The Tribe of Simeon, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, traces its lineage to Simeon, the second son of Jacob and Leah. As the Israelites departed from Egypt, the tribe's strength and numbers were significant, reflecting its role within the nascent nation of Israel.

Census and Population

Upon the Exodus from Egypt, the tribe of Simeon was counted among the Israelites in the wilderness. According to the Book of Numbers, the initial census taken at Mount Sinai recorded the number of Simeonite men aged twenty and older, able to go to war, as 59,300 (Numbers 1:22-23). This figure highlights the tribe's considerable size and potential military strength during the early stages of the wilderness journey.

Role and Position in the Camp

The tribe of Simeon was positioned strategically within the Israelite camp. As the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness, the tribes were organized into groups, each with a specific place around the Tabernacle. Simeon was part of the camp of Reuben, alongside the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and they were stationed on the south side of the Tabernacle (Numbers 2:10-16). This arrangement underscores the tribe's integration into the broader community and its role in the collective defense and movement of the Israelites.

Challenges and Decline

Despite its initial strength, the tribe of Simeon faced challenges that led to a decline in numbers. A subsequent census, taken near the end of the wilderness period, recorded a significant decrease in the tribe's population. The number of Simeonite men able to go to war had fallen to 22,200 (Numbers 26:14). This decline may be attributed to various factors, including the consequences of sin and rebellion, as seen in the incident at Peor, where many Israelites, including members of the tribe of Simeon, were involved in idolatry and immorality (Numbers 25:1-9).

Inheritance and Territory

Upon entering the Promised Land, the tribe of Simeon received its inheritance within the territory of Judah. This allocation is noted in the Book of Joshua, where it is recorded that the Simeonites were given cities and surrounding villages within the larger allotment of Judah (Joshua 19:1-9). This arrangement reflects both the tribe's reduced numbers and the close relationship between Simeon and Judah.

Legacy

The legacy of the tribe of Simeon is marked by its early strength and subsequent challenges. While its numbers diminished over time, the tribe's initial contribution to the Israelite community during the Exodus remains a testament to its role in the unfolding narrative of God's chosen people.Numbers 1:22,23
Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Numbers 2:13
And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... isolated districts, and by thus restricting each tribe to a ... the river makes a sudden
drop on leaving the lake ... arrested, as if to gather fresh strength for its ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

Scriptural Poems; Being Several Portions of Scripture Digested ...
... dwelt a man, His name Manoah, of the tribe of Dan ... remember me, I pray, This once
give strength, that I ... of my children have bereaved me, Joseph and Simeon now do ...
/.../scriptural poems being several portions.htm

How Joshua, the Commander of the Hebrews, Made War with The
... by long sieges, both on account of the strength of their ... The lot of Simeon, which
was the second, included that ... Now when the tribe of Reuben, and that of Gad ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 1 how joshua the.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength." From this ... common
foe, for we know that the people of Judah aided the tribe of Simeon in the ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

The Power of Assyria at Its Zenith; Esarhaddon and Assur-Bani-Pal
... The Treres were probably the predominating tribe among the ... border to hasten his attack
on Egypt (673 BC ... having issued with honour from this trial of strength. ...
/.../chapter iithe power of assyria 2.htm

The Prophet Amos.
... inasmuch as, after the expulsion of the tribe of Levi ... taken to us horns by our own
strength?" The people ... God as appearing on some altar, leaving it undetermined ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet amos.htm

Ancestors of the Blessed virgin
... her mother Ismeria was of the tribe of Benjamin ... a rabbinic book, claiming descent
from Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai ... presumably Heli-yah) would mean My strength is the ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/i ancestors of the blessed.htm

What does the Bible say about the virgin Mary? | GotQuestions.org

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