What is the…
Tribe of Simeon

This tribe conists of descendants of Simeon, son of Jacob (Israel). The tribe was “divided and scattered” according to the prediction in Genesis 49:5-7. They gradually dwindled in number, and sank into a position of insignificance among the other tribes. They decreased in the wilderness by about two-thirds (compare Numbers 1:23; 26:14). Moses pronounces no blessing on this tribe. It is passed by in silence (Deuteronomy 33).

Territory of the Tribe of Simeon

Map of the ancient Israelite tribal territories in the Promised Land. CC BY-SA 3.0
Simeon is shaded in gold and located with the orange Tribe of Judah.

This map shows the approximate location and boundaries of the 12 Israelite tribes, based on records in the Book of Joshua. This, and more, was The Promised Land given by God to the descendants of Israel, the grandson of Abraham. The full extent of the Canaanite land promised was never acquired, due to the repeated disobedience of the Israelites during the their commanded conquest of this very idolatrous, heathen land, after the Exodus from slavery in Egypt and the following 40 years of Divine punishment wandering in the wilderness, before Joshua and the living descendants were allowed to enter the land, following the death of Moses.

This tribe received as their portion a part of the territory already allotted to Judah (Joshua 19:1-9). It lay in the southwest of the land, with Judah on the east and Dan on the north; but whether it was a compact territory or not cannot be determined.

There are few subsequent mentions of this tribe (1 Chronicles 4:24-43). Like the Tribe of Reuben on the east of the Jordan River, this tribe had little influence on the history of Israel.

Prophecy in the book of Revelation

Revelation 7:4–8 mentions that people from the 12 tribes of Israel will be sealed by an angel of God. Godly descendants of Simeon will be a part of the 144-thousand Israelite evangelists for Christ during The Great Tribulation.

And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:

of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;
of tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

Also see

Brother tribes

  1. Asher
  2. Benjamin
  3. Dan
  4. Ephraim
  5. Gad
  6. Issachar
  7. Judah
  8. Levi
  9. Manasseh
  10. Naphtali
  11. Reuben
  12. Simeon
  13. Zebulun
Article Version: July 27, 2021