Simeon (Leah's son)
Jacob's second son and patriarch
Simeon was Jacob's second son with Leah and became the ancestor of the tribe of Simeon in Israel. He is best known for joining his brother Levi in carrying out a revenge attack against Shechem after their sister Dinah was raped. His tribe was later absorbed into the tribe of Judah and did not receive its own contiguous territory.
Famille
PèreJacobMèreLeahFrère/sœurReuben (Leah's son)Frère/sœurLevi (son of Leah)Frère/sœurJudahFrère/sœurIssachar (Leah's son)Frère/sœurZebulun (Leah's son)Frère/sœurDinah (Jacob's daughter)Frère/sœurJosephFrère/sœurBenjamin (Rachel's son)Frère/sœurDan (Bilhah's son)Frère/sœurNaphtali (Bilhah's son)Frère/sœurGad (son of Zilpah)Frère/sœurAsher (son of Zilpah)EnfantJemuelEnfantJaminEnfantOhadEnfantJakinEnfantZoharEnfantSaul
Événements clés
The Birth of Simeon
Leah gave birth to her second son and named him Simeon, which means 'he has heard,' because the Lord had heard that she was unloved.
33She conceived again and gave birth to a son, and she said, "Because the LORD heard that I am unloved, he has given me this one too." So she named him Simeon.
וַתַּ֣הַר עוֹד֮ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּן֒ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֤ע יְהוָה֙ כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה אָנֹ֔כִי וַיִּתֶּן־לִ֖י גַּם־אֶת־זֶ֑ה וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ שִׁמְעֽוֹן׃
The Revenge on Shechem
After Shechem had raped their sister Dinah, Simeon and Levi deceived the men of Shechem and killed all the males in the city while they were weak from circumcision.
25On the third day, while they were still in pain, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords, came against the unsuspecting city, and killed every male.
וַיְהִי֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜י בִּֽהְיוֹתָ֣ם כֹּֽאֲבִ֗ים וַיִּקְח֣וּ שְׁנֵֽי־בְנֵי־יַ֠עֲקֹב שִׁמְע֨וֹן וְלֵוִ֜י אֲחֵ֤י דִינָה֙ אִ֣ישׁ חַרְבּ֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ עַל־הָעִ֖יר בֶּ֑טַח וַיַּֽהַרְג֖וּ כָּל־זָכָֽר׃
26They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword, took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and left.
וְאֶת־חֲמוֹר֙ וְאֶת־שְׁכֶ֣ם בְּנ֔וֹ הָרְג֖וּ לְפִי־חָ֑רֶב וַיִּקְח֧וּ אֶת־דִּינָ֛ה מִבֵּ֥ית שְׁכֶ֖ם וַיֵּצֵֽאוּ׃
27Jacob's sons came upon the slain and plundered the city, because its men had defiled their sister.
בְּנֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֗ב בָּ֚אוּ עַל־הַ֣חֲלָלִ֔ים וַיָּבֹ֖זּוּ הָעִ֑יר אֲשֶׁ֥ר טִמְּא֖וּ אֲחוֹתָֽם׃
28They seized the flocks, the herds, the donkeys, and everything else in the city and in the fields.
אֶת־צֹאנָ֥ם וְאֶת־בְּקָרָ֖ם וְאֶת־חֲמֹרֵיהֶ֑[t]ם וְאֵ֧ת אֲשֶׁר־בָּעִ֛יר וְאֶת־אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֖ה לָקָֽחוּ׃
29They took captive all their children and their wives, and carried off all their wealth and everything in the houses.
וְאֶת־כָּל־חֵילָ֤ם וְאֶת־כָּל־טַפָּם֙ וְאֶת־נְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם שָׁב֖וּ וַיָּבֹ֑זּוּ וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּבָּֽיִת׃
30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought disaster on me by making me a stench to the inhabitants of this land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. My men are few; if they band together against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed."
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֜ב אֶל־שִׁמְע֣וֹן וְאֶל־לֵוִי֮ עֲכַרְתֶּ֣ם אֹתִי֒ לְהַבְאִישֵׁ֙נִי֙ בְּיֹשֵׁ֣ב הָאָ֔רֶץ בַּֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י וּבַפְּרִזִּ֑י וַאֲנִי֙ מְתֵ֣י מִסְפָּ֔ר וְנֶאֶסְפ֤וּ עָלַי֙ וְהִכּ֔וּנִי וְנִשְׁמַדְתִּ֖י אֲנִ֥י וּבֵיתִֽי׃
31But they answered, "Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?"
וַיֹּאמְר֑וּ הַכְזוֹנָ֕ה יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֶת־אֲחוֹתֵֽנוּ׃ פ
Held as a Hostage in Egypt
When the brothers came to Egypt to buy grain, Joseph held Simeon hostage until they returned with Benjamin.
24He turned away from them and wept. Then he came back and spoke to them again; and he took Simeon from among them and had him bound before their eyes.
וַיִּסֹּ֥ב מֵֽעֲלֵיהֶ֖ם וַיֵּ֑בְךְּ וַיָּ֤שָׁב אֲלֵהֶם֙ וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֵֽאִתָּם֙ אֶת־שִׁמְע֔וֹן וַיֶּאֱסֹ֥ר אֹת֖וֹ לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃
36Their father Jacob said to them, "You are robbing me of my children. Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. Everything is against me!"
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ יַעֲקֹ֣ב אֲבִיהֶ֔ם אֹתִ֖י שִׁכַּלְתֶּ֑ם יוֹסֵ֤ף אֵינֶ֙[t]נּוּ֙ וְשִׁמְע֣וֹן אֵינֶ֔נּוּ וְאֶת־בִּנְיָמִ֣ן תִּקָּ֔חוּ עָלַ֖י הָי֥וּ כֻלָּֽנָה׃
Jacob's Blessing
On his deathbed, Jacob cursed the fierce anger of Simeon and Levi and prophesied that they would be scattered in Israel, which was fulfilled when the tribe of Simeon was dispersed within the territory of Judah.
5Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence.
שִׁמְע֥וֹן וְלֵוִ֖י אַחִ֑ים כְּלֵ֥י חָמָ֖ס מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶֽם׃
6Let me never enter their council, never join their assembly, for in their anger they killed men, and on a whim they crippled oxen.
בְּסֹדָם֙ אַל־תָּבֹ֣א נַפְשִׁ֔י בִּקְהָלָ֖ם אַל־תֵּחַ֣ד כְּבֹדִ֑י כִּ֤י בְאַפָּם֙ הָ֣רְגוּ אִ֔ישׁ וּבִרְצֹנָ֖ם עִקְּרוּ־שֽׁוֹר׃
7Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel. I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.
אָר֤וּר אַפָּם֙ כִּ֣י עָ֔ז וְעֶבְרָתָ֖ם כִּ֣י קָשָׁ֑תָה אֲחַלְּקֵ֣ם בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וַאֲפִיצֵ֖ם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס
Simeon's Descendants Counted
At the census in the wilderness, Simeon's tribe was counted as 59,300 men fit for war, but by the second count they had decreased significantly.
22The descendants of Simeon: all the men twenty years old and upward who were fit for military service were counted and listed by name, one by one, according to their genealogy, by clan and family.
לִבְנֵ֣י שִׁמְע֔וֹן תּוֹלְדֹתָ֥ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֑ם פְּקֻדָ֗יו בְּמִסְפַּ֤ר שֵׁמוֹת֙ לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָ֔ם כָּל־זָכָ֗ר מִבֶּ֨ן עֶשְׂרִ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ וָמַ֔עְלָה כֹּ֖ל יֹצֵ֥א צָבָֽא׃
23The number from the tribe of Simeon was 59,300.
פְּקֻדֵיהֶ֖ם לְמַטֵּ֣ה שִׁמְע֑וֹן תִּשְׁעָ֧ה וַחֲמִשִּׁ֛ים אֶ֖לֶף וּשְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵאֽוֹת׃ פ