The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The text specifically notes Shaul as the "son of a Canaanite woman," a detail absent for his brothers. This highlights a breach in the patriarchs' careful separation from Canaanite society, marking Shaul as an anomaly and possibly an early sign of assimilation.
The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jacob's entire family is making the momentous journey from Canaan to Egypt, a move divinely confirmed but still marking a separation from their promised land. As the list of Jacob's descendants begins, the focus zeroes in on Simeon's lineage, specifically mentioning one son, Shaul, by his Canaanite mother. This detail stands out against the other sons, whose mothers are unmentioned, hinting at a significant, perhaps problematic, lineage connection within the tribe.
Why does the Bible specifically mention Shaul's mother was a Canaanite woman, while the mothers of Simeon's other sons are left unmentioned?
This verse isn't just a genealogical list; it's a story within the names. When Moses singles out Shaul as 'the son of a Canaanite woman,' it serves as a significant marker.
A Deliberate Distinction
It highlights a conscious choice by Simeon (or possibly the family tradition) to integrate with the Canaanite people, even if through marriage. The other sons' wives are likely presumed to be from the same Mesopotamian lineage as Jacob's own wives, maintaining a closer connection to Abraham's covenant people.
A Brand of Otherness
This distinction wasn't neutral. Marrying outside the covenant people was something the patriarchs carefully guarded against. While the text doesn't condemn Shaul himself, the specific mention serves as a reminder of the boundaries God had set for His people and the potential spiritual compromises that could arise from intermingling with those who did not share their faith. It’s a subtle but important theological note, indicating a departure from the ideal of maintaining covenant purity through marriage.
Beyond just listing names, what spiritual and theological truths are woven into this seemingly simple genealogy?
This verse, tucked away in a larger narrative of migration, is packed with theological significance. It’s part of God’s meticulous record-keeping, even for a small family unit.
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God's Faithfulness Amidst Imperfection
Despite the complexity and even questionable unions (like Shaul’s parentage), God is faithfully bringing Jacob and his entire household into Egypt. This list of Simeon’s descendants, including variations in their names across different biblical books (like Nemuel for Jemuel, or Jarib for Jachin), shows that God's purposes move forward even through imperfect people and differing records. It underscores His sovereignty – He works through all circumstances and lineage.
The Foundation of a Nation
These names represent the very seeds of a future nation. From these seventy souls (Genesis 46:27), God would multiply Israel into a mighty people. This list, therefore, is not just about who Simeon’s sons were, but about the humble beginnings of the nation God would rescue and establish. It’s a reminder that God often starts His grandest works with seemingly small and ordinary beginnings.
Understand the original words
Kena'anit · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
A term describing the native inhabitants of the land of Canaan, often associated with idolatry and opposition to the covenant community in the biblical narrative.
c. 1700 BC
Famine in Canaan
A severe famine grips the land of Canaan, forcing Jacob and his family to seek sustenance elsewhere. This event sets the stage for their migration to Egypt.
c. 1700 BC— this verse
Jacob's Family Moves to Egypt
Jacob, with all his household, journeys to Egypt, settling in the land of Goshen. This marks the beginning of the Israelites' sojourn in Egypt.
c. 1700 BC
Simeon's Descendants Listed
The text enumerates the sons of Simeon, including Shaul, whose mother was a Canaanite woman. This detail highlights intermarriage and the assimilation of some Canaanite elements within the growing Israelite population.
c. 1700 BC
Israelite Population Growth
The total number of Jacob's descendants who came into Egypt is recorded as seventy. This small number, over time, would grow into a great nation as prophesied.
This passage lists the sons of Simeon, noting slight variations in names compared to Genesis, but importantly, also mentioning Shaul as the son of a Canaanite woman, reinforcing this detail as significant within the lineage.
1 Chronicles 4:24Similar to the Genesis account, this genealogy of Simeon also records the sons, again with variations in names, and further emphasizes the lineage of Shaul, highlighting his Canaanite heritage.
Genesis 38:2This verse introduces Judah taking a wife who was a Canaanite woman, demonstrating that intermarriage with Canaanites was not unprecedented within Jacob's family, even though it was generally discouraged.
Exodus 6:15This verse also lists the sons of Simeon, mirroring the Genesis account and underscoring the importance of these genealogies within the broader narrative of Israel's formation and identity.
calvinGenesis 46:1-34: "And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac."
- Et dixit Deus ad Israel in visi onibus noctis, dixit inquam, Jahacob Jahacob. Ille respondit, Ecce, adsum.
3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
- Et dixit, Ego sum Deus, Deus patris tui: ne timeas descendere in Aegyptum: quia in gentem magnam ponam to ibi…
pooleGenesis 46:10: "And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman."
Ohad is not mentioned in those parallel places, because he was then dead, and that without issue. The son of a Canaanitish woman; which is here mentioned as a brand upon him, and as an intimation that the rest of them, except Judah, married to persons of a better race.
The text specifically notes Shaul as the "son of a Canaanite woman," a detail absent for his brothers. This highlights a breach in the patriarchs' careful separation from Canaanite society, marking Shaul as an anomaly and possibly an early sign of assimilation.
Jacob's entire family is making the momentous journey from Canaan to Egypt, a move divinely confirmed but still marking a separation from their promised land. As the list of Jacob's descendants begins, the focus zeroes in on Simeon's lineage, specifically mentioning one son, Shaul, by his Canaanite mother. This detail stands out against the other sons, whose mothers are unmentioned, hinting at a significant, perhaps problematic, lineage connection within the tribe.
Jacob's entire family is making the momentous journey from Canaan to Egypt, a move divinely confirmed but still marking a separation from their promised land. As the list of Jacob's descendants begins, the focus zeroes in on Simeon's lineage, specifically mentioning one son, Shaul, by his Canaanite mother. This detail stands out against the other sons, whose mothers are unmentioned, hinting at a significant, perhaps problematic, lineage connection within the tribe.
"The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman." — The text specifically notes Shaul as the "son of a Canaanite woman," a detail absent for his brothers. This highlights a breach in the patriarchs' careful separation from Canaanite society, marking S…
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Last reviewed October 2026