SIMEONITES

(Simʹe·on·ites).

The descendants of Jacob’s second son Simeon. After about forty years of wandering in the wilderness the male population among the Simeonites who were twenty years old and upward and who were qualified for military service numbered only 22,200, constituting the smallest of the twelve tribes. They were divided into five principal families—the Nemuelites, Jaminites, Jachinites, Zerahites and Shaulites. (Num. 25:14; 26:1, 2, 12-14; Josh. 21:4; 1 Chron. 27:16) If there were any descendants of a sixth son, Ohad, when this second census was taken, they were probably too few in number to be listed as a separate family of their own.—Gen. 46:10; Ex. 6:15.