Commentary - 1 Chronicles 4:24-33

Bird's-eye view

In this section of the Chronicler's great genealogical project, we turn our attention from the royal line of Judah to the often-overlooked tribe of Simeon. At first glance, this is another one of those passages that modern readers are tempted to skim, a mere list of unpronounceable names and forgotten towns. But to do so is to miss the point entirely. God does not waste ink, and these records are preserved for our instruction. The central theme here is the outworking of Jacob's prophetic curse and blessing in Genesis 49. Simeon, because of his violent anger at Shechem, was prophesied to be scattered in Israel. And here, in the inspired historical record, we see exactly how that came to pass. Simeon's inheritance is not a distinct territory of his own, but rather a collection of cities nestled entirely within the allotment of Judah. Their story is one of diminishment and dependence, a stark contrast to the multiplication and dominion of Judah. Yet, it is also a story of God's faithfulness. Though cursed and scattered, Simeon is not cut off. He is preserved, grafted into the royal tribe from which the Messiah would come. This passage, then, is a potent illustration of covenantal consequences, God's meticulous sovereignty over history, and the profound truth that our only hope lies in being found "in Judah," which is to say, in Christ.

The Chronicler, writing to a post-exilic community seeking to understand its identity, includes this record to demonstrate that God has not forgotten any of His people. Every name is recorded, every settlement is accounted for. The precision of these lists is a testament to the Bible's utter reliability. God is a God of details, and He sovereignly weaves the stories of both prominent and obscure tribes into His one grand narrative of redemption. Simeon's story is a humbling reminder that while sin has real, historical consequences, God's grace operates to preserve a people for Himself, ultimately securing them within the boundaries of the true King's domain.

Outline

Context In 1 Chronicles

First Chronicles begins with a massive genealogy stretching all the way from Adam to the families of the returned exiles. The purpose of this is to root the post-exilic community in the grand sweep of God's redemptive history. They needed to know that they were not an abandoned remnant, but the true continuation of the people of God. The author places a heavy emphasis on the lines of Judah and David (chapters 2-4) because the messianic hope was central to their identity. This section on Simeon comes immediately after the extensive genealogies of Judah. The placement is theologically significant. It structurally and geographically demonstrates Simeon's subordinate relationship to Judah. While Judah's genealogy is detailed and sprawling, highlighting its royal destiny, Simeon's is brief and concludes with the note that their territory was absorbed by the time of David. This serves the Chronicler's purpose of magnifying the Davidic line while faithfully recording the history of all twelve tribes, showing how God's ancient prophecies concerning them were meticulously fulfilled.

Key Issues

Scattered But Not Lost

When Jacob gathered his sons to bless them before his death, his words to Simeon and Levi were not a blessing, but a curse. "Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of cruelty are in their swords... 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" (Gen. 49:5-7). This was the divine verdict on their vigilante massacre of the Shechemites. This prophecy is the essential key to understanding this passage in 1 Chronicles. History is the outworking of God's spoken word.

What we are reading here is not a random collection of names, but the inspired record of God's promise-curse coming to pass. Levi was scattered, but in a blessed way; they were given cities throughout all the tribes to serve as priests, turning their fierce zeal into a consecrated service. Simeon, however, was scattered in a different way. They were scattered into Judah. They received no distinct tribal allotment of their own. Their existence as a people was precarious, dependent, and ultimately absorbed by their stronger brother. This is a sobering lesson in covenantal consequences. Sin, particularly violent and presumptuous sin, has long and lasting effects that ripple through generations. But even in this, we see God's mercy. To be scattered into Judah is to be placed within the orbit of the tribe of the Lion, the tribe of the King. It is better to be a dependent within the king's land than to be a prince in a wasteland.

Verse by Verse Commentary

24 The sons of Simeon were Nemuel and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul;

The Chronicler begins his account of Simeon in the standard genealogical way, by listing the patriarch's immediate sons. These are the heads of the clans. There are slight variations in these names when compared to the lists in Genesis 46 and Numbers 26, which is common in ancient texts and poses no threat to the scripture's integrity. Such variations can be due to scribal updates, alternate spellings, or individuals having more than one name. The point is not the pedantic consistency of spelling, but the historical reality of these clans. God knows His people by name, and He has preserved their memory here as part of His story.

25-26 Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son. The sons of Mishma were Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son.

Here the record narrows its focus, tracing a particular line of descent for a few generations. It appears to be following the line of Shaul, the last-mentioned son in the previous verse. This is a common feature in biblical genealogies; the author will often trace one particular branch of the family that is significant for his purposes. We are not told why this specific line is highlighted, but it leads to a man named Shimei, whose family size will become a point of comparison.

27 Now Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many sons, nor did all their family multiply like the sons of Judah.

This verse is the theological pivot of the entire passage. After listing the names, the Holy Spirit provides the interpretation. First, we see an exception: Shimei was remarkably fruitful, with twenty-two children. God's blessing of fruitfulness can still alight on individuals even within a tribe that is, as a whole, diminishing. But Shimei is the exception that proves the rule. The text immediately contrasts his family with two other groups: his own brothers, who were not fruitful, and the tribe of Judah. The central point is stated plainly: Simeon did not... multiply like the sons of Judah. This is a direct echo of the covenantal blessings and curses. Fruitfulness and multiplication were signs of God's favor (Gen. 1:28). Judah was blessed and multiplying, heading toward its royal destiny. Simeon was languishing, feeling the long-term effects of Jacob's curse. History is not random; it is a moral enterprise under the sovereign hand of God.

28-31 They lived at Beersheba, Moladah, and Hazar-shual, at Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David.

Here we are given a list of the cities Simeon inhabited. If you cross-reference this list with the description of Judah's inheritance in Joshua 15, you find that these are all cities in the southern part of Judah, the Negev. This confirms what Joshua 19:1 states explicitly: "their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Judah." They were tenants, not landowners in their own right. They had no tribal borders, just a collection of towns. The final clause is telling: These were their cities until the reign of David. This suggests that as David consolidated his kingdom and Judah's strength grew, the tribe of Simeon became even more assimilated and lost what little distinct identity it had. Their political existence was fading.

32-33 Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan, five cities; and all their villages that were all around these cities as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they have their genealogy.

The list continues, adding a few more towns and their surrounding villages. The Chronicler is being thorough. He wants the returned exiles to know that their history has been carefully preserved. The final statement, These were their settlements, and they have their genealogy, serves as a concluding summary. It is as if to say, "This is the official record. Though they were scattered and diminished, they were not erased." They maintained their genealogical records because in Israel, your genealogy was your identity. It proved you were part of the covenant people. Even in their weakness, they clung to their place in the family of God. This is a picture of a weak faith holding fast to a strong covenant. Though their numbers dwindled and their cities were absorbed, their names were still written in the book.

Application

The story of Simeon is a potent and two-sided lesson for the Church. On the one hand, it is a stark warning about the consequences of sin. The "fierce anger" of Simeon and Levi had tangible, historical consequences that lasted for centuries. We must not be naive. Our actions, our character, and our covenantal faithfulness (or lack thereof) have real-world effects on our children and our children's children. We cannot sow to the wind and expect not to reap the whirlwind. A church, a family, or a nation that gives itself over to violence, bitterness, and rebellion will find itself diminished and scattered.

But on the other hand, this is a profound story of grace. Simeon's curse was to be scattered, but God in His sovereignty determined that he would be scattered into Judah. His only security was his proximity to the royal, messianic line. And this is a picture of our salvation. By nature, we are all under a curse, scattered and without a true inheritance. Our only hope is to be absorbed into the tribe of the Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ. Our identity must be lost in His. We have no inheritance of our own; our portion is the one He gives us within His kingdom. Like Simeon, we are weak, dependent, and prone to wander. But if we are found in Him, we are secure. Our names are recorded in His genealogy, not because of our strength, but because of His. The lesson of Simeon is that it is far better to be the weakest member of the King's tribe than to be the strongest ruler of a kingdom destined for ruin.