Bamidbar 26:12

12 The Bnei Shim’on after their mishpekhot: of Nemuel, the Mishpakhat HaNemueli; of Yamin, the Mishpakhat HaYamini; of Yachin, the Mishpakhat HaYachini;

Bamidbar 26:12 Meaning and Commentary

Ver. 12-14. The sons of Simeon, after their families
This tribe was next numbered, not only because Simeon was next to Reuben by birth, but because his tribe was under the standard of Reuben; two of his sons are a little differently named here than they are in ( Genesis 46:10 ) , there the eldest is called Jemuel, here Nemuel; there the youngest but one is named Zohar, here Zerah; and one of them is here omitted, namely Ohad, perhaps because he died without children, and so no family sprang from him; wherefore the families of Simeon were but five, and the number of them were 22,200; by which it appears there was a very great decrease in this tribe since the last muster, even 37,100 which in some measure is to be accounted for by the great number of this tribe supposed to have died of the plague, on account of fornication and idolatry, made mention of in the preceding chapter; a prince in this tribe having set a bad example, it is probable he was followed in it by many of it, for which great numbers were cut off. Jarchi, from Tanchuma, says, that all the 24,000 that died of the plague was of the tribe of Simeon; and so says the Samaritan Chronicle {o}; but that is not likely.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 Apud Hottinger. ut supra. (Smegma Oriental, l. 1. c. 8. p. 448.)

Bamidbar 26:12 In-Context

10 And ha’aretz opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korach, when that edah died, when the eish devoured 250; and they became as a nes (warning).

11 Notwithstanding, the Bnei Korach died not.

12 The Bnei Shim’on after their mishpekhot: of Nemuel, the Mishpakhat HaNemueli; of Yamin, the Mishpakhat HaYamini; of Yachin, the Mishpakhat HaYachini;

13 Of Zerach, the Mishpakhat HaZarechi; of Shaul, the Mishpakhat HaShauli.

14 These are the Mishpekhot HaShimoni, 22,200.