Simeon was eventually subdued by Manasseh, and imprisoned[2]. The Testament of Simeon, on the other hand, declares that Simeon acknowledged that it was just for him to be imprisoned, given his earlier mistreatment of Joseph, and so he went willingly[25].
According to the Book of Jubilees, Simeon was born on the 21st of Tevet[26], and according to the book of Genesis he had six sons[27]. Although some classical rabbinical sources argue that the mother of the 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 the children) was Dinah, his sister, who had insisted on the marriage before she would be willing to leave Hamor's home (Hamor was her rapist)[3]. Many of the rabbinical sources argue that Simeon died at the age of 120, roughly three years before the death of his brother Reuben[2], though Numbers Rabbah states that Simeon became the senior of the brothers ''after'' Reuben had died[30].
| Contents |
| See also |
| Citations |
See also
★ Tribe of Simeon
Citations
1. ''Peake's commentary on the Bible''
2. ibid
3. ''Jewish Encyclopedia''
4. Genesis 29:33
5. Genesis 16:11
6. Cheyne and Black, ''Encyclopedia Biblica''
7. Genesis Rabbah 61:4
8. ''Jewish Encyclopedia''
9. Genesis 34:25
10. ''Peake's commentary on the Bible''
11. Richard Elliott Friedmann, ''Who wrote the Bible''
12. Genesis 33:19
13. Richard Elliott Friedmann, ''Who wrote the Bible''
14. Richard Elliott Friedman, ''Who wrote the Bible?''
15. ''Peake's commentary on the Bible''
16. ''Jewish Encyclopedia''
17. ibid
18. ''Jewish Encyclopedia''
19. ibid
20. ibid
21. Genesis 42:24+
22. Genesis Rabbah 91:6
23. ''Jewish Encyclopedia''
24. ibid
25. ''Testament of Simeon'' 4
26. Jubilees 28:13
27. Genesis 46:8, 46:10
28. ''Jewish Encyclopedia''
29. ibid
30. Numbers Rabbah 13:10
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