Simeon (sources)

Masoretic Text, LXX, DSS, Targumim

Genesis 29:33

MT (NRSV) -- [33] She conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also"; and she named him Simeon.

LXX (NETS) -- And Leia conceived again and bore a second son to Iakob and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has also in addition given me this one too,” and she called his name Symeon.

Targum Pseudo -- Jonathan - And she conceived again, and bare a son. And she said, Because it was heard before the Lord that I was hated, and He gave me this also: and so will be heard before Him the voice of my children when they shall be enslaved in Mizraim. And she called his name Shimeon.

Targum Onkelos -- And she conceived again and bare a son, and she said, Because it was heard before the Lord that I had hatred, and He gave me this also; and she called his name Shemeon.

Genesis 34:25-31

MT (NRSV) -- [13] The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully, because he had defiled their sister Dinah. [14] They said to them, "We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us... [25] On the third day, when they were still in pain, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and came against the city unawares, and killed all the males. [26] They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went away... [30] Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me by making me odious to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites... [31] But they said, "Should our sister be treated like a whore?"

LXX (NETS -- [13] But the sons of Iakob answered Sychem and his father Hemmor with deceit and spoke with them, because they had defiled their sister Dina, [14] and Symeon and Leui, Dina’s brothers, Leia’s sons, said to them, “We will not be able to carry out this matter, to give our sister to a man who has a foreskin, for it is a disgrace to us... [25] Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that the two sons of Iakob, Symeon and Leui, Dina’s brothers, took each one his dagger and entered into the city safely and killed every male. [26] They killed both Hemmor and his son Sychem with a dagger’s edge and took Dina out of Sychem’s house and went away... [30] Then Iakob said to Symeon and Leui, “You have made me hateful so that I am evil to all those inhabiting the land, both among the Chananites and the Pherezites... [31] Nevertheless they said, “But shall they treat our sister like a whore?”

DSS, 1QGen -- And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me by making me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I being few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and attack me, and I shall be destroyed, I and my household." 31 And they said, "Should he treat our sister as a harlot?"

Targum Pseudo-Jonathan -- And it was on the third day, when they were weak from the pain of their circumcision, two of the sons of Jakob, Shimeon and Levi, the brothers of Dinah, took each man his sword, and came upon the city, which was dwelling securely and killed every male. 26 And Hamor and Shekem his son they killed with the edge of the sword; and they took Dinah from the house of Shekem, and went forth. 27 And the rest of the sons of Jakob came to the spoil of the slain, and they sacked the city because they had polluted their sister in the midst of it. 28 Their flocks, and oxen, and asses, and whatever was in the city or in the field they spoiled; and all their wealth and all their little ones they took and spoiled, and all that was in the houses.29 [...] 30 And Jakob said to Shimeon and Levi, You have made my name to go forth as evil among the inhabitants of the land, among the Kenaanites and Phezerites. And I am a people of (small) number, and they will gather together against me, and destroy me and the men of my house. 31 And Shimeon and Levi answered, It would not have been fit to be said in the congregations of Israel that the uncircumcised polluted the virgin, and the worshippers of idols debased the daughter of Jakob: but it is fit that it should be said, The uncircumcised were slain on account of the virgin, and the worshippers of idols on account of the daughter of Jakob. Shekem bar Hamor will not (now) deride us with his words; for as a whorish woman and an outcast who hath no avenger would he have made our sister, if we had not done this thing.

Targum Onkelos -– And it was on the third day, when their pains were strong upon them,that the two sons of Jakob, Shemeon and Levi, the brothers of Dinah, took each man his sword, and came upon the city, which dwelt in security, and slew every male,26 And Hamor and Shekem his son they killed with the edge of the sword. And they brought Dinah out of the house of Shekem, and went. 27 And the sons of Jakob came up to the spoil of the slain, and sacked the town, because they had defiled their sister. 28 Their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and all that was in the city and the field, they took. 29 And all their substance, and all their little ones, and their wives, they captured and spoiled, and all which was in the house. 30 And Jakob said to Shemeon and Levi, You have troubled me, in putting strife between me and the inhabitants of the land, the Kenaanites and the Perrezites, and I a people (few) for number; and they will gather against me, and smite me, and I shall perish, I and the men of my house. 31 And they said, As with an outcast should he deal with our sister?

Genesis 35:23

MT (NRSV) -- [23] The sons of Leah [were] Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

LXX (NETS) -- [23] The sons of Leia [were] Rouben (Iakob’s firstborn), Symeon, Leui, Ioudas, Issachar, Zaboulon.

DSS, 1QGen -- [T]he sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun

Tg Pseudo-Jonathan -- The sons of Leah, the first‑born of Jakob, Reuben, and Shimeon, and Levi, and Jehudah, and Issakar, and Zabulon.

Tg Onkelos -- The sons of Leah, the firstborn of Jakob, Reuben, and Shemeon, and Levi, and Jehudah, and Issakar, and Zebulon.

Genesis 42:24, 36; 43:23

MT (NRSV) -- [24] Then he [i.e. Joseph] returned and spoke to them. And he picked out Simeon and had him bound before their eyes... [36] And their father Jacob said to them, "I am the one you have bereaved of children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All this has happened to me!" ... [43:23] Then he brought Simeon out to them.

LXX (NETS) -- [24] And again he [i.e. Joseph] came to them and spoke to them, and he took Symeon from them and bound him before them... [36] And their father Iakob said to them, “I am the one you have bereaved of children: Ioseph is not, Symeon is not, and you will take Beniamin. All this has come upon me!”... [43:23] And he brought Symeon out to them...

Tg Pseudo-Jonathan -- [24] And he withdrew from them and wept, and returned and, spake with them. And from them he took Shimeon, who had counselled them to kill him, and bound him before them... [36] And Jakob their father said to them, Me have you bereaved! Of Joseph you said, An evil beast hath devoured him; of Shimeon you have said, The king of the land hath bound him; and Benjamin you seek to take away: upon me is the anguish of all of them... [43:23] And he said, Peace to you; be not afraid of my lord. Your God and the God of your fathers gave you treasure in your sacks: your money came to me. And he brought out Shimeon to them.

Tg Onkelos -- [24] And Joseph turned away from them, and wept; and again he came to them, and spoke to them; and he took Symeon from them, and bound him before their eyes... [36] And Jakob their father said to them, Me have you made desolate; Joseph is not, and Shemeon is not (here), and Benjamin you would take away; upon me are all these!... [43:23] And he said, Peace be to you: fear not; your God, and the God of your father, gave you treasure in, your bags; your money came to me. And he brought out Shemeon to them.

Genesis 43:14

MT (RSV) - May God Almighty[a] grant you mercy before the man, that he may send back your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

LXX – And my God give you favour in the sight of the man, and send away your other brother, and Benjamin, for I accordingly as I have been bereaved, am bereaved.

Tg Pseudo-Jonathan - and God the Almighty give you mercies before the man, that he may release to you your other brother, and Benjamin: and I, behold, I am now certified by the Holy Spirit that if I am bereaved of Joseph, I shall also be bereaved of Shimeon and of Benjamin. [Jerusalem And I, behold, if I be not bereaved of my son Joseph, so shall I not add to be bereaved of Shimeon and of Benjamin.]

Tg Onkelos - and God the Almighty give you favour before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And I, when desolated, shall be desolate!

Genesis 43:23

MT (RSV) - He replied, "Rest assured, do not be afraid; your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your sacks for you; I received your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them.

LXX – And he said to them, God deal mercifully with you; be not afraid; your God, and the God of your fathers, has given you treasures in your sacks, and I have enough of your good money. And he brought Symeon out to them.

Tg Pseudo-Jonathan – And he said, Peace to you; be not afraid of my lord. Your God and the God of your fathers gave you treasure in your sacks: your money came to me. And he brought out Shimeon to them.

Tg Onkelos - he said, Peace be to you: fear not; your God, and the God of your father, gave you treasure in, your bags; your money came to me. And he brought out Shemeon to them.

Genesis 46:10

MT (RSV) -- The sons of Simeon: Jemu'el, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanitish woman.

LXX – and the sons of Symeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Aod, and Achin, and Saar, and Saul, the son of a Chananitish woman.

DSS, 1QGen -- The children of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.

Tg Pseudo-Jonathan –- The sons of Shimeon, Jemuel and Jamin, Ochad, Jakin, Sochar and Shaul: he is Zimri, who made the work of the Kenaanites in Shittim.

Tg Onkelos -- And the sons of Sheemon, Jemuel, and Janin, and Ahad, and Jakin, and Zochar, and Shaul, the son of a Kenaanitha.

Genesis 48:5

MT (RSV) -- And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; E'phraim and Manas'seh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.

LXX – Now then thy two sons, who were born to thee in the land of Egypt, before I came to thee into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasse, as Ruben and Symeon they shall be mine.

DSS, 1QGen -- And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon are mine.

Tg Pseudo-Jonathan –- And now, thy two sons who have been born to thee in the land of Mizraim before I came to thee into Mizraim are mine; Ephraim and Menasheh as Reuben and Shimeon shall be reckoned unto me.

Tg Onkelos -- And now thy two sons which were born to thee in the land of Mizraim, before my coming to thee into Mizraim, are mine; Ephraim and Menashe shall be as Reuben and Shimeon before me

Genesis 49:5-7

MT (RSV) -- Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. O my soul, come not into their council; O my spirit, be not joined to their company; for in their anger they slay men, and in their wantonness they hamstring oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

LXX -- Symeon and Levi, brethren, accomplished the injustice of their cutting off. Let not my soul come into their counsel, and let not mine inward parts contend in their conspiracy, for in their wrath they slew men, and in their passion they houghed a bull. Cursed be their wrath, for it was willful, and their anger, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

DSS, 1QGen -- "Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence. 6 Let my soul not come into their council; let my glory not be united with their assembly, for in their anger they killed men, and with pleasure they hamstrung oxen.7 Let their anger be cursed, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will scatter them in Jacob, and disperse them in Israel.

Tg Pseudo-Jonathan -- Shimeon and Levi are brothers of the womb, men who are masters of sharp weapons; they made war from their youth; in the land of their adversary they wrought out the triumphs of war. In their counsels my soul found no pleasure; and in their gathering together at the city of Shekem to destroy it, they were not favourable to my honour; for in their anger they slew kings with princes, and in their wilfulness they sold Joseph their brother, who is compared to the ox. Accursed was the town of shekem when Shimeon and Levi entered to destroy it in their wrath, for it was strong, and in their anger, for it was cruel. And Jakob our father said, If these remain together, no people or kingdom can stand before them. I will divide the tribe of Shimeon, that they may become preachers and teachers of the law in the congregation of Jakob; and I will disperse the tribe of Levi in the houses of instruction for the sons of Israel.

Tg Onkelos –- Shimeon and Levi are brothers; mighty men in the land of their sojourning, they did mightily. My soul was not in their secret; into their company to come I would not have descended from mine honour. For in their anger they slew a slaughter, and in their wilfulness they razed the wall of their enemy. Accursed was their anger, for it was strong, and their wrath, for it was relentless. I will divide them in Jakob, and I will scatter them in Israel.

Exodus 1:1-4

MT (NRSV) -- These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

LXX -- These are the names of the sons of Israel that came into Egypt together with Jacob their father; they came in each with their whole family. 2 Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Judas, 3 Issachar, Zabulon, Benjamin, 4 Dan and Nephthalim, Gad and Aser. 5 But Joseph was in Egypt. And all the souls born of Jacob were seventy-five.

DSS, 1QGen -- These are the names of the sons of Israel, who came to Egypt with Jacob their father; they came each one with his household. 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 and Issachar, and Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

Tg Pseudo-Jonathan -- AND these are the names of the sons of Israel who went into Mizraim with Jakob, each with the men of his house entered in: 2 Reuben, Shimeon, Levi, and Jehudah; 3 Issakar, Zebulon, and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.

Tg Onkelos -- AND these are the names of the sons of Israel who went into Mizraim with Jakob, each with the men of his house entered in: 2 Reuben, Shimeon, Levi, and Jehudah; 3 Issakar, Zebulon, and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.

Exodus 6:15

MT (RSV) - The sons of Simeon: Jemu'el, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon.

LXX - And the sons of Symeon, Jemuel and Jamin, and Aod, and Jachin and Saar, and Saul the son of a Phoenician woman, these are the families of the sons of Symeon.

DSS, 1QGen -- And the sons of Symeon, Jemuel and Jamin, and Aod, and Jachin and Saar, and Saul the son of a Phoenician woman, these are the families of the sons of Symeon. (Exo 6:15 LXE)

Tg Onkelos -- And the sons of Shimeon, Yemuel and Yamin and Achad and Yakin and Zochar and Shaul the son of a Kenaanitha; these are the progeny of Shimeon.

Tg Pseudo-Jonathan -- And the sons of Shimeon, Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jakin, and Sochar, and Shaul (he is Zimri, who yielded himself unto fornication, as among the Kenaanaee); these are the race of Shimeon.

1 Chronicles 2:1

RSV -- These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Is'sachar, Zeb'ulun,

LXX -- These are the names of the sons of Israel; 2 Ruben, Symeon, Levi, Juda, Issachar, Zabulon, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Nephthali, Gad, Aser.

Apocrypha

Judith 9:1-2

At the very time when the evening incense was being offered in the house of God in Jerusalem, Judith cried out to the Lord with a loud voice, and said, 2 "O Lord God of my ancestor Simeon, to whom you gave a sword to take revenge on those strangers who had torn off a virgin's clothing to defile her, and exposed her thighs to put her to shame, and polluted her womb to disgrace her; for you said, 'It shall not be done'-- yet they did it.

4 Maccabees 2:18-20

For, as I have said, the temperate mind is able to get the better of the emotions, to correct some, and to render others powerless. 19 Why else did Jacob, our most wise father, censure the households of Simeon and Levi for their irrational slaughter of the entire tribe of the Shechemites, saying, "Cursed be their anger"? 20 For if reason could not control anger, he would not have spoken thus.

Pseudepigrapha

Testament of Simeon

T. Simeon 1:1-2 -- 1 The copy of the words of Simeon, the things which he spake to his sons before he died, in the 2 hundred and twentieth year of his life, at which time Joseph, his brother, died. For when Simeon was sick , his sons came to visit him, and he strengthened himself and sat up and kissed them, and said:--

T. Simeon 2:1-14 -- Hearken, my children, to Simeon your father, And I will declare unto you what things I have in my heart. 2 I was born of Jacob as my father's second son; And my mother Leah called me Simeon, Because the Lord had heard her prayer. 3 Moreover, I became strong exceedingly; I shrank from no achievement, Nor was I afraid of ought. 4 For my heart was hard, And my liver was immovable, And my bowels without compassion. 5, 6 Because valour also has been given from the Most High to men in soul and body. For in the time of my youth I was jealous in many things of Joseph, because my father loved him beyond 7 all. And I set my mind against him to destroy him, because the prince of deceit sent forth the spirit of jealousy and blinded my mind, so that I regarded him not as a brother, nor did I spare even 8 Jacob my father. But his God and the God of his fathers sent forth His angel, and delivered him 9 out of my hands. For when I went to Shechem to bring ointment for the flocks, and Reuben to Dothan, where were our necessaries and all our stores, Judah my brother sold him to the Ishmaelites. 10 And when Reuben heard these things he was grieved, for he wished to restore him to his father. 11 But on hearing this I was exceedingly wroth against Judah in that he let him go away alive, and 12 for five months I continued wrathful against him. But the Lord restrained me, and withheld from 13 me the power of my hands; for my right hand was half withered for seven days. And I knew, my children, that because of Joseph this had befallen me, and I repented and wept; and I besought the Lord God that my hand might be restored, and that I might hold aloof from all pollution and envy 14 and from all folly. For I knew that I had devised an evil thing before the Lord and Jacob my father, on account of Joseph my brother, in that I envied him.

T. Simeon 3:1-6 -- 1 And now, my children, hearken unto me and beware of the spirit of deceit and envy. For envy ruleth over the whole mind of a man, and suffereth him neither to eat nor to drink, nor to do any 3 good thing. But it ever suggesteth (to him) to destroy him that he envieth; and so long as he that 4 is envied flourisheth, he that envieth fadeth away. Two years therefore I afflicted my soul with fasting in the fear of the Lord, and I learnt that deliverance from envy cometh by the fear of God. 5 For if a man flee to the Lord, the evil spirit runneth away from him, and his mind is lightened. 6 And henceforward he sympathiseth with him whom he envied and forgiveth those who are hostile to him, and so ceaseth from his envy.

T. Simeon 4:1-9 -- 1 And my father asked Concerning me, because he saw that I was sad; and I said unto him, I am 2 pained in my liver. For I mourned more than they all, because I was guilty of the selling of Joseph. 3 And when we went down into Egypt, and he bound me as a spy, I knew that I was suffering justly, 4 and I grieved not. Now Joseph was a good man, and had the Spirit of God within him: being compassionate and pitiful, he bore no malice against me; but loved me even as the rest of his 5 brethren. Beware, therefore, my children, of all jealousy and envy, and walk in singleness of soul and with good heart, keeping in mind Joseph your father's brother, that God may give you also grace and glory, and blessing upon your heads, even as ye saw in 6 Joseph's case. All his days he reproached us not concerning this thing, but loved us as his own 7 soul, and beyond his own sons glorified us, and gave us riches, and cattle and fruits. Do ye also, my children, love each one his brother with a good heart and the spirit of envy will withdraw from 8 you. For this maketh savage the soul and destroyeth the body; it causeth anger and war in the mind, and stirreth up unto deeds of blood, and leadeth the mind into frenzy, and suffereth not prudence to act in men; moreover, it taketh away sleep, [and causeth tumult to the soul and trembling to the body]. 9 For even in sleep some malicious jealousy, deluding him, gnaweth and with wicked spirits disturbeth his soul, and causeth the body to be troubled, and waketh the mind from sleep in confusion; and as a wicked and poisonous spirit, so appeareth it to men.

T. Simeon 5:1-6 -- 1 Therefore was Joseph comely in appearance and goodly to look upon, because no wickedness 2 dwelt in him; for some of the trouble of the spirit the face manifesteth. And now, my children, Make your hearts good before the Lord, And your ways straight before men. And ye shall find grace before the Lord and men. 3 Beware, therefore, of fornication, For fornication is mother of all evils, Separating from God, and bringing near to Beliar. 4 For I have seen it inscribed in the writing of Enoch that your sons shall be corrupted in fornication, 5 and shall do harm to the sons of Levi with the sword. But they shall not be able to withstand Levi; 6 for he shall wage the war of the Lord, and shall conquer all your hosts. And they shall be few in number, divided in Levi and Judah, and there shall be none of you for sovereignty, even as also our father prophesied in his blessings.

T. Simeon 6:1-7 -- 1,2 Behold I have told you all things, that I may be acquitted of your sin. Now, if ye remove from you your envy and all stiff-neckedness, As a rose shall my bones flourish in Israel, And as a lily my flesh in Jacob, And my odour shall be as the odour of Libanus; And as cedars shall holy ones be multiplied from me forever, And their branches shall stretch afar off. 3 Then shall perish the seed of Canaan, And a remnant shall not be unto Amalek, And all the Cappadocians shall perish, And all the Hittites shall be utterly destroyed. 4 Then shall fail the land of Ham, And all the people shall perish. Then shall all the earth rest from trouble, And all the world under heaven from war. 5 Then the Mighty One of Israel shall glorify Shem, For the Lord God shall appear on earth, And Himself save men. 6 Then shall all the spirits of deceit be given to be trodden under foot, And men shall rule over wicked spirits. 7 Then shall I arise in joy, And will bless the Most High because of his marvellous works, [Because God hath taken a body and eaten with men and saved men].

T. Simeon 7:1-3 -- 1 And now, my children, obey Levi and Judah, and be not lifted up against these two tribes, for 2 from them shall arise unto you the salvation of God. For the Lord shall raise up from Levi as it were a High-priest, and from Judah as it were a King [God and man], He shall save all [the Gentiles 3 and] the race of Israel. Therefore I give you these commands that ye also may command your children that they may observe them throughout their generations.

T. Simeon 8:1-4 -- 1 And when Simeon had made an end of commanding his sons, he slept with his fathers, being an 2 hundred and twenty years old. And they laid him in a wooden coffin, to take up his bones to 3 Hebron. And they took them up secretly during a war of the Egyptians. For the bones of Joseph 4 the Egyptians guarded in the tombs of the kings. For the sorcerers told them; that on the departure of the bones of Joseph there should be throughout all the land darkness and gloom, and an exceeding great plague to the Egyptians, so that even with a lamp a man should not recognize his brother.

T. Simeon 9:1-2 -- 1, 2 And the sons of Simeon bewailed their father. And they were in Egypt until the day of their departure by the hand of Moses.