1 Chronicles 4:24-33 Meaning: Simeon's Small Tribe
24The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul;
25Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, and Mishma his son.
26The sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son.
27Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers didn’t have many children, and all their family didn’t multiply like the children of Judah.
28They lived at Beersheba, Moladah, Hazarshual,
29at Bilhah, at Ezem, at Tolad,
30at Bethuel, at Hormah, at Ziklag,
31at Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, at Beth Biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities until David’s reign.
32Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan, five cities;
33and all their villages that were around the same cities, as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they kept their genealogy.
24The sons of Simeon were, Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul:
25Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.
26And the sons of Mishma; Hamuel his son, Zacchur his son, Shimei his son.
27And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brethren had not many children, neither did all their family multiply, like to the children of Judah.
28And they dwelt at Beer–sheba, and Moladah, and Hazar–shual,
29And at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,
30And at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,
31And at Beth–marcaboth, and Hazar–susim, and at Beth–birei, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities unto the reign of David.
32And their villages were, Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities:
33And all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baal. These were their habitations, and their genealogy.
24The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul;
25Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.
26And the sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son.
27And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brethren had not many children, neither did all their family multiply like to the children of Judah.
28And they dwelt at Beer-sheba, and Moladah, and Hazar-shual,
29and at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,
30and at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,
31and at Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susim, and at Beth-biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities unto the reign of David.
32And their villages were Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities;
33and all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baal. These were their habitations, and they have their genealogy.
24Sons of Simeon: Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul;
25Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.
26And sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zacchur his son, Shimei his son.
27And to Shimei are sixteen sons and six daughters, and to his brethren there are not many sons, and none of their families have multiplied as much as the sons of Judah.
28And they dwell in Beer-Sheba, and Moladah, and Hazar-Shaul,
29and in Bilhah, and in Ezem, and in Tolad,
30and in Bethuel, and in Hormah, and in Ziklag,
31and in Beth-Marcaboth, and in Hazar-Susim, and in Beth-Birei, and in Shaarim; these are their cities till the reigning of David.
32And their villages are Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities,
33and all their villages that are round about these cities unto Baal; these are their dwellings, and they have their genealogy:
24The sons of Simeon: Nemuel and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, [and] Saul;
25Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.
26And the sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son;
27and Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters. And his brethren had not many sons; neither did all their family multiply like to the sons of Judah.
28And they abode at Beer-sheba, and Moladah, and Hazar-Shual,
29and at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,
30and at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,
31and at Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susim, and at Beth-biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David.
32And their villages were Etam and Ain, Rimmon and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities;
33and all their villages that were round about these cities, as far as Baal. These were their habitations and their genealogical register.
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Simeon's genealogy differ from earlier lists? And what can a small, fading tribe teach us about God's faithfulness?
Context
The book of 1 Chronicles opens with long genealogies, tracing God's people from Adam through the tribes of Israel. By the time we reach chapter 4, the chronicler has moved from Judah to Simeon. Simeon's inheritance sat within Judah's territory, as Joshua 19 records. This list names five sons of Simeon, but earlier lists in Genesis and Exodus include a sixth son, Ohad. Perhaps he died without children. The passage then follows several generations, notes that Shimei had many children but the rest of the clan did not multiply like Judah, and lists the cities where they lived until David's reign. It closes with the note that they kept their genealogy, they took care to record who they were.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words give this passage its quiet weight. First, the verb behind “did not multiply” is hirbu, from rabah, to become many. The tribe of Simeon simply did not increase. Next to Judah's seventy-six thousand five hundred (Numbers 26:22), Simeon numbered only twenty-two thousand two hundred. This is not a moral failure; it is a historical reality recorded without shame.
Second, the word for “they kept their genealogy” is hityachs, from yachas. It means to enroll oneself in a register. The Simeonites actively maintained their family records. They did not let their small numbers erase their identity. They made sure their names were counted.
Third, the phrase “they dwelt” comes from yashav, to sit down, settle, remain. These families found a place and stayed. Even within a larger tribe's shadow, they had homes, villages, and a history.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this passage with different emphases. Some see the curse Jacob pronounced on Simeon in Genesis 49, anger and scattering, fulfilled here in their small numbers and lost cities. Others focus on the historical reality: genealogies often differ because of multiple names for the same person, or because some sons died without heirs. The chronicler is not correcting earlier books but drawing from different records.
Still others note the hopeful detail at the end: “they kept their genealogy.” Whatever their size, this tribe did not disappear from God's book. The passage quietly affirms that God sees every family, not just the largest.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is to think this genealogy is unreliable because it differs from Genesis and Exodus. In fact, ancient lists often used alternate names for the same person, or omitted family lines that died out. The chronicler is not contradicting Moses; he is working with a separate source, likely written during David's reign. The differences do not weaken Scripture; they show that God's Word preserves history from multiple faithful witnesses.
Living This Out
This week, you might feel like a small part of something larger, your family, your church, your workplace. Your contribution may not multiply like Judah's. Simeon's story invites you to keep your own “genealogy.” Write down how God has been faithful to you and your household. Record the names, the prayers, the small graces. You may not be the biggest tribe, but you are seen, known, and remembered by the God who keeps every name.
Main takeaway: God's care extends to the smallest family, and He keeps a faithful record of every life that trusts in Him.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Some families are big, some are small. God loves them all. He knows every name in your family, even if there aren't many of you.
For ages 9, 12
The tribe of Simeon was a small family compared to Judah. But they still kept records of who they were. That mattered to God. When you feel like you don't matter as much as others, remember that God sees you and your family. He writes down your names in His book. You are never forgotten.
Questions People Ask
Why does the list of Simeon's sons here differ from Genesis 46:10?
Genesis lists six sons; 1 Chronicles lists five, omitting Ohad. This may be because Ohad died without children, so his line did not continue. Also, ancient genealogies sometimes used different names for the same person. The chronicler is drawing from a separate source, not correcting Moses.
What does 'until David's reign' mean in verse 31?
Some cities listed were not fully held by Simeon until David became king. For example, Ziklag was given to David by the Philistines and later became part of Judah (1 Samuel 27:6). The phrase may mark when a particular document was written, or when Simeon lost control of those towns.
Why didn't the tribe of Simeon multiply like the tribe of Judah?
Numbers 1 and 26 show that Simeon's population dropped drastically between the two censuses, while Judah's grew. Some see the curse from Jacob (Genesis 49:5-7) as a factor. But the chronicler simply records the fact without assigning blame.
Is it a problem that biblical genealogies don't always match?
No. Ancient writers used different naming conventions, same person with multiple names, or different family lines emphasized. The variations show that the Bible comes from multiple faithful sources, not that it is unreliable. The overall history is consistent and trustworthy.
What does 'they kept their genealogy' mean?
The Hebrew word 'hityachs' means to enroll oneself in a genealogy. Even though Simeon was small, they maintained careful family records. This shows that every tribe, no matter its size, has a place in God's story.
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