1 Chronicles 4:24-43
The Family of Simeon (Genesis 46:10)
24 The sons of Simeon were Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul, 25 Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, and Mishma his son. 26 And the sons of Mishma were Hamuel his son, Zacchur his son, and Shimei his son. 27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many children, nor did any of their families multiply as much as the children of Judah.
28 They dwelt at Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, 29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31 Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David. 32 And their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five cities— 33 and all the villages that were around these cities as far as Baal. These were their dwelling places, and they maintained their genealogy: 34 Meshobab, Jamlech, and Joshah the son of Amaziah; 35 Joel, and Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel; 36 Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, and Benaiah; 37 Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah— 38 these mentioned by name were leaders in their families, and their father’s house increased greatly.
39 So they went to the entrance of Gedor, as far as the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks. 40 And they found rich, good pasture, and the land was broad, quiet, and peaceful; for some Hamites formerly lived there.
41 These recorded by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and they attacked their tents and the Meunites who were found there, and utterly destroyed them, as it is to this day. So they dwelt in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks there. 42 Now some of them, five hundred men of the sons of Simeon, went to Mount Seir, having as their captains Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. 43 And they defeated the rest of the Amalekites who had escaped. They have dwelt there to this day.
The legacy of Simeon is recorded for us as we look back to his father’s prophetic account of what would become of them (Genesis 49:5-6, 7) and each other son. His line did not amount to as much as Judah from David as the precursor to the Messiah (Genesis 49:8, 10) as a mighty lion of the tribe of Judah. Instead he is known for his violence when he and his brother Levi slaughtered the men of Shechem in revenge for the defiling of their sister Dinah, for which they inherited no land of their own but were scattered and then absorbed into the Judah as a nondescript people. They did not understand that vengeance is the LORD’s (Deuteronomy 32:35, Psalm 94:1, Hebrews 10:30-31) and chose to overcome evil with evil instead of with good (Romans 12:19, 21); he reaped the whirlwind of that act by being scattered and absorbed into the stronger brother’s territory. This is a lesson for us not only of the end of God’s chosen elect, but also of the consequences of our actions of vengeance instead of showing grace in returning good for evil (Matthew 5:43-44, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, 1 Peter 3:10, 17) as He has done for us in Christ, the Seed of David of the tribe of Judah. Remember Simeon’s legacy for his vengeance and seek to do good to those who do the worst to us and our loved ones as we put retribution (Revelation 6:10) in the hand of God where it belongs to avoid sinning against Him and our brother. Yes, this is a warning for us all who would seek our own vengeance.
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