Tribe of Simeon

“ The territory of this tribe lay in the South (1 Chronicles iv. 28‒43; Joshua xix. 1‒9) , and it is natural to think that at the disruption Simeon followed Judah in allegiance to the house of David. Here, however, and in xxxiv. 6 it is reckoned as one of the ten tribes forming the Northern Kingdom, for what reason it is hard to say. The traditions relating to the tribe are far from clear (see Encyclopedia Britannica s.v. Simeon) .
10So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. ”

“ The internal biblical evidence has forced all independent investigators to adopt some reconstruction, but the above theory is in many respects precarious. [3] It may explain the disappearance of a secular tribe of Levi, but not the rise of the sacred Levites. Even in Judges ix. 28 Shechem is still held by the family of Hamor (cf. Gen. xxxiii. 19) , and if Simeon was scattered and divided at any early date, its appearance in tradition many centuries later is inexplicable. ”

“ They shall set forth first.
10 On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their hosts: and the prince of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.
11 And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.
12 And those that encamp next unto him shall be the tribe of Simeon: and the prince of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. ”

“ This subscription can hardly “only be intended to remind us, that of the first-mentioned cities, one (viz., Ziklag, 1Sa 27:6) , or several, in the time of David, no longer belonged to the tribe of Simeon;” nor can it only be meant to state that “till the time of David the cities named were in possession of the tribe of Simeon, though they did not all continue to be possessed by this tribe at a later time” (Berth.) . ”

“ Baal (“lord”) standing by itself is an unlikely name for a town. Read Baalath-beer, Ramah of the South (“the mistress of the well, the high place of the South”) , as in Joshua xix. 8.
34‒43.
The Heroes of Simeon and their Exploits.
It seems probable that the exploits mentioned in these verses are derived from some old, though obscure, tradition, and are therefore of historical value for the movements of the tribe of Simeon. ”

“ It demands that every tribe and every clan should have been a homogeneous group which had preserved its unity from the earliest times, that family records extending back for several centuries were in existence, and that such a tribe as Simeon was able to maintain its independence in spite of the tradition that it lost its autonomy in very early times (Gen. xlix. 7) . The whole conception of the unity of the tribes cannot be referred to a date previous to the time of David, and in the older writings a David or a Jeroboam was sufficiently described as the son of Jesse or of Nebat. ”

“ From this arrangement Levi, Simeon, and Judah became the tribes principally concerned in the transactions of the last days.
Having spoken of the death of Christ by Levi and Simeon, he then proceeded to speak of things connected with Judah alone. Of this tribe he affirmed:
1. That Judah should be the praise of all the tribes; 2. That it should subdue its enemies; 3. That it should rule over all Israel; 4. That its sovereignty should be monarchical; 5. That Shiloh should arise out of it as a lawgiver; 6. That the gathering of the people should be to him ”

“ Judah (102 verses) .
iv. 24‒43. Simeon (20 verses) .
v. 1‒26. Reuben, Gad, and Eastern Manasseh (26 verses) .
vi. 1‒81. Levi (81 verses) .
vii. 1‒40. Issachar, Zebulun, and Dan (according to a correction of the text, vii. 6‒11, and 12) , Naphtali, Eastern Manasseh (again) , Ephraim, and Asher (40 verses) .
viii. 1‒40. Benjamin (40 verses) .
It may easily be seen that the tribes in which the Chronicler is really interested are the three southern tribes, Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, together with the priestly tribe, Levi. ”

“ For the Lord shall raise up from Levi as it were a Priest, [11] and from Judah as it were a King, God and man. [12] So shall He save all the Gentiles and the race of Israel. Therefore I command you all things, in order that ye also may command your children, that they may observe them throughout their generations.
8. And Simeon made an end of commanding his sons, and slept with his fathers, being an hundred and twenty years old. And they laid him in a coffin of incorruptible wood, to take up his bones to Hebron. ”

“ As the word 'Simeon' came hissing from the preacher's lips, a veritable thrill passed through the synagogue. Even Simeon Samuels seemed shaken, for he readjusted his praying-shawl with a nervous movement.
'My brethren, these words of Israel, the great forefather of our tribes, are still ringing in our ears. To-day more than ever is Israel crying. Joseph is not—our Holy Land is lost. Simeon is not—our Holy Temple is razed to the ground. One thing only is left us—one blessing with which the almighty father has blessed us—our Holy Sabbath. ”

“ There was a man in Jerusalem, named Simeon. He was a just and devout man, waiting for the consolation of Israel. The Holy Ghost was upon him and revealed to him that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
He came by the Spirit into the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus, Simeon took Him up in his arms, blessed God, and said, Lord, now let thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word, for my eyes have seen thy salvation which thou has prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people, Israel. ”

“ Simeon shows forth the glory of Christ. He is the Sun of righteousness, rising on a dark and ruined world with light and salvation. He is the light that shall manifest the infinite kindness of God to the Gentile people; proving that God is good to all, and that his tender mercies are over all his works.
He is the glory of Israel. It is by him that the Gentiles have been led to acknowledge the Jews as the peculiar people of God; their books as the word of God, and their teaching as the revelation of God. What an honor for this people, had they known how to profit by it! ”

“ All men saw him not bodily, but he is announced to all men, let him believe who will. He who believes in him, sees him now with his faith, and in the eternal life with his eyes. Simeon yet said, "He is a light for the enlightening of the gentiles, and a glory to thy people Israel." All these words concerning the child, Simeon spake to the heavenly Father, who sent him to men. He is the true light who scattered the darkness of this life, as he himself said in his gospel, "I am the light of all the world; he who followeth me shall not come into darkness, but he shall have the light of life." ”

“ But is Gen. xxxiv. to be taken literally? Shechem is the famous holy city, Hamor a well-known native family, Jacob talks of himself as being “few in number,” and the deeds of Simeon and Levi are those of communities, not of individuals. ”

“ That is the scandal for us now. We can see what the Jews could not, that it was right that he should suffer; but we cannot see that it is right that we should suffer too—that what holy Simeon said to his Blessed Mother is true for each one of us: "Thy own soul a sword shall pierce." So in this way, even now, "this Divine Child," with his cross in his hand for a Christmas present to us, "is set for the fall of many in Israel." We are too apt to shrink away when he urges us to accept it for his sake. ”

“ And do thou also, O honoured and venerable Simeon, thou earliest host of our holy religion, and teacher of the resurrection of the faithful, be our patron and advocate with that Saviour God, whom thou wast deemed worthy to receive into thine arms. We, together with thee, sing our praises to Christ, who has the power of life and death, saying, Thou art the true Light, proceeding from the true Light; the true God, begotten of the true God; the one Lord, before Thine assumption of the humanity; that One nevertheless, after Thine assumption of it, which is ever to be adored ”

“ The patriarch Simeon, a man as famous for his good sense as for his piety, would not, surely, have opened his inmost thoughts to a wandering pilgrim like Peter, and intrusted to him a paper sealed with his own seal, which, if taken by the Turks, would have ensured death to himself and destruction to Christianity in Palestine, had he not recognised in the hermit “a man,” [92] to use the words of William of Tyre, “full [Pg 64] of prudence and experience in the things of this world.” ”

“ He sent one of his nobles to ask whose children they were. So the noble came to them and asked who they were who worked so hard. The eldest Simeon told him that they were orphans and had no one to work for them. As for their names they were all called Simeon.
When the Czar got back to the palace he called together all his nobles and asked them their opinion, saying—
“My lords, there are seven orphans who have no kinsfolk. I will make them such men that they shall be grateful to me. Now, I want your advice as to what trade or art I shall have them taught.” ”

“ Simeon, and embraced the column, weeping bitterly, and saying how he had committed every crime, and had come thither to repent. And how the saint said, “Of such is the kingdom of heaven: but do not try to tempt me, lest thou be found again in the sins which thou hast cast away.” Then came the officials from Antioch, demanding that he should be given up, to be cast to the wild beasts. But Simeon answered, “My sons, I brought him not hither, but One greater than I; for he helps such as this man, and of such is the kingdom of heaven. ”

“ And that very night it was revealed to the abbot, that a multitude of people surrounded the monastery with clubs and swords, saying, “Give us Simeon the servant of God, Timotheus; else we will burn thee with thy monastery, because thou hast angered a just man.” And when he woke, he told the brethren the vision, and how he was much disturbed thereby. And another night he saw a multitude of strong men standing and saying, “Give us Simeon the servant of God; for he is beloved by God and the angels: why hast thou vexed him? He is greater than thou before God ”

“ Thus far Theodoret. Antony gives some other details of Simeon’s life upon the column.
The devil, he says, in envy transformed himself into the likeness of an angel, shining in splendour, with fiery horses, and a fiery chariot, and appeared close to the column on which the blessed Simeon stood, and shone with glory like an angel. And the devil said with bland speeches, “Simeon, hear my words, which the Lord hath commanded thee. He has sent me, his angel, with a chariot and horses of fire, that I may carry thee away, as I carried Elias. For thy time is come. ”

“ And the Midianites cried out against them, and they drew their swords, and approached to fight with the sons of Jacob.
12 And behold Simeon rose up from his seat against them, and sprang upon the ground and drew his sword and approached the Midianites and he gave a terrible shout before them, so that his shouting was heard at a distance, and the earth shook at Simeon's shouting. ”

“ In the central aisle of the church of San Bernardino, [24] and over the chapel which belongs to the Brotherhood of the Magdalene, Liberale painted the story of the Purification. The figure of Simeon in this work has received much commendation, as has that of the Infant Christ, whom the old man, holding in his arms, embraces with great affection. A priest who is standing on one side of the picture is also very beautiful; he lifts his face to heaven, and spreading forth his arms, appears to be returning thanks to God for the salvation of the world. ”

“ It astonished them, also, that Simeon should extol Him not only as the glory of Israel, but also as the light for the revelation of the Gentiles. The words which Simeon uttered by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost gave Mary and Joseph a deeper insight into the plan of Redemption than they had before possessed. ↑ Many in Israel. The people of Israel would be forced to come to a decision about our Lord. ”

“ We have been unable to distinguish the hermit from the beasts of the fields. We hear his groans, see his tears, and watch him struggle with demons. We are disgusted with his filth, amused at his fancies, grieved at his superstition. We pity his agony and admire his courage. We watch the progress of order and rule out of chaos. We see monasteries grow up around damp [pg 70] caves and dismal huts. We behold Simeon praying among the birds of heaven, and look into the face of the young and handsome Basil, in whom the monastic institution of the East reaches the zenith of its power. ”

“ Forthwith, Simeon going out of the church, went to a neighbouring monastery, governed by one Timothy; and falling down before the gate, he lay five days, neither eating nor drinking. And on the fifth day, the abbot, coming out, asked him, "Whence art thou, my son? What parents hast thou, that thou art so afflicted? Or, what is thy name, lest perchance thou hast done wrong? or, perchance, thou art a slave, and fleest from thy master?" Then the lad answered with tears, "No, master! I long to be a servant of God, and to save my soul. Suffer me to enter the monastery, and send me not away." ”

“ Simeon [Watching the basourah] Silence!
Zuleika's Voice. Heru-Netch-Tef!
Heru [With his hands uplifted; the attitude of worship] Thy slave hears.
Zuleika's Voice. Buy all their wares at their own price.
[Applause]
[Heru turns to Simeon] Heru. Thou—come apart with me, and let us reason.
Simeon. Alas! my lord will get the advantage. In my lord's hands I am but an innocent babe.
Heru. The gods shield me from many such!
[They move out of sight, bargaining]
[Slaves pack the wares] Joseph's Voice [From the pit in a sort of chant]
The Lord my God ”