Simeon was the second son born to Jacob by his wife Leah. Though she was convinced that her son’s birth would win Jacob’s affection, in the end her son Simeon revealed a violent streak that endangered the entire family.
When his sister, Dinah, was raped by a neighboring Hivite named Shechem, Simeon was furious. Perhaps just as outrageous to him as the original offense was the fact that his father, Jacob, did nothing in response.
The writer of Genesis seemed sympathetic to Simeon and his brothers’ reaction, calling Shechem’s crime a
“disgraceful thing … that should not be done” (Genesis 34:7)
Simeon along with Reuben, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun—were Dinah’s full brothers. So when Shechem brazenly asked for Dinah’s hand in marriage, the brothers devised a cunning scheme. They demanded Shechem and his fellow Hivites circumcise themselves.
Three days later, while they were still writhing in pain, Simeon and Levi led the slaughter. Simeon’s only other significant contribution to the story in Genesis was as a hostage in Egypt. When Joseph sent his brothers home to fetch Benjamin, Simeon was detained, kept back as collateral to ensure the brothers’ return.
After that, Simeon faded into obscurity—literally. Just as his father, Jacob, predicted on his deathbed, Simeon’s descendants were scattered, their allotment in the Promised Land being surrounded on all sides by Judah.
The sons of Simeon had at least one fleeting moment of glory. In the waning days of the southern kingdom—during the rule of Hezekiah —the Simeonites waged assaults against a number of Israel’s enemies, including the dreaded Amalekites .
After the exile, however, the tribe of Simeon was never again mentioned by name.
