The sons of Simeon Nemuel and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, [and] Saul;
Five names open the record of Simeon, a tribe whose story is short and troubled. Why does Simeon stand here, just after Judah and ahead of Reuben the firstborn, and why does the list end with a son whose mother was a Canaanite?
One writer asks this directly, and answers from the map of the land and from Jacob's words.
"The sons of Simeon" (verse 24). Why is this tribe so closely linked with Judah? Why does it come before Reuben and Levi, who are both prominent after Judah for different reasons — Reuben lost the birthright, Levi gained the temple service? Joshua 19:1 gives the reason: "their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the people of Judah." And in Genesis 49:6-7, both Levi and Simeon were to be scattered in Israel. Truly Levi was scattered, but how honourably and blessedly! — appointed to maintain the worship of the LORD.
Simeon and Levi sinned together, and Jacob sentenced them together. Yet the one sentence worked out in opposite ways.
As a consequence of Simeon and Levi's sin, these two brothers were "divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel" (Genesis 49:7). But the two brothers differed. In grace the Lord used Levi's scattering to give him priestly duties suited to his position. It was otherwise for Simeon, who kept bearing the mark of God's judgment: "his brothers did not have many children, nor did all their clan multiply like the men of Judah" (verse 27). Simeon was small in number. The tribe was partly enclosed within Judah's territory, open to enemy attacks on the south, and without definite borders.
Compare this verse with the earlier lists of Simeon's sons, and the names do not always match.
Jachin. Son of Simeon. Genesis 46:10; Exodus 6:15; Numbers 26:12. Apparently called JARIB in 1 Chronicles 4:24.
The list is not a neutral roll call. One writer, who counts six names rather than five, reads the last one as a verdict on the tribe.
Simeon's sons are six, a still more unfavourable number, as we know. I do not attempt to interpret the meaning of their names, but they end with the ill-omened "Saul" — "Shaul" in the ESV — the half Canaanite. So Simeon too is set aside.
The tribe's numbers later tell the same story.
In Simeon we are struck by the drop from fifty-nine thousand, three hundred to twenty-two thousand, two hundred — his strength barely more than a third of what he had at the start. What Balak's efforts at cursing could not do, mixing with the Midianites did, in measure. Rebellion, the sin of Reuben, does not leave the tribe as weak as mingling with strange people leaves Simeon. How many of God's people have proved what Simeon proved here! Mixture with the world drains their strength and destroys their spiritual prosperity.
Later in the chapter these families move out to find pasture. One writer asks what God made of Jacob's words.
Cruelty, anger, self-will and rage mark these violent sons of Jacob. Remembering them, Jacob recoils, saying, "I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel." … Who could have said that the words of Jacob, which seemed only to curse, would turn out to be a blessing? So it was for Levi! That tribe was scattered in Israel for Levitical blessing. Simeon was clearly scattered for lack of pasture (see 1 Chronicles 4:39, 42).
Their small numbers did not fix how much land they held.
The extent of their possessions depended neither on their numbers nor on their power. They bore the consequences of the curse pronounced on them, but their extreme poverty, which they could not deny, drove them to conquer what God placed within their reach.
Simeon's later history nearly disappears. But the tribe is not dropped from God's final reckoning.
They were, in a sense, lost in the land. Ezekiel prophesies a future day when the twelve tribes will be restored and the land divided again. In that day the tribe of Simeon has its portion (Ezekiel 48:24-35). They are also mentioned in Revelation 7:7, when a remnant of them will be sealed for blessing.
- Sentence. Jacob's word over Simeon and Levi — divided and scattered — is the key to this verse. Simeon's short, thin family line is that word taking effect.
- Division. The same sentence fell two ways. Levi's scattering became his honour in the worship of God, while Simeon kept the mark of judgment.
- Placement. Simeon stands beside Judah, ahead of Reuben, because his inheritance lay inside Judah's territory.
- Warning. The list closes with Shaul, son of a Canaanite woman. Mixing with the world drained this tribe's strength, as it still drains God's people.
- Reversal. Simeon was nearly lost in the land. Yet he has a portion in the restored land and a sealed remnant — words that seemed only to curse ended in blessing.
Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.
This verse sits inside a long list of Simeon's descendants. It only passes a name down three generations. That raises two questions: whose line is this, and why did God keep it?
The "his" at the start of the verse points back to the last of Simeon's sons named in the previous line. A reference work names him:
Shallum. Son of Shaul, a son of Simeon. 1 Chronicles 4:25.
So Shallum, Mibsam and Mishma are three steps down one branch — Shaul's. One writer counts Simeon's sons and looks at the last name on that list, spelled "Saul" here:
Simeon's sons are six, a still more unfavourable number, as we know. I do not try to explain what their names mean, but they end with the ominous name "Saul," the half Canaanite. So Simeon too is set aside.
Simeon's genealogy comes straight after Judah's, ahead of tribes with a stronger claim to that place. One writer asks why, and answers from Joshua and from Jacob's last words:
Why is this tribe in such close contact with Judah, coming before Reuben and Levi? Those two are both prominent after Judah, for different reasons: Reuben lost the birthright, and Levi gained the temple service. The reason is found in Joshua 19:1, "their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the people of Judah." And in Genesis 49:6-7, both Levi and Simeon were to be scattered in Israel.
The same prophetic word fell on Simeon and Levi together, yet it worked out very differently for each. The short, thin list this verse belongs to is itself evidence:
As a consequence of Simeon and Levi's sin, these two brothers were "divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel" (Genesis 49:7). But they differed from each other. In grace the Lord used Levi's scattering to give him priestly duties suited to his position. It was otherwise for Simeon. He went on bearing the mark of God's judgment: "But his brothers did not have many children, nor did all their clan multiply like the men of Judah" (v. 27). Simeon was small in number, partly surrounded by Judah's territory, open to enemy attacks on the south, and without fixed borders.
The curse was not the last word on either brother:
Of Simeon and Levi, Jacob had said, "I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel" (Genesis 49:7). We know how this was fulfilled in Levi. What seemed to be a curse proved, in God's mercy, to be for blessing. The Levites were scattered through all the tribes to serve the LORD. In this chapter we have the deeds of the sons of Simeon. Those named are called princes in their clans, for they were men of renown. They too are scattered so that God's will may be done.
Small numbers did not cap what Simeon's sons gained. Rossier names what did:
The extent of their possessions depended neither on their numbers nor on their power. Like Jabez, they bore the consequences of the curse pronounced on them. But their extreme poverty, which they could not deny, drove them to conquer what God placed within their reach.
Shallum, Mibsam and Mishma have no recorded deeds. Only their names survive:
There is something deeply solemn about being allowed to go over such a record of names long since forgotten by man. Yet God has remembered every one of them, along with every detail of their pathway through this world. Some day our names too will be lost to mankind, but neither we nor our ways will be forgotten by God.
- Named. Shaul's line runs on — Shallum, then Mibsam, then Mishma — three links in Simeon's family.
- Judged. Jacob's word left its mark: few children, no fixed borders, land swallowed up inside Judah's, and a plague that cut the tribe down.
- Turned. God's mercy made the curse serve His will. Levi shows it plainly, and Simeon's sons are scattered for the same purpose.
- Enlarged. Their land never matched their numbers. Poverty they could not deny drove them to take what God had put within reach.
- Remembered. Names the world lost, God kept — and He will keep ours too.
And the sons of Mishma Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son;
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
and Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters. And his brethren had not many sons; neither did all their family multiply like to the sons of Judah.
One man in this list has a full house of children. The families around him do not. Commentators trace that gap back to words spoken over Simeon generations earlier, and to what the tribe suffered along the way.
Simeon comes right after Judah here, ahead of both Reuben and Levi. One writer finds the reason in the land Simeon received.
Why is this tribe in such close communication with Judah? It comes before Reuben and Levi, who are both prominent after Judah for different reasons — Reuben losing the birthright, Levi gaining the temple service. The reason is in Joshua 19:1: "their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the people of Judah." Genesis 49:6-7 adds that both Levi and Simeon were to be scattered in Israel. Truly Levi was scattered, but how honourably and blessedly! His task was to maintain the worship of the LORD, with no care or anxiety except what belonged to the worship of God. Simeon was small in Israel. "Nor did all their clan multiply like the men of Judah."
Simeon and Levi had acted together in violence, and Jacob spoke one sentence over both of them. The same words landed on the two brothers in opposite ways.
Cruelty, anger, self-will and rage mark these violent sons of Jacob. Remembering them, Jacob recoils, saying, "Let my soul come not into their council… I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel." … Who could have guessed it? The words of Jacob seemed to be nothing but a curse, yet they would turn out to be for blessing. So it was for Levi! That tribe was scattered in Israel for Levitical blessing, while Simeon was clearly scattered for lack of pasture.
Verse 27 shows what those words became for Simeon. The difference between the two brothers lay in how God dealt with each of them.
As a result of Simeon and Levi's sin, these two brothers were "divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel" (Genesis 49:7). But they differed from each other. In grace the Lord used Levi's scattering to give him priestly duties suited to his position. It was otherwise for Simeon. He went on bearing the mark of God's judgment: "his brothers did not have many sons, nor did all their clan multiply like the men of Judah" (v. 27). Simeon was small in number. His land lay partly inside Judah's territory, open to enemy attack on the south, and without clear borders.
This tribe once had numbers to lose. One writer points to what happened to them in the wilderness.
Simeon dwindles down to little more than one-third of his number (compare Numbers 1:23, 2:13, 26:14). Zimri, a prince in that tribe, was a ringleader in the sin at Peor. The plague that followed killed twenty-four thousand of them and made a terrible breach in that tribe. After the plague, the Lord tells Moses and Eleazar to take a census of the people, and Simeon is found to be twenty-two thousand instead of the fifty-nine thousand counted at the beginning.
Later in this chapter the same small tribe pushes out and takes new ground.
Here we find the truth already set out. When the faith of the whole people has failed, the faith of a few moves them to enlarge their borders. Caleb showed that same faith earlier, on his own. Many "mentioned by name were princes in their clans, and their fathers' houses increased greatly" (v. 38). "They found rich, good pasture" where the sons of Ham had lived before (v. 40); they even went to "Mount Seir" (v. 42), held by Edom. The reach of their possessions depended neither on their numbers nor on their power. Like Jabez, they carried the effects of the curse pronounced on them. But their sheer poverty, which they could not deny, drove them to take hold of what God put within their reach.
The same writer also notes when those gains came.
Notice that they received their blessings under the two reigns of grace in Judah: David's (v. 31) and Hezekiah's (v. 41)… How all these details keep bringing us back to the great thought of this precious book! Everything that belongs to nature ends in complete failure and is worth nothing before God. Grace is the only thing we can count on.
- Sentence. One word of Jacob fell on both Simeon and Levi: they would be divided and scattered in Israel.
- Divide. The same sentence split in two. Levi's scattering became his honour in the worship of God. Simeon's left him small.
- Mark. Verse 27 shows the result: few sons, no growth, no clear borders. The tribe had already fallen from fifty-nine thousand men to twenty-two thousand.
- Reach. Their numbers did not set the size of their portion. A few acted in faith, found rich pasture, and took ground far beyond their size.
- Grace. Those gains came under David and Hezekiah — the book's lesson: nature fails, and we can count on grace alone.
And they abode at Beer-sheba, and Moladah, and Hazar-Shual,
Chapter 4 turns from Judah to Simeon. The first thing recorded about that tribe is not a battle or a king but a list of towns. Two questions sit behind that plain list. Why did Simeon settle inside another tribe's land? And why does Scripture keep the names at all?
In Chronicles Simeon comes straight after Judah, ahead of Reuben and Levi. One writer finds the reason in where Simeon lived, and in a word spoken over the tribe long before in Genesis:
Why is this tribe so closely linked with Judah, coming before Reuben and Levi who are both prominent after Judah for different reasons — Reuben lost the birthright, Levi gained the temple service? The reason is found in Joshua 19:1: Simeon's inheritance lay inside the inheritance of the children of Judah. In Genesis 49:6-7 both Levi and Simeon were to be scattered in Israel. Levi truly was scattered, but with what honour and blessing! He was appointed to keep up the worship of the LORD... Simeon was small in Israel.
Another writer gives a plain reason for the arrangement, and finds meaning in the two tribes' names:
Judah's inheritance was so large that Simeon received his possession inside Judah's borders. Simeon means "listening," and the one who makes a habit of listening to God will surely praise Him. So he has title to an inheritance inside Judah, whose name means "praise."
The list gives towns, not boundary lines. One commentator reads Simeon's whole position as the lasting mark of the judgment spoken in Genesis, and sets it beside Levi's very different outcome:
Simeon and Levi sinned, and as a result these two brothers were divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel (Genesis 49:7). But they differed from each other. In grace the Lord used Levi's dispersion to give him priestly duties suited to his position, while it was otherwise for Simeon who went on bearing the mark of God's judgment... Simeon was small in number, partly surrounded by Judah's territory, open to enemy attacks on the south, and without definite borders.
Yet the same writer does not leave the tribe there. Later in the chapter Simeon's men push out and take new ground. Their weakness, he says, did not fix how much they could hold:
How much they owned did not depend on their numbers or on their power. Like Jabez, they carried the results of the curse spoken over them. But their deep poverty, which they could not deny, drove them to conquer what God placed within their reach.
Beersheba heads the list. The name carries earlier history: an agreement sealed by an oath, a well, and a fixed point on Israel's map:
The name means well of the oath. It was given to the place where Abraham and Abimelech made a covenant not to trouble each other, and sealed it with an oath. Later it became the home of Abraham and of Isaac, who also dug a well there... It became part of Simeon's portion (Joshua 19:1-2). After Israel settled the land, Scripture keeps pointing to it as the most southern part of the land they held, and to Dan as the most northern. So "from Dan to Beersheba" was the common way of speaking of the whole country, even in Solomon's day.
One writer works through the town names as a series with spiritual meaning. He takes Moladah at its plain sense. He links it to what must come first in anyone who is to enjoy God:
Moladah means "birth." We are born of the Spirit, born of the Word. This is the first thing needed for communion: a nature able to grasp and enjoy the things of God.
The same writer draws a lesson from the missing borders, and from what the towns supply:
Simeon really has no territory at all, so Scripture draws no boundary lines for him and never speaks of any. In fact communion, so to speak, has no territory of its own — no boundary lines. The cities speak, not of what communion has for its own special enjoyment, but of what God has provided for it so that it may be kept up. Hazar-shual, for instance — the restraint of the flesh — is needed for communion to exist.
- Scattered — Genesis foretold that Simeon would be divided and scattered in Israel. So this tribe has towns, not a territory of its own.
- Housed — Judah's inheritance was large, and Simeon's towns lay inside it.
- Named — Beersheba, the well of the oath, links Simeon's home to Abraham and Isaac. It also marked the southern edge of the land.
- Enlarged — men who could not deny their poverty took what God put within reach. What they gained did not depend on numbers or power.
- Recorded — a small tribe under judgment still has its towns written down. What God provides to keep His people going is worth preserving.
and at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,
This verse sits in a long list of Simeon's towns and names three of them. Yet two details matter: the list comes straight after Judah's, and these towns stand inside another tribe's land.
One writer asks why Simeon comes so close to Judah, ahead of Reuben and Levi. He finds the answer in where Simeon lived and in an old prophecy:
Why is this tribe in such close touch with Judah? Why does it come before Reuben and Levi, who for different reasons are both prominent after Judah — Reuben because he lost the birthright, Levi because he gained the temple service? Joshua 19:1 gives the reason: "their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah." Turn to Genesis 49:6-7, and we see that both Levi and Simeon were to be scattered in Israel. Levi was indeed scattered, but with what honour and blessing! He was appointed to keep up the worship of the LORD, with no care or worry except what belonged to the worship of God.
These names are towns, not sons. Writers note that Chronicles mixes different kinds of lists, and counts this passage among them:
Sometimes the genealogies of Chronicles contain names of very ancient origin, which we do not find anywhere else in the Old Testament. Many names are not those of people, but of clans or families. Others are genealogies we might call geographic. Because no other source material was available, they include the names of tribes, of districts, of cities. … We find it again in 1 Chronicles 4:28-33.
The first name in the verse turns up elsewhere in Scripture under two other spellings:
Baalah. A town in the south of Judah (Joshua 15:29). It seems to have been given to Simeon. It is called Balah in Joshua 19:3, and Bilhah in 1 Chronicles 4:29.
Simeon received no block of land of his own. His towns lay scattered through ground already given to Judah, and that arrangement did two opposite things at once:
The second lot comes out for Simeon. This fits the tribe's character exactly: its weakness lay in the associations it formed so easily, and now God gives it associations after His own mind. At the same time Jacob's prophecy about them comes true: "I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel." These two seemingly opposite things happen together, because their inheritance is given to them as cities scattered, more or less, inside the territory already given to Judah — cities they cannot occupy, because their portion is too large for them. How little we are able to enjoy all the blessing God has made our own!
One writer takes the meaning of each town name in turn. The older form of Bilhah points to the cross:
Balah means "withered, old." It stands under the number that speaks of both the cross and salvation, and so it reminds us that "our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin." (Romans 6:6.)
Tolad, called Eltolad in Joshua, points the other way — not to what is finished, but to who begins something new:
Eltolad means "God is begetter." This gives God's own claim over us as His children, and no claim is more absolute or more dear than this. God is here called El, "the Mighty," able to make good His claim in spite of every obstacle.
The middle name of the verse is read the same way:
Ezem, or Azem, is "strength" — the ability to enter freely into the portion God has made our own, and to enjoy it with God.
Weakness is not the end of Simeon's story. One writer sees a small, hemmed-in tribe that still pushed outward:
Simeon was small in number, partly surrounded by Judah's territory, open to enemy attacks on the south, and without clear borders. But we find here the truth already shown: when the faith of the whole people has failed, the faith of a few still moves them to "enlarge their borders," just as the faith of Caleb once did on his own. … The size of their possessions depended neither on their numbers nor on their power. Like Jabez, they bore the results of the curse spoken against them. Yet their extreme poverty, which they could not deny, drove them to conquer what God placed within their reach.
- Scattered — Simeon's towns lie inside Judah's territory. That is how Jacob's word came true: this tribe would be divided and scattered in Israel.
- Named — the scattering did not erase them. God still records their towns one by one, even when one place is spelled Baalah, Balah and Bilhah in different books.
- Read — the three names trace a path: the old self withered and crucified, strength to enter the portion given, and God Himself who begets His children.
- Limited — Simeon could not occupy all that he was given. It pictures how little we enjoy of what God has already made ours.
- Enlarged — when the nation's faith failed, a few still pressed out and gained ground. What they held rested neither on their numbers nor on their power.
and at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,
These three names come from a list of towns held by Simeon in the far south of the land. Why did Simeon's towns sit inside another tribe's territory, and what can a short list of small villages teach?
Two of these places appear under slightly different spellings elsewhere in Scripture, and the dictionaries tie them together. Bethuel is one of them:
Town in Simeon. Joshua 19:4; 1 Chr. 4:30. See BETHEL, No. 2.
Simeon never had a block of country of its own. Its towns came out of land Judah could not use, and that shaped where they sat and how good they were:
We learn from Joshua 19:9 that "the portion of the people of Judah was too large for them." But the inheritance of the children of Simeon was not the best, for it was taken from what Judah could not keep. So they received their portion out of what was surplus to another, at the southern limit of the land of Israel, on the border that looked towards the desert.
Jacob had said that Simeon and Levi would both be scattered. One writer shows how differently that word worked out for the two brothers:
Truly Levi was scattered, but how honourably and blessedly! — appointed to maintain the worship of Jehovah, with no care or anxiety except what belonged to the worship of God. Simeon was small in Israel. "Nor did all their clan multiply like the men of Judah." Despite this, those mentioned by name were princes, and the house of their fathers prospered (verse 38). … Levi's scattering was his exaltation. Simeon, on the other hand, dwindles to little more than a third of his earlier number.
One writer sees two opposite things done at once here, and finds in Simeon's shortfall a mirror of our own:
God has now, it appears, given them associations after His own mind, and so Jacob's prophecy about them is fulfilled: "I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel." These two seemingly opposite things are accomplished by their receiving their inheritance as cities scattered, more or less, within the territory already given to Judah. They are unable to occupy those cities, because their portion is too large for them. How little we are able to enjoy all the blessing God has made our own!
Of the three names here, Ziklag has the longest story. It was David's town while Saul still reigned, and the men who joined him there stand for loyalty to a rejected king:
Ziklag was a city in the south of Judah, given to David by Achish, one of the Philistine kings. The Amalekites burned it down and carried off the people while David was away, but the captives and the goods taken were recovered. Later it returned to the tribe of Judah. A list is given of the warriors who came to David at Ziklag while Saul was still alive, and therefore while David was rejected by the nation. 1 Chr. 12:1-22. Amasai, chief of the captains, said, "We are yours, O David, and with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers! For your God helps you." Cheering words to one in such a position! They seem to be a picture of those who follow the Lord Jesus now while He is still rejected by the world at large.
The tribe's weakness is not hidden in this chapter, and neither is what a handful of them went on to do with it:
Simeon was small in number, partly surrounded by Judah's territory, open to enemy attacks on the south, and without definite borders. But we find here the truth already presented, that when collective faith has failed, the faith of a few — as earlier the individual faith of a Caleb — moves them to "enlarge their borders." … The extent of their possessions depended neither on their numbers nor on their power. Like Jabez, they bore the consequences of the curse pronounced on them, but their extreme poverty, which they could not deny, drove them to conquer what God placed within their reach.
- Sentence. Jacob said Simeon would be scattered. This list shows it: no country of his own, only towns inside another tribe.
- Leftovers. The ground was Judah's surplus — the southern edge, facing the desert, what Judah could not keep.
- Shortfall. Even that was more than Simeon could occupy, a picture of how little of God's blessing we take up.
- Ziklag. One of these towns sheltered a rejected king — a picture of standing with Christ while the world refuses Him.
- Enlargement. Weakness did not end the story. The faith of a few pushed out the borders, and their holdings rested on neither numbers nor power.
and at Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susim, and at Beth-biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David.
The verse ends with a date: these towns belonged to Simeon only until David became king. That raises two questions — why did a tribe of Israel lose towns it once held, and why is David's reign the marker?
Simeon never received a solid block of territory. His towns sat inside land already measured out to Judah. One writer reads that arrangement as the fulfilment of Jacob's prophecy about him.
The second lot comes out for Simeon... So Jacob's prophecy about them is fulfilled: "I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel." These two seemingly opposite things come true at once. Simeon receives his inheritance as cities scattered, more or less, inside the territory already given to Judah — cities Judah cannot occupy, because his portion is too large for him. How little we are able to enjoy all the blessing God has made our own! But in this way He makes Simeon's need supply Judah's need. So Simeon has no real territory at all, and no boundary lines are drawn or mentioned for him.
Simeon and Levi were scattered together. But their later histories went opposite ways.
As a result of Simeon and Levi's sin, these two brothers were "divided in Jacob, and scattered in Israel" (Genesis 49:7). But they differed in this. In grace the Lord used Levi's scattering to give him priestly duties suited to his position. It was otherwise for Simeon, who went on bearing the mark of God's judgment... Simeon was small in number, partly surrounded by Judah's territory, open to enemy attacks on the south, and without fixed borders.
One of the towns in this list is named for horses. A commentator hears an uncomfortable echo in that name.
Hazar-susah, the "horse-enclosure," cannot help reminding us, in such a setting, of the psalmist's words, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses" (Psalm 20:7). Multiplying either was forbidden to the Israelites for this very reason. Both were used mainly for war; but Israel's reliance was to be the Lord their God.
A reference work adds a practical detail.
The name means "village of horses," and it may have been a supply base for horses from Egypt.
One writer notices that Simeon's gains are dated by two kings.
Notice that they obtained their blessings under the two reigns of grace in Judah: that of David (v. 31), and that of Hezekiah (v. 41), at a time when the state of the people was already bringing on them the coming judgment by the king of Babylon. How all these details keep bringing us back to the great thought of this precious book! Everything according to nature ends in complete failure. It is worth nothing before God. Grace is the only thing we can count on, as we rest on the counsels and election of grace, which are established forever.
The same writer adds what pushed them on: "their extreme poverty, which they could not deny, drove them to conquer what God placed within their reach."
Simeon's story looks like a slow disappearance. It does not end there.
The lot of Simeon was in the far south, with the Philistines on their west and the desert of Paran on their east. When the kingdom divided they belonged to the ten tribes in name only, but they were completely cut off from the other nine... They were, in a sense, lost in the land. Ezekiel prophesies a future day. The twelve tribes will be restored and the land divided again, and the tribe of Simeon has its portion. Ezekiel 48:24-35. They are also mentioned in Revelation 7:7, when a remnant of them will be sealed for blessing.
- Scattered. Jacob's word divided Simeon in Jacob and scattered him in Israel. So his towns sat inside Judah's land.
- Marked. Levi's scattering turned into priestly service. Simeon's stayed a mark of judgment: few sons, an exposed south, no fixed borders.
- Misplaced trust. One town's name means village of horses. Israel was forbidden to multiply horses and chariots, because their reliance was to be the Lord.
- Grace dated. Simeon held his towns under reigns of grace — David's here, Hezekiah's later. Everything according to nature ends in failure; only grace can be counted on.
- Not forgotten. A tribe almost lost in the land still has a portion in Ezekiel's division, and a remnant sealed in Revelation 7.
And their villages were Etam and Ain, Rimmon and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities;
This verse looks like a bare list: five small towns and their villages, tucked inside land already given to Judah. Yet Simeon's towns sit in another tribe's land because of a word spoken over Simeon generations earlier, and commentators find meaning in the names themselves.
Simeon's list follows straight after Judah's, ahead of the older tribes. One writer asks why, and answers from the original division of the land:
Why is this tribe in such close communication with Judah? It comes before Reuben and Levi, who are both prominent after Judah for different reasons — Reuben losing the birthright, Levi gaining the temple service. Joshua 19:1 gives the reason: "their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the people of Judah." And turning to Genesis 49:6-7, both Levi and Simeon were to be scattered in Israel.
The same sentence fell on both Simeon and Levi: scattering. It worked out in opposite ways:
As a consequence of Simeon and Levi's sin, these two brothers were "divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel" (Gen. 49:7). However, they differed from each other. In grace the Lord used Levi's scattering to give him priestly duties suited to his position. It was otherwise for Simeon, who went on bearing the mark of God's judgment... Simeon was small in number. He was partly enclosed within Judah's territory, open to enemy attacks on the south, and without definite borders.
Scattering and settling among brothers sound like opposites. One writer sees both at once, with one tribe's need supplying the other's:
These two seemingly so opposite things happen together in one way. Simeon receives an inheritance of cities scattered, more or less, within the territory already given to Judah. These are cities they cannot occupy, because their portion is too large for them. Alas, how little are we able to enjoy all the blessing God has made our own! But in this way He makes the need of Simeon supply the need of Judah. He also shows us how communion (which Simeon stands for) depends on worship, and how worship depends on communion, with a difference of its own.
One writer reads the two tribe names as a pair, and the town list as worth searching:
Because Judah's inheritance was so large, Simeon was given a possession within Judah's borders. Simeon means "hearkening," for the one whose habit is to listen to God will certainly praise Him, and so has title to an inheritance within Judah ("praise"). The record mentions no separating borders for Simeon, and God has a definite reason for this, but many cities with their surrounding villages are listed as belonging to Simeon. Certainly all of these also have spiritual significance. It will yield blessing for those who are concerned and enabled to search it out.
Another writer searches a nearby list of towns that shares three of these names — Ain, Rimmon and Ashan:
Two of them, Ether and Ashan, we have had already, plainly referring to our Lord's sanctuary work. Rimmon, the "pomegranate," was on the border of the high priest's garment. Ain, the first, means "eye" as well as "spring"; and the priest's eye was always in use. What we have here, then, is that priestly work of Christ for us. We need it to keep up both communion and worship.
The same writer presses the first name, Ain, into a prayer:
Ain comes in the first place: the "eye" that searches out the truth perfectly. Intercession can then match the need, and grace can be given. This eye may well be welcomed rather than feared. It is the eye of the doctor and the friend, not of the judge or accuser. And to keep up communion, what is more necessary than the cry, "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me" (Ps. 139:23-24)?
Commentators differ on how to count these towns against the parallel lists:
The last two names, "Ain and Rimmon," says Keil, are given as Simeonite towns. Because they are written without a connecting word, they are treated as one name in Joshua 19:7 and 1 Chron. 4:32... But they were also called "En-Rimmon" after the captivity, and Neh. 11:29 gives them as one single place. So they were probably so close together that in time they grew into one.
- Scattered. Simeon's towns lie inside Judah's land because of the word spoken in Genesis 49. This verse is that word carried out on a map.
- Divided. One word, two outcomes. Levi's scattering became priestly service. Simeon's left him small, borderless, and open to attack from the south.
- Supplied. Judah's inheritance was so large that Simeon was given a home inside it. God makes the need of one tribe supply the need of the other.
- Housed. Simeon means listening; Judah means praise. The listener lives inside praise, and no border wall separates them.
- Searched. These names point to the priestly work of Christ. Ain means "eye" — an eye to welcome, not to dread.
and all their villages that were round about these cities, as far as Baal. These were their habitations and their genealogical register.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
And Meshobab, and Jamlech, and Joshah the son of Amaziah,
Three names stand here inside the record of Simeon's tribe. Why does God keep such a list at all, and what are these men about to do?
Simeon comes straight after Judah in this record, not after Reuben or Levi. Commentators point to where his land lay.
Why is this tribe so closely tied to Judah? It comes before Reuben and Levi, who are both prominent after Judah for different reasons — Reuben lost the birthright, Levi gained the temple service. Joshua 19:1 gives the reason: "their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the people of Judah."
Jacob had spoken a word over Simeon and Levi long before, and these men lived under it. Yet the same word worked out differently in the two families.
Of Simeon and Levi, Jacob had said, "I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel" (Gen. 49:7). We know how this was fulfilled in Levi. What seemed to be a curse, in God's mercy proved a blessing. God scattered the Levites throughout the tribes for the service of the Lord. In this chapter we have the exploits of the sons of Simeon. Those named are called "princes in their clans," for they were men of renown. They too are scattered to accomplish God's will.
Simeon never grew large. One of its own princes led the tribe into sin, and the numbers show what that cost.
Simeon shrank to little more than a third of his number. Zimri, a prince in that tribe, was a ringleader in the sin at Peor. The plague that followed killed twenty-four thousand of them and left a terrible gap in that tribe. After the plague, the Lord told Moses and Eleazar to count the people, and Simeon was found to be twenty-two thousand, instead of fifty-nine thousand at the beginning.
That weakness is the setting in which these named men matter.
Simeon was small in number, partly surrounded by Judah's territory, open to enemy attacks on the south, and without definite borders. But we find here a truth already seen. When the faith of the whole people has failed, the faith of a few still moves them to "enlarge their borders." That is what the faith of one man, Caleb, did before. Many "mentioned by name were princes in their clans, and their fathers' houses increased greatly" (v. 38)... The size of their possessions depended neither on their numbers nor on their power... Their extreme poverty, which they could not deny, drove them to conquer what God placed within their reach.
These named men later went out looking for grazing land, and they had to fight for it.
It was late in the history of Israel when these princes of Simeon went to seek pasture for their flocks. It was the time of Hezekiah, king of Judah, and in his reign Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, carried Israel away captive. They found "rich, good pasture, and the land was very broad, quiet, and peaceful." To secure this rich heritage, the sons of Simeon struck down the inhabitants, and settled in their place. It is now late in the history of the church... Those who care for the flock of God should still seek pasture for the sheep, and be ready for conflict to secure it for them.
Meshobab, Jamlech and Joshah mean nothing to us now.
There is something deeply sobering about going over such a record of names. People forgot them long ago, but God has remembered every one of them, with every detail of their path through this world. Some day our names too will be lost to everyone on earth, but God will never forget us or our ways.
- Placed. Simeon stands next to Judah because his land lay inside Judah's land. His place came from where he was settled, not from his own strength.
- Marked. Jacob's word scattered both Simeon and Levi. Levi's scattering turned into service and blessing. Simeon stayed small, hemmed in, and without settled borders.
- Named. The faith of the whole people failed, yet this list names a few men as princes whose households grew. What they gained did not depend on their numbers or their power.
- Sent. These same men went out late in Israel's history. They found rich, quiet pasture and fought to take it. Those who care for God's flock still look for pasture, and still meet conflict in getting it.
- Remembered. People forgot these names long ago. God remembers each one, with every detail of their path. He will remember ours.
and Joel, and Jehu the son of Josibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,
This verse lists four names and tells us nothing else about the men. They stand in a list of Simeon's leading men, and they raise one question: why does God keep such names on record at all?
One writer reads these lists as a record God Himself keeps.
He records at the same time the names of those who had gone through the trials mentioned in this history without being blotted out of the book. Here it is only the outward picture of this blessed memorial of the people of His grace; but this is in fact what we find here. Not all of Israel is there; but not all who come from Israel are truly Israel.
Simeon is listed right after Judah, ahead of tribes with far greater standing. One writer asks why, and finds the answer in two earlier passages.
Why is this tribe in such close touch with Judah, coming before Reuben and Levi, who are both prominent after Judah for different reasons — Reuben lost the birthright, Levi gained the temple service? The reason is found in Joshua 19:1: their inheritance lay inside the inheritance of the children of Judah. And in Genesis 49:6-7, both Levi and Simeon were to be scattered in Israel. Levi really was scattered, but what honour and blessing there was in it! — appointed to keep up the worship of Jehovah, with no care or worry except what belonged to the worship of God. Simeon was small in Israel. … Even so, those mentioned by name were princes, and the house of their fathers prospered (v. 38).
The ESV puts verse 27 this way: "nor did all their clan multiply like the men of Judah."
How did a tribe under a curse end up gaining land?
But we find here the truth already shown. When the faith of the whole people has failed, the faith of a few still moves them to "enlarge their borders" — as earlier the faith of one man, Caleb, moved him. … How much they owned depended neither on their numbers nor on their power. Like Jabez, they bore the results of the curse spoken over them. But their deep poverty, which they could not deny, drove them to conquer what God placed within their reach.
So what did these men share with others who prospered while the nation lay in ruins?
Wherever there has been faith, God has blessed His people individually. Jabez (1 Chron. 4:9-10), the son of affliction, seeking blessing in the presence of the God of Israel, did not fail to find it. Jehovah enlarged his borders, and kept him from evil so that it did not bring him grief. Simeon, though scattered in Israel, was able to drive out the enemy and take their land, as far as Mount Seir. … There was no power of the king and no order of the kingdom. Yet wherever there was faith, God blessed those of His people who trusted in Him.
One writer also notes when these gains came.
Notice that they received their blessings under the two reigns of grace in Judah: David's (v. 31) and Hezekiah's (v. 41). By then the state of the people was already drawing down on them the coming judgment by the king of Babylon. … Everything that belongs to nature ends in complete failure and is worth nothing before God. Grace is the only thing we can count on.
One writer draws a direct line from these men to us.
It is now late in the history of the church … but this is not a reason for indifference or laziness. Those who care for the flock of God should still seek pasture for the sheep, and be prepared for conflict to secure it for them. … Are we ready to stand in conflict for the good heritage that was secured for us?
- Recorded. God keeps a memorial of His people, so these names survive. To be written down at all is the first honour.
- Small. Simeon never multiplied like Judah. These men rose out of a tribe under a curse, not out of privilege.
- Named. The men named here were princes, and their families prospered. God names the faithful few when the whole tribe has failed.
- Enlarged. Their gains had nothing to do with numbers or strength. Their own poverty drove them to take hold of what God put within reach.
- Ours. The same path is open now, late in the day: seek out the good pasture, and be ready for conflict to hold it for God's people.
and Elioenai, and Jaakobah, and Jeshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Jesimiel, and Benaiah,
Seven names fill this verse, and the text says nothing else about the men who bore them. So two questions press on a reader. Who were they? And why would God keep a bare list of names in Scripture?
These names sit in a section that starts fresh at chapter 4. One writer explains why Judah appears here again, and who follows him:
Chapter 4 begins a somewhat new section, though we have had Judah before. This is another special feature of Chronicles: it repeats things at times, even where nothing is complete, but it is never a bare repetition. In the earlier section, Judah comes in to introduce David and the royal line. Here Judah comes forward because he is a leader among the tribes of Israel... Here Judah simply takes his place among the other tribes. So his line is carried on in a general way as before, but with a view to the people, and not the kingdom. The chapter also has some very encouraging words from the Spirit of God scattered through it... After Judah there is Simeon (v. 24).
Chronicles does not treat these men as private citizens. It calls them princes, and one writer links that title to the scattering Jacob once spoke over Simeon:
Of Simeon and Levi, Jacob had said, "I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel" (Gen. 49:7), and we know how that came true in Levi. What looked like a curse, in God's mercy, turned out to be a blessing, for the Levites were spread through all the tribes to serve the Lord. In this chapter we read what the sons of Simeon did. Those named are called "princes in their clans," for they were men of renown. Their scattering too carries out God's will.
Simeon stayed small and hemmed in. Yet one writer notes that what these men held did not depend on their numbers or their strength:
Simeon went on bearing the mark of God's judgment: "his brothers did not have many children, nor did all their clan multiply like the men of Judah" (v. 27). Simeon was small in number, partly surrounded by Judah's land, open to enemy attacks from the south, and without fixed borders. But we find here the truth already seen, that when the faith of the whole group has failed, the faith of a few still stirs them to "enlarge their borders." Many of "these mentioned by name were princes in their clans, and their fathers' houses increased greatly" (v. 38). How much they owned did not depend on their numbers or on their power. They bore the results of the curse spoken over them, but their deep poverty, which they could not deny, drove them to conquer what God placed within their reach.
Lists like this one are easy to skip. One writer gives the reason God keeps them:
Here there is little to say, except that the Lord takes pleasure in recording even the names of His servants... He has been a dwelling place for His own in all generations. But there is more. He honours those who honour Him, and He records their names in His word now, just as He will glorify their persons in the great day that is coming fast.
Another writer, looking at a list where each man is named, says the same in one line:
Perhaps this is why the record says, "all of them were mentioned by name." God notices their faithfulness, and He had it written down.
In Israel a family line meant more than family pride:
So when an Israelite was closely tied to his family, this was not vanity or pride, as it often is with us. In Israel it was tied to the purpose of God... In Israel, God arranged everything. It was God's own appointment, and the great men there were men who counted as great with God — men who had won a place for Israel by their deeds of faith, in line with the will of God.
- Shadow. Simeon carried the mark of an old judgment — few children, no clear borders, hemmed in by Judah, open to attack.
- Name. Into that shadow God writes seven names. He takes pleasure in recording the names of His servants and will glorify their persons in the coming day.
- Faith. The faith of the whole tribe failed. The faith of a few still stirred them to enlarge their borders.
- Reach. What they owned did not depend on their numbers or their power. Poverty they could not deny drove them to take what God placed within reach.
- Record. A bare list of names is God noticing faithfulness. He will not let it be forgotten, and He honours those who honour Him.
and Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah
Ziza's name sits in a short family line inside a list of Simeon's leaders. Why does God record a chain of forgotten names, and what does it tell us about the tribe that carried them?
Israel had gone into captivity. Chronicles came later, and its name lists are God's own record of His people.
He also records the names of those who went through the trials told in this history and were never blotted out of the book. Here it is only the outward picture of this blessed record of the people of His grace, but that is in fact what we find here. Not all of Israel is there; and not all who come from Israel are truly Israel.
The same writer explains what shapes this record.
These books were written after the captivity. They preserve God's history of His people, recorded by the Holy Spirit, as He loved to remember it. They show only those faults we need to know to understand the lessons of His grace.
Ziza belonged to a tribe under judgment. One writer traces that judgment back to Jacob's dying words, and shows how differently it worked out for the two brothers.
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Simeon was small in Israel. Their families did not multiply like the sons of Judah. Even so, those mentioned by name were princes, and their fathers' houses prospered. Five hundred of them struck down the rest of the Amalekites who had escaped, and lived in their cities. … Simeon and Levi were bound together in the wickedness that made Jacob say their anger was fierce and their wrath cruel, and that he would divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. Simeon was the elder, and he may have forced Levi to share in his cruelty. They were scattered in Israel. But how wonderfully and graciously this came true for Levi! His scattering was his exaltation. Simeon, on the other hand, dwindled to little more than a third of his numbers.
Note: older translations render verse 27 as quoted above; the ESV reads, "nor did all their clan multiply like the men of Judah."
Ziza is one of the leaders named here who went out to find pasture for their flocks. One commentator sets Simeon's weakness beside what these men gained.
Simeon was small in number, partly surrounded by Judah's territory, open to enemy attacks on the south, and without clear borders. But here we meet a truth already set before us. When the faith of the whole people had failed, the faith of a few — as Caleb's own faith had done earlier — moved them to enlarge their borders. They found rich, good pasture where the sons of Ham had lived before, and they even went as far as Mount Seir, which Edom held. How much they owned depended neither on their numbers nor on their power. Like Jabez, they carried the results of the curse spoken over them. But their extreme poverty, which they could not deny, drove them to conquer what God placed within their reach.
Their expansion also had an effect far in the future.
Simeon's lot had been inside the territory of Judah, but he had enlarged his land. Some of this tribe went beyond the borders of the land, and so they escaped the captivity.
This chapter dates Simeon's gains to the reigns of two kings. One writer draws a lesson from that timing.
Notice when they received their blessings. It was under the two reigns of grace in Judah: David's and Hezekiah's. By then the state of the people was already bringing the coming judgment down on them through the king of Babylon. How all these details keep bringing us back to the great thought of this precious book! Everything that belongs to nature ends in complete failure and is worth nothing before God. Grace is the only thing we can count on.
One writer turns the timing of their move into an appeal for today.
It was late in Israel's history, in the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah, when Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, carried Israel away captive, that these princes of Simeon went to seek pasture for their flocks and found rich, good pasture in a wide and peaceful land. … It is now late in the history of the church, but that is no reason to be careless or lazy. Those who care for the flock of God should still look for pasture for the sheep, and be ready for conflict to win it for them. … Are we ready to stand in conflict for the rich inheritance that others won for us?
- Named. Ziza's line is in Scripture because God keeps a register of His people — names not blotted out of the book.
- Cursed. He came from a shrinking, scattered tribe with no borders of its own. Jacob's sentence still lay on it.
- Enlarged. Where the nation's faith failed, the faith of a few reached out. What they gained did not depend on their numbers or their strength.
- Spared. Some of these families moved beyond the land's borders. The captivity that took the rest passed them by.
- Urgent. They acted while judgment was already closing in. Weakness and lateness excuse no one from seeking pasture for God's flock.
these mentioned by name were princes in their families; and their fathers' houses increased greatly.
Verse 38 ends a long list of Simeon's leaders with a surprise: this tribe was under a curse and shrinking, yet God names its chiefs and records that their households grew. Why such care over a small, scattered tribe?
Simeon comes right after Judah, before Reuben and Levi. One writer finds the reason in two earlier passages, and shows how Jacob's word worked out one way for Levi and another for Simeon.
"The sons of Simeon" (v. 24). Why is this tribe in such close contact with Judah, coming before Reuben and Levi, who are both prominent after Judah for different reasons — Reuben lost the birthright, Levi gained the temple service? Joshua 19:1 gives the reason: "their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the people of Judah." Genesis 49:6-7 shows that both Levi and Simeon were to be scattered in Israel. Levi truly was scattered, but with honour and blessing — his task was to maintain the worship of the Lord. Simeon was small in Israel. "Nor did all their clan multiply like the men of Judah." Despite that, those mentioned by name were princes, and the house of their fathers prospered (v. 38).
The whole book is built on the keeping of names, and that habit explains why obscure men like Mishma and Benaiah appear here at all.
God records the names of those who went through the trials mentioned in this history without being blotted out of the book.
The growth in this verse came from a few men, not from the tribe as a whole.
Simeon was small in number, partly enclosed within Judah's territory, open to enemy attacks on the south, and without definite borders. But we find here the truth already presented. When the faith of the whole community has failed, the faith of a few moves them to "enlarge their borders." That was true earlier of the individual faith of a Caleb. Many "mentioned by name were princes in their clans, and their fathers' houses increased greatly" (v. 38)… What they held depended neither on their numbers nor on their power. Like Jabez, they bore the consequences of the curse spoken over them. But their extreme poverty, which they could not deny, drove them to conquer what God placed within their reach.
The same principle runs through the earlier part of the chapter, where a man asked God to widen his territory.
Here and there these genealogies highlight individuals whose borders God extended in the promised land at a time when most of the people had failed to conquer their inheritance completely… So it is with us: our spiritual borders expand in the heavenly sphere while we are on earth. To reach this we must recognise our hopeless ruin and the inability we have shown to extend our borders ourselves, and must show humble dependence that relies on the grace of God alone in order to possess them.
Jacob's word scattered both Simeon and Levi. Yet God used that scattering for His own service.
Of Simeon and Levi, Jacob had said, "I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel" (Gen. 49:7), and we know how this was fulfilled in Levi. What seemed to be a curse, in God's mercy proved to be blessing, because He spread the Levites throughout the tribes to carry on the service of the Lord. In this chapter we have the exploits of the sons of Simeon. Those named are called "princes in their clans," for they were men of renown. God scatters them too, to accomplish His will.
Late in Israel's story, these princes went looking for pasture.
It was late in the history of Israel, in the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah. In his reign Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, carried Israel away captive. At that time these princes of Simeon went to seek pasture for their flocks. They found "rich, good pasture, and the land was very broad, quiet, and peaceful." To secure this rich heritage, the sons of Simeon struck down the inhabitants and settled in their place. It is now late in the history of the church… but this is no reason for indifference or laziness. Those who care for the flock of God should still seek pasture for the sheep, and be prepared for conflict to secure it for them.
- Small — Simeon had few sons, no borders of its own, and a judgment on its name. The tribe lived inside Judah's land.
- Named — God writes down the names of those who came through the trials of this history. He does not blot them out of the book.
- Princes — the scattering looked like a curse. God made it the place where these men became princes and served His will.
- Enlarged — their households grew, not by numbers or power, but because a few took hold of what God placed within their reach.
- Pasture — late in the day they found good pasture and fought to keep it. Those who care for God's flock are to do the same.
And they went to the entrance of Gedor, as far as the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.
A long list of names opens into a small journey. A few clans of Simeon, short of room at home, set out east to look for grazing land. It raises the question the whole chapter keeps asking. Can faith still gain ground when the nation as a whole has failed?
Simeon comes right after Judah in these lists. The reason lies in how the land was first divided. One writer ties the tribe's small size to Jacob's dying words, and contrasts the two brothers:
Why is this tribe so closely linked with Judah...? The reason lies in Joshua 19:1: "their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the people of Judah." And in Genesis 49:6-7 both Levi and Simeon were to be scattered in Israel. Levi was indeed scattered — but with what honour and blessing! He was appointed to maintain the worship of Jehovah... Simeon was small in Israel. "Nor did all their clan multiply like the men of Judah." Even so, those mentioned by name were princes, and the house of their fathers prospered... Simeon, on the other hand, dwindled down to little more than a third of his number.
The verse names the place but tells us nothing about it. One reference work locates it:
A valley in the south of Judah, where the tribe of Simeon found rich pasture.
The name itself is a shepherd's word:
Gedor again, the stone "enclosure" for a flock, to keep them from wild beasts.
Commentators read this journey in two ways. One sees the move for pasture as the way Jacob's word came true:
Simeon and Levi. Cruelty, anger, self-will and rage mark these violent sons of Jacob... Who could have guessed that the words of Jacob, which seemed only to curse, would turn out to be a blessing? So it was for Levi! This tribe was scattered in Israel, and that scattering brought the blessing of Levi's service, while Simeon was plainly scattered for lack of pasture (see 1 Chronicles 4:39, 42).
The other reads the same march as faith in a few men, like Jabez earlier in the chapter. Poverty is what drove them out:
Simeon was small in number and partly surrounded by Judah's territory. It lay open to enemy attacks on the south, and it had no fixed borders. But we find here the truth already presented: when the faith of the whole people has failed, the faith of a few still moves them to "enlarge their borders." Caleb's own faith did the same earlier. ... "They found rich, good pasture" where the sons of Ham had lived before (v. 40); they even went to "Mount Seir" (v. 42), occupied by Edom. The extent of their possessions depended neither on their numbers nor on their power. Like Jabez, they bore the results of the curse spoken over them. But their extreme poverty, which they could not deny, drove them to conquer what God placed within their reach.
One writer finds a pattern in these lists. National ruin never cancelled personal blessing.
What has been kept here of the people's genealogies... shows us something else: wherever there has been faith, God has blessed His people one by one. Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9-10), the son of affliction, looked for blessing in the presence of the God of Israel, and he found it. Jehovah enlarged his borders... Simeon, though scattered in Israel, was able to drive out the enemy and take their land, even as far as Mount Seir... So there was no power of the king and no order in the kingdom. Yet wherever there was faith, God blessed those of His people who trusted in Him.
The same writer applies this to us, and names the one condition:
So it is with us: our spiritual borders expand in the heavenly sphere while we are on earth. To reach this we must admit two things: our ruin cannot be repaired, and we have proved unable to extend our borders ourselves. Then we must show humble dependence, which relies on the grace of God alone to gain them.
- Cramped. Simeon's inheritance lay inside Judah's, and the tribe stayed small. Its clans never multiplied like Judah's. This was Jacob's word coming true: Simeon would be scattered in Israel.
- Contrasted. Levi was scattered too, but his scattering became his honour in the service of worship. Simeon's scattering carried no such honour. Even so, the men named here were princes, and their fathers' houses prospered.
- Driven. Commentators differ on the march. One sees Jacob's word working out in a tribe with no pasture at home. Another sees the faith of a few, driven by a poverty they could not deny, taking hold of what God had put within reach.
- Enlarged. They gained rich pasture, land once held by others, and ground as far as Mount Seir. It matched neither their numbers nor their strength.
- Individual. There was no king's power and no order in the kingdom. Still, wherever there was faith, God blessed His people one by one. Our own borders widen only as we admit we cannot widen them ourselves.
And they found fat and good pasture, and a land widely extended and quiet and fertile, for they who had dwelt there formerly were of Ham.
The sons of Simeon went out to find grazing land for their flocks, and they found more than they hoped for. The verse leaves two questions: why so small a tribe was out searching at all, and who the earlier settlers were whose land this became.
The search began in a valley on the southern edge of Judah's land. One reference work fixes the spot named in the previous verse:
Gedor. Valley in the south of Judah, where the tribe of Simeon found rich pasture.
The land was not empty ground. It carried the memory of earlier residents, and writers differ over who exactly these people were:
The Simeonites, searching for pasture for their flocks in the South, came to a place where the people of Ham had lived long before. Some suppose these were a colony from Egypt; others judge them to have been Canaanite nomads.
Simeon's land sat inside Judah's land. One writer traces why, and what it cost the tribe:
Why is this tribe so closely linked with Judah, coming before Reuben and Levi? Both are prominent after Judah for different reasons: Reuben lost the birthright, and Levi gained the temple service. The reason is in Joshua 19:1: "their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the people of Judah." Genesis 49:6-7 shows that both Levi and Simeon were to be scattered in Israel. Levi was indeed scattered, but with honour and blessing! He was appointed to maintain the worship of the LORD... Simeon was small in Israel. "Nor did all their clan multiply like the men of Judah." Despite this, those mentioned by name were princes, and the house of their fathers prospered.
The very thing that limited Simeon is what sent him out searching:
Simeon was small in number. The tribe was partly enclosed within Judah's territory, open to enemy attacks on the south, and without definite borders. But we find here the truth already presented: when collective faith has failed, the faith of a few moves them to "enlarge their borders." Caleb's individual faith had done the same earlier... "They found rich, good pasture" where the sons of Ham had lived before (v. 40); they even went to "Mount Seir" (v. 42), occupied by Edom. The extent of their possessions depended neither on their numbers nor on their power... their extreme poverty, which they could not deny, drove them to conquer what God placed within their reach.
The same writer turns this on the reader. Our own borders grow the same way:
So it is with us: our spiritual borders expand in the heavenly sphere while we are on earth. To reach this we must recognise our ruin, which nothing of ours can repair. We must admit that we have shown ourselves unable to extend our borders. And we must show humble dependence, relying on the grace of God alone to possess them.
Their blessing came at a marked moment in Judah's history:
Notice that they obtained their blessings under the two reigns of grace in Judah: that of David (v. 31), and that of Hezekiah (v. 41). At that time the state of the people was already drawing down on themselves the judgment that was approaching through the king of Babylon. How all these details bring us back again and again to the great thought of this precious book! All that is according to nature ends in complete failure and is worthless before God. Grace is the only thing we can count on.
A late hour in the story was no excuse for sitting still. One writer presses that onto anyone who cares for God's people today:
It was late in the history of Israel, in the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah. In his reign Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, carried Israel away captive. At that time these princes of Simeon went to seek pasture for their flocks. They found "rich, good pasture, and the land was very broad, quiet, and peaceful." To secure this rich heritage, the sons of Simeon struck down the inhabitants and settled in their place. It is now late in the history of the church... but this is no reason for indifference or laziness. Those who care for the flock of God should still seek pasture for the sheep, and be ready for conflict to secure it for them.
Older translations read "fat pasture and good" where the ESV reads "rich, good pasture."
- Small. Simeon's clans never multiplied like Judah's, and their land lay inside another tribe's borders. Being small was their starting point, not the end of them.
- Searching. Poverty they could not deny drove them out to look. When the faith of the nation failed, the faith of a few still went to enlarge their borders.
- Found. The pasture was rich, wide and quiet. Its size depended neither on their numbers nor on their power, but on what God placed within their reach.
- Grace. The blessing came under two reigns of grace, David's and Hezekiah's. Nature ends in failure, and grace is the only thing we can count on.
- Held. Coming late in the story excuses no one. Those who care for God's flock still seek pasture for the sheep, and are ready to fight to secure it.
And these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and smote their tents and the habitations that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their stead; for there was pasture there for their flocks.
Part of a small, scattered tribe moves out, takes land, and settles where there is grazing for its flocks. Why does a book of genealogies stop for this, and why date it to the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah, so late in the nation's story?
The nation as a whole had failed. Yet these lists keep stopping to name people who prospered. One writer sets Simeon's advance beside Jabez:
Wherever there has been faith, God has blessed His people individually. Jabez (1 Chron. 4:9-10), the son of affliction, seeking blessing in the presence of the God of Israel, did not fail to find it. The Lord enlarged his borders, and so kept him from evil that it did not grieve him. Simeon, though scattered in Israel, was able to drive out the enemy and possess their land, even as far as Mount Seir. … So, although there was neither the power of the king nor the order of the kingdom, wherever there was faith, God blessed those of His people who trusted in Him.
Simeon had the least to work with. One writer traces why, and what a few with faith did anyway:
Because of Simeon and Levi's sin, these two brothers were "divided in Jacob, and scattered in Israel" (Gen. 49:7). In grace the Lord used Levi's scattering to give him priestly work suited to his position. It was otherwise for Simeon, who went on bearing the mark of God's judgment: his family did not multiply like the sons of Judah (v. 27). Simeon was small in number, partly surrounded by Judah's territory, open to enemy attacks on the south, and without definite borders. But we find here the truth already presented: when collective faith has failed, the faith of a few moves them to "enlarge their borders." Caleb's individual faith did the same earlier. … The extent of their possessions depended neither on their numbers nor upon their power. Like Jabez, they bore the consequences of the curse pronounced upon them. But they could not deny their extreme poverty, and it drove them to conquer what God placed within their reach.
The date matters. One writer notes when this tribe's gains came, and what was already closing in:
Notice that they obtained their blessings under the two reigns of grace in Judah: that of David (v. 31), and that of Hezekiah (v. 41). At that time the state of the people was already drawing down upon themselves the approaching judgment through the king of Babylon. … All that is according to nature ends in complete failure and is worthless before God. Grace is the only thing we can count upon, as we rest upon the counsels and election of grace which God has established forever.
The Meunim are not strangers to the record. A reference work links them with a people God had already dealt with a generation or two before, under an earlier king of Judah:
A people against whom Uzziah was helped by God. 2 Chr. 26:7. Perhaps the same as the Maonites mentioned in Judges 10:12.
Their location also explains why the next verses push further south into Mount Seir:
The Meunim or Maonites belonged to the territory of Edom, that is, to Mount Seir (v. 10). Today there still exists a city called Maan to the east of the Wadi-el-Arabah in this region.
What drove the expedition was simple: the flocks needed feeding. One writer applies that to anyone who cares for God's people today:
It was late in the history of Israel when these princes of Simeon went to seek pasture for their flocks. It was the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah, and in his reign Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, carried Israel away captive. They found "fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable." To secure this rich heritage, the sons of Simeon struck down the inhabitants and lived in their place. It is now late in the history of the church… but this is not a reason for indifference or idleness. Those who care for the flock of God should still seek pasture for the sheep, and be prepared for conflict to secure it for them.
- Small — Simeon was few in number, hemmed in by Judah, exposed on the south, and still marked by God's judgment for an old sin.
- Stirred — Their own poverty pushed them out. What they gained matched neither their numbers nor their strength.
- Named — Where the nation as a whole failed, God kept blessing people one by one, and their names stand in the record.
- Timed — The advance came under Hezekiah, a reign of grace. Judgment from Babylon was already near. Nature fails; grace holds.
- Fed — They moved because the flocks needed grazing. Caring for God's people still means going after good pasture, and being ready for a fight to hold it.
And five hundred men of them, of the sons of Simeon, went to mount Seir, having at their head Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Jishi,
Here the genealogies of 1 Chronicles pause to record a raid into the hill country of Seir. Why keep the names of so small a company, and what were men of Simeon doing in land that belonged to Edom?
Simeon and Levi were both scattered for one sin. The two scatterings did not turn out alike, and Simeon's poverty is what pushed these men outward.
Because Simeon and Levi sinned, these two brothers were divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel (Gen. 49:7). But they differed. In grace the Lord used Levi's scattering to give him priestly work suited to his place. It was otherwise for Simeon, who went on bearing the mark of God's judgment… Simeon was small in number, partly surrounded by Judah's land, open to enemy attacks in the south, and without fixed borders… They found "rich, good pasture" where the sons of Ham had lived before (v. 40). They even went to Mount Seir (v. 42), which Edom held. How much land they held did not depend on their numbers or on their power. Like Jabez, they bore the results of the curse spoken over them. But their deep poverty, which they could not deny, drove them to conquer what God put within their reach.
Another writer sets the two scatterings side by side, and notes the honour the men named here still held.
Levi really was scattered, but how honourably, and with what blessing! He was appointed to keep up the worship of Jehovah, with no care or worry except what belonged to the worship of God. Simeon was small in Israel. "Nor did all their clan multiply like the men of Judah." Even so, the men named here were princes, and their fathers' houses prospered (v. 38).
Seir was not empty land. Esau's descendants lived there, and the region took a second name.
The early name of the long mountain range that runs from about eight miles south of the Salt Sea to near the Gulf of Akaba. It is also called "the land of Seir." The Horites lived there first, and later the descendants of Esau, and it came to be called Edom.
One writer ties this small company to a command Saul had left unfinished.
God kept a special task for five hundred of the sons of Simeon, who had four of the sons of Ishi as their leaders. They carried out Jehovah's final judgment on the Amalekites, and lived in Mount Seir, where they did this great deed. That place had once been Esau's home. God had commanded Saul to "devote to destruction" everything that belonged to Amalek, but Saul disobeyed the word of Jehovah, and lost his throne for it. What was not done at the start was done near the end by only five hundred men. Even if we are in the last days, and very weak, and few in numbers, the Lord can use those who are true to Him to carry out His will.
What the four leaders won was not a raid's plunder but a place to live.
Son of Ishi a Simeonite: he with his brethren attacked the Amalekites of Mount Seir, and secured for themselves a permanent settlement.
David had all but wiped out Amalek long before. One writer traces how a remnant survived at Seir, and how late this raid came.
When David destroyed the Amalekites after their raid on Ziklag, only four hundred young men escaped (1 Sam. 30:17), so it seemed that only a small remnant of them survived. In the days of king Hezekiah, it seems this remnant of Amalek had escaped and settled at Mount Seir, the home of the Edomites. It was getting late in the history of Judah, about the time the ten tribes were being led away captive. Yet the Lord used this remnant of Simeon to carry out His will about Amalek. It is never too late for God's people to seek His mind and do His will, no matter how hard the days and how great the weakness.
One writer turns this search for pasture into a duty for anyone who cares for God's people today.
Those who care for the flock of God should still look for pasture for the sheep, and be ready for conflict to win it for them… Are we ready to stand in conflict for the rich heritage that was won for us?
- Poverty pushed them. Simeon bore the mark of God's judgment: small, hemmed in by Judah, with no settled borders. That very lack drove them to take what God had put within reach.
- Pasture pulled them. They went looking for pasture for their flocks. Those who care for God's flock still have to go looking, and still have to fight.
- Seir was occupied. The hills they entered were Esau's old home, the land that became Edom. Others held that ground; it was not empty country.
- Five hundred were enough. Four sons of Ishi led a handful of men, and finished late what King Saul had failed to do in obedience.
- Late is not too late. The ten tribes were going into captivity. Even then the Lord used a small, weak remnant to do His will, and Scripture names these men as princes.
and they smote the rest of the Amalekites that had escaped; and they dwelt there unto this day.
A long list of names suddenly turns into a battle report against Amalek, Israel's enemy ever since they came out of Egypt. Why was any Amalekite still alive so late in Israel's history, and what is a raid by five hundred men doing inside a genealogy?
Amalek was under God's sentence of destruction. He first gave that task to a king of Israel. What a whole kingdom failed to do, a handful of men did.
A special task was reserved for five hundred of the sons of Simeon, with four of the sons of Ishi as their leaders. They carried out the LORD's final judgment on the Amalekites, and settled in Mount Seir. That was where they did this great deed, and it had once been the home of Esau. The LORD had commanded Saul to "utterly destroy" everything belonging to Amalek, but he disobeyed the word of the LORD, and for this he lost his throne. What was not accomplished at the beginning was done near the end with only five hundred men.
An earlier defeat had left a small band of Amalekites alive. They took shelter among the Edomites in the hills of Seir.
When David slaughtered the Amalekites after their raid on Ziklag, only four hundred young men escaped (1 Sam. 30:17), so it seemed that only a small remnant of them survived. In the days of king Hezekiah, it seems this remnant of Amalek had escaped and settled at Mount Seir, the home of the Edomites… It was getting late in the history of Judah. The ten tribes were being led away captive at about that time. Yet the Lord used this remnant of Simeon to carry out His will in relation to Amalek. It is never too late for God's people, no matter how difficult the days and how great the weakness, to seek His mind and to do His will.
Simeon was the least likely tribe to try this. It lay under a curse, and it stayed small and hemmed in.
Simeon was small in number, partly surrounded by Judah's territory, open to enemy attacks on the south, and without fixed borders. But we find here the truth already presented: when the faith of the whole people has failed, the faith of a few moves them to "enlarge their borders." Earlier it was the individual faith of a Caleb… The extent of their possessions depended neither on their numbers nor on their power. Like Jabez, they bore the consequences of the curse pronounced on them. But their extreme poverty, which they could not deny, drove them on to conquer what God placed within their reach.
The men went out looking for grazing land, and they stayed. "To this day" marks ground they kept, not only raided. One writer draws the parallel to a late hour in the church's history.
It is now late in the history of the church… but this is no reason for indifference or laziness. Those who care for the flock of God should still seek pasture for the sheep, and be ready for conflict to secure it for them. … Are we prepared to stand in conflict for the rich heritage that was secured for us?
The verse sounds final. It was not.
From reading 1 Chronicles 4:43 we might have thought that not one Amalekite was left… But it was not so. Even when Israel and Judah were in captivity we read of an Amalekite, "Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite" (Esther 3:1), holding a very high place in the palace of King Ahasuerus… The same hatred and murderous spirit that marked Amalek when Israel came out of Egypt showed up in Haman so long after.
One writer reads Amalek as a picture of the flesh — the sinful nature in us.
Amalek is a type of the flesh, and with flesh God can make no terms. In it dwells no good thing (Rom. 7:18); God condemned the sin that is built into it in the sacrifice of Christ (Rom. 8:3); and Christians are seen as having, for themselves, "crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal. 5:24). This means they have accepted God's sentence against the evil thing. Nothing remains but to be unsparing with all its workings day by day (Col. 3:5-9).
- Unfinished. Saul had a kingdom behind him. He spared Amalek and lost his throne. Five hundred men of Simeon later did what he refused to do.
- Few. The tribe under a curse, small and short of land, is the one that enlarges its borders. Reach depends on faith, not on numbers or strength.
- Late. The raid falls near the close of Israel's history. It is never too late, and never too weak, to seek God's mind and do His will.
- Held. They did not raid and leave; they settled. Finding a good inheritance is one thing; keeping it takes conflict.
- Ongoing. Haman the Agagite appears generations later. Amalek pictures the flesh, and God makes no terms with it: judge it day by day.