| <p> [[Simeon]] (1) 2nd bp. of [[Jerusalem]] succeeding James the Lord's brother. According to the statement of [[Hegesippus]] preserved by [[Eusebius]] Simeon was the son of [[Clopas]] "mentioned in [[Holy]] Scripture" (Joh_19:25) the brother of [[Joseph]] and therefore legally the uncle of our Lord while Simeon himself—ὠá¼Îº τοῦ θείου τοῦ ΚυÏίου—was legally his cousin ὄντα ἀνεψιὸν τοῦ ΚυÏίου and of the royal line of David (Eus. H. E. iii. ii 32; iv. 22). The language of Hegesippus (H. E. iv. 82) evidently distinguishes between the relationship of James and Simeon to our Lord. Dr. [[Mill]] however follows Burton (H. E. i. 290) in regarding Simeon as a brother of James and also of Jude though perhaps by another mother (Mill Pantheistic [[Principles]] pp. 234 253). Such an interpretation of Hegesippus's language is very unnatural and at variance with the statement of [[Epiphanius]] that Simeon was the cousin—ἀνεψιός—of James the Just (Epiph. Haer. lxxvii. c. 14 p. 1046; cf. Lightfoot Galatians p. 262). Bp. Lightfoot regards his age as "an exaggeration," and suggests that his being "a son of [[Cleopas]] mentioned in the [[Evangelical]] records "requires us to place his death earlier than the generally received date. According to Hegesippus Simeon was unanimously chosen to fill the vacant see of Jerusalem on the violent death of James the Just the date usually assigned for which being 62 or 63 (see [[Josephus]] Ant. xx. 9. 1). Whether the appointment of Simeon immediately succeeded or was not made till the retirement of the [[Christian]] [[Jews]] to [[Pella]] cannot be determined. The former seems rather more probable. His retreat at Pella would save him from the inquisition after descendants of the royal line of David made by [[Vespasian]] according to Eusebius (H. E. iii. 12) as well as the later inquiry instituted by [[Domitian]] (ib. 19 20). He must have returned with the [[Christians]] to Jerusalem when allowed to do so by the Roman authorities. Of his episcopate we know nothing. He was martyred in the reign of [[Trajan]] (á¼Ï€á½¶ ΤÏαϊανοῦ; Eus. H. E. iii. 32) but the exact date is uncertain. By a misinterpretation of the Chronicon of Eusebius which seemed to assign his martyrdom with that of [[Ignatius]] to the 9th or 10th year of Trajan Simeon's death has been assigned to 107 or 108. Bp. Lightfoot has shewn good reason for placing it earlier in Trajan's reign (Lightfoot Ignatius i. 21 58–60 ii. 442–450). Hegesippus says that in his 121st year Simeon was accused before [[Atticus]] then proconsul by certain [[Jewish]] sectaries first that being of the line of David he was a possible claimant of the throne of his royal ancestor and secondly that he was a Christian. He was tortured for many days in succession and bore his sufferings with a firmness which astonished all the beholders especially Atticus himself who marvelled at such endurance in one so advanced in age. [[Finally]] he was ordered to be crucified (Eus. H. E. iii. 32). </p> <p> [E.V.] </p>
| | <p> ( שׁמעון , <i> ''''' shim‛ōn ''''' </i> ; Συμεών , <i> ''''' Sumeṓn ''''' </i> ): < /p> < p> ( 1) The 2nd son of Jacob by [[ Leah]] (see separate article). < /p> < p> (2) Great- grandfather of [[ Judas]] Maccabeus ( 1 [[ Maccabees]] 2: 1 ). </p> <p> (3) A man in [[ Jerusalem]] described as "righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel." When the infant Jesus was brought into the Temple, he took Him into his arms and blessed God in words which are famous as the <i> Nunc dimittis </i> . [[ Simeon]] bestowed his blessing on the wondering father and mother ( Luke 2: 25 , Luke 2: 34 ). [[ Legend]] has made him the son of [[ Hillel]] and father of [[ Gamaliel]] I, but this has no historical basis. </p> <p> ( 4) An ancestor of Jesus ( Luke 3: 30 ); the Revised Version ( British and American) "Symeon. " </p> <p> ( 5) The Revised Version ( British and American) " Symeon": one of the prophets and teachers in the [[ Christian]] community at Antioch. He is also called Niger, which was the [[ Gentile]] name he had assumed, [[ Symeon]] being Hebrew. He was among those who set apart Paul and [[ Barnabas]] for their missionary work ( Acts 13: 1 , Acts 13: 2 ). Nothing more is known of him. </p> <p> ( 6) The Revised Version ( British and American) " Symeon": the [[ Hebrew]] name of Simon Peter ( Acts 15: 14 ). </p> |
| <p> ''''' sim´ḗ ''''' - ''''' on ''''' ( שׁמעון , <i> ''''' shim‛ōn ''''' </i> ; Συμεών , <i> ''''' Sumeṓn ''''' </i> ; the [[Hebrew]] root is from שׁמע , < i> ''''' shāma‛ ''''' < /i> , "to hear" ( [[ Genesis]] 29:33 ) ; some modern scholars (Hitzig, W. R. Smith, Stade, etc.) derive it from Arabic < i> ''''' sima‛ ''''' < /i> , "the offspring of the hyena and female wolf") : In Genesis 29:33; Genesis 30:18- 21; Genesis 35:23 , Simeon is given as full brother to Reuben, Levi, Judah, [[ Issachar]] and Zebulun, the son of Leah; and in Genesis 34:25; Genesis 49:5 as the brother of [[ Levi]] and Dinah. He was left as a hostage in Egypt by orders of Joseph ( Genesis 42: 24; Genesis 43:23 ). </p> 1. The Patriarch: Biblical Data: <p> In the "blessing" of the dying Jacob, Simeon and Levi are linked together: "Simeon and Levi are brethren; [[Weapons]] of violence are their swords. [[O]] my soul, come not thou into their council; [[Unto]] their assembly, my glory, be not thou united; For in their anger they slew a man , And in their self-will they hocked an ox. [[ Cursed]] be their anger, for it was fierce; And their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel " ( Genesis 49:5-7 ). </p> <p> Whatever view may be taken of the events of Genesis 34:25 (and some would see in it " a tradition of the settlement of Jacob which belongs to a cycle quite independent of the descent into Egypt and the Exodus" (see S. A. Cook, <i> Encyclopedia Brit </i> , article "Simeon")), it is clear that we have here a reference to it and the suggestion that the subsequent history of the tribe, and its eventual absorption in Judah, was the result of violence. In the same way the priestly [[ Levites]] became distributed throughout the other tribes without any tribal inheritance of their own ( Deuteronomy 18: 1; Joshua 13: 14 ). From the mention ( Genesis 46:10; Exodus 6:15 ) of [[ Shaul]] as being the son of a [[ Canaanite]] woman, it may be supposed that the tribe was a mixed one. </p> <p> In the "blessing of Moses" ( Deuteronomy 33 ) Simeon is not mentioned at all in the Hebrew text, although in some manuscripts of the [[ Septuagint]] the latter half of Deuteronomy 33:6 is made to apply to him: "Let Simeon be a small company." The history of the tribe is scanty and raises many problems. Of the many theories advanced to meet them it cannot be said that any one answers all difficulties. </p> 2. The [[Tribe]] in Scripture: <p> In the wilderness of [[Sinai]] the [[Simeonites]] camped beside the [[Reubenites]] ( Numbers 2:12; Numbers 10:19 ) ; it was Zimri, a member of one of the leading families of this tribe, who was slain by [[Phinehas]] in the affair of Baal-peor ( Numbers 25: 14 ) . The statistics in Numbers 1:22 f, where the Simeonites are given as 59,300, compared with the 2nd census ( Numbers 26:14 ) , where the numbers are 22,200, indicate a diminishing tribe. Some have connected this with the sin of Zimri. </p> <p> At the recital of the law at Mt. Gerizim, Simeon is mentioned first among those that were to respond to the blessings ( Deuteronomy 27:12 ) . In the conquest of [[Canaan]] "Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him" ( Judges 1:3; compare Judges 1:17 ). (Many scholars find in Gen 34 a tribal attempt on the part of the Simeonites to gain possession of Shechem; if this is so, Judah did not assist, and the utter failure may have been a cause of Simeon's subsequent dependence upon, and final absorption in, Judah.) In Jdg 4 and 5 Simeon is never mentioned. In the settlement of the land there is no account of how Simeon established himself in his territory (except the scanty reference in Judges 1:3 ), but " their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the children of Judah" ( Joshua 19: 1 ); this is accounted for ( Joshua 19:9 ), "for the portion of the children of Judah was too much for them." Nevertheless we find there the very cities which are apportioned to Simeon, allotted to Judah ( Joshua 15:21-32; compare Nehemiah 11:26-29 ). It is suggested (in 1 Chronicles 4:31 ) that the independent possession of these cities ceased in the time of David. David sent spoil to several [[ Simeonite]] towns ( 1 Samuel 30:26 f), and in 1 Chronicles 12:25 it is recorded that 7,100 Simeonite warriors came to David in Hebron. In 1 Chronicles 27:16 we have mention of a ruler of the Simeonites, Shephatiah, son of Maacah. </p> <p> In 1 Chronicles 4:39 f mention is made of certain isolated exploits of Simeonites at [[Gedor]] (which see), against the [[ Meunim]] (which see), and at MT. [[ Seir]] (which see). Later references associate certain Simeonites with the Northern [[ Kingdom]] ( 2 Chronicles 15: 9; 2 Chronicles 34:6 ), and tradition has come to view them as one of the ten tribes (compare Ezekiel 48: 24 , Ezekiel 48:25 , Ezekiel 48:33; Revelation 7:7 ) , although all the history of them we have is bound up with Judah and the Southern Kingdom. There is no mention of the return of any Simeonites after the captivity; their cities fall to Judah ( Nehemiah 11:26 f). </p> 3. References in [[Egyptian]] and [[Assyrian]] Inscriptions: <p> It has been supposed by many authorities that the name <i> ''''' Shim‛an ''''' </i> occurs in the list of places plundered by Thothmes 3 ( see Petrie, <i> Hist </i> , II, 104; also Hommel, [[Ancient]] Hebrew Tradition, 268; Sayce, <i> Early Hebrew Traditions </i> , 392) . In the 7th century we have a doubtful reference in an inscription of Esar-haddon relating his Egyptian campaign when a city <i> ''''' [[Ap]] ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' ku ''''' </i> is mentioned as in the country of <i> ''''' Sa ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' me ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' n ''''' </i> ( <i> ''''' a ''''' </i> ), which may possibly be a reference to [[Simeon.]] The survival of the name so late, if true, is strange, in the light of what we gather from the Bible about the tribe. (For discussion of both of these inscriptions, with references to the lit., see <i> Eb </i> , coll. 4528-30.) </p> 4. The Territory of Simeon: <p> The cities of Simeon as given in Joshua 19:2-6 and 1 Chronicles 4:28 , 1 Chronicles 4:31 are (the names in parentheses are variations in the latter reference): Beer-sheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, [[Balah]] (Bilhah), [[Azem]] (the King James Version ) (Ezem), [[Eltolad]] (Tolad), Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah (Hazar Susim), Beth-lebaoth ( Beth-biri), [[Sharuhen]] (Shaaraim) (Etam), [[Ain]] Rimmon, [[Ether]] (Tochen), [[Ashan]] - in all, 16 cities in Joshua and 17 cities in 1 Chronicles. Ashan ( 1 Chronicles 6:59 ) is the only one assigned to the priests. It is written wrongly as " Ain" in Joshua 21: 16 . All the above cities, with certain variations in form, and with the exception of [[ Etam]] in 1 Chronicles 4:32 , which is probably a mistake, occur in the list of the cities of Judah ( Joshua 15: 26-32 , Joshua 15:42 ). [[Ziklag]] is mentioned ( 1 Samuel 27:6 ) as being the private property of the kings of Judah from the days of David, who received it from Achish, king of Gath. </p> <p> For the situation of these cities, so far as is known, see separate articles under their names. It is clear that they were all situated in the southwestern part of Palestine, and that Simeon had no definite territorial boundaries, but isolated cities, with their villages, among those of the people of Judah. </p> | |
