Jamlek

Simeonite tribal chieftain

The divided kingdomLeaderc. 800–700 BC

Jamlek was one of the leaders in the tribe of Simeon mentioned in 1 Chronicles. He was among the Simeonite chieftains who led an expansion into the Gedor area to find pasture for their livestock. His name appears in the genealogies as part of the tribe's leadership during the period of the divided kingdom.

Key events

Mentioned in Simeon's genealogy

Jamlek is listed as one of the chieftains in the tribe of Simeon in the detailed genealogical record of 1 Chronicles.

1 Chr 4:34 Show in context →

34Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah,

וּמְשׁוֹבָ֣ב וְיַמְלֵ֔ךְ וְיוֹשָׁ֖ה בֶּן־אֲמַצְיָֽה׃ ‬

Simeonite leadership

Jamlek belonged to a group of named men who were leaders in their clans, and these families had grown large and numerous.

1 Chr 4:34 Show in context →

34Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah,

וּמְשׁוֹבָ֣ב וְיַמְלֵ֔ךְ וְיוֹשָׁ֖ה בֶּן־אֲמַצְיָֽה׃ ‬

1 Chr 4:35 Show in context →

35Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,

וְיוֹאֵ֑ל וְיֵהוּא֙ בֶּן־י֣וֹשִׁבְיָ֔ה בֶּן־שְׂרָיָ֖ה בֶּן־עֲשִׂיאֵֽל׃ ‬

1 Chr 4:36 Show in context →

36Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah,

וְאֶלְיוֹעֵינַ֡י וְֽיַעֲקֹ֡בָה וִ֠ישׁוֹחָיָה וַעֲשָׂיָ֧ה וַעֲדִיאֵ֛ל וִישִׂימִאֵ֖ל וּבְנָיָֽה׃ ‬

1 Chr 4:37 Show in context →

37and Ziza son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah—

וְזִיזָ֨א בֶן־שִׁפְעִ֧י בֶן־אַלּ֛וֹן בֶּן־יְדָיָ֥ה בֶן־שִׁמְרִ֖י בֶּן־שְׁמַֽעְיָֽה׃ ‬

1 Chr 4:38 Show in context →

38these are the men listed by name, leaders in their clans; and their families increased greatly.

אֵ֚לֶּה הַבָּאִ֣ים בְּשֵׁמ֔וֹת נְשִׂיאִ֖ים בְּמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָ֑ם וּבֵית֙ אֲב֣וֹתֵיהֶ֔ם פָּרְצ֖וּ לָרֽוֹב׃ ‬

Search for pasture

During the reign of Judah's king Hezekiah, Jamlek and the other Simeonite leaders went out to find grazing land for their livestock, as they needed new land for their flocks.

1 Chr 4:38 Show in context →

38these are the men listed by name, leaders in their clans; and their families increased greatly.

1 Chr 4:39 Show in context →

39They went to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley, to look for pasture for their flocks.

וַיֵּלְכוּ֙ לִמְב֣וֹא גְדֹ֔ר עַ֖ד לְמִזְרַ֣ח הַגָּ֑יְא לְבַקֵּ֥שׁ מִרְעֶ֖ה לְצֹאנָֽם׃ ‬

1 Chr 4:40 Show in context →

40They found rich, good pasture, and the land was broad, quiet, and peaceful, for the people who had lived there before were Hamites.

וַֽיִּמְצְא֤וּ מִרְעֶה֙ שָׁמֵ֣ן וָט֔וֹב וְהָאָ֙רֶץ֙ רַחֲבַ֣ת יָדַ֔יִם וְשֹׁקֶ֖טֶת וּשְׁלֵוָ֑ה כִּ֣י מִן־חָ֔ם הַיֹּשְׁבִ֥ים שָׁ֖ם לְפָנִֽים׃ ‬

Expansion into the Gedor valley

The chieftains, including Jamlek, found lush and good grazing lands in the Gedor valley, a spacious, quiet, and peaceful land that had previously been inhabited by Hamites.

1 Chr 4:39 Show in context →

39They went to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley, to look for pasture for their flocks.

וַיֵּלְכוּ֙ לִמְב֣וֹא גְדֹ֔ר עַ֖ד לְמִזְרַ֣ח הַגָּ֑יְא לְבַקֵּ֥שׁ מִרְעֶ֖ה לְצֹאנָֽם׃ ‬

1 Chr 4:40 Show in context →

40They found rich, good pasture, and the land was broad, quiet, and peaceful, for the people who had lived there before were Hamites.

Conquest of new territory

The Simeonite leaders defeated the original inhabitants and settled in their place, because there was pasture for their livestock there.

1 Chr 4:41 Show in context →

41These men, recorded by name, came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and attacked their tents and the Meunites who were found there. They destroyed them completely, and so it remains to this day, and they settled in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks.

וַיָּבֹ֡אוּ אֵלֶּה֩ הַכְּתוּבִ֨ים בְּשֵׁמ֜וֹת בִּימֵ֣י ׀ יְחִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֗ה וַיַּכּ֨וּ אֶת־אָהֳלֵיהֶ֜ם וְאֶת־*המעינים **הַמְּעוּנִ֨ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר נִמְצְאוּ־שָׁ֙מָּה֙ וַיַּחֲרִימֻם֙ עַד־הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה וַיֵּשְׁב֖וּ תַּחְתֵּיהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־מִרְעֶ֥ה לְצֹאנָ֖ם שָֽׁם׃ ‬

1 Chr 4:42 Show in context →

42Five hundred of these Simeonites went to Mount Seir, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.

וּמֵהֶ֣ם ׀ מִן־בְּנֵ֣י שִׁמְע֗וֹן הָלְכוּ֙ לְהַ֣ר שֵׂעִ֔יר אֲנָשִׁ֖ים חֲמֵ֣שׁ מֵא֑וֹת וּפְלַטְיָ֡ה וּ֠נְעַרְיָה וּרְפָיָ֧ה וְעֻזִּיאֵ֛ל בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׁעִ֖י בְּרֹאשָֽׁם׃ ‬

1 Chr 4:43 Show in context →

43They struck down the remnant of the Amalekites who had survived, and they have lived there to this day.

וַיַּכּ֕וּ אֶת־שְׁאֵרִ֥ית הַפְּלֵטָ֖ה לַעֲמָלֵ֑ק וַיֵּ֣שְׁבוּ שָׁ֔ם עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ ‬

Mentioned in the Bible (1)

1 Chronicles 4:34