1 Chronicles 4:27 kjv
And 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.
1 Chronicles 4:27 nkjv
Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many children, nor did any of their families multiply as much as the children of Judah.
1 Chronicles 4:27 niv
Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children; so their entire clan did not become as numerous as the people of Judah.
1 Chronicles 4:27 esv
Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many children, nor did all their clan multiply like the men of Judah.
1 Chronicles 4:27 nlt
Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but none of his brothers had large families. So Simeon's tribe never grew as large as the tribe of Judah.
1 Chronicles 4 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:28 | God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply..." | Initial divine command and blessing of procreation. |
| Gen 9:1 | And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply..." | Renewed command for multiplication after the flood. |
| Gen 12:2 | And I will make of you a great nation... | Promise to Abraham concerning his numerous descendants. |
| Gen 13:16 | I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count... | Assurance of countless offspring for Abraham. |
| Gen 17:6 | I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make of you nations, and kings... | Covenantal promise of abundant progeny to Abraham. |
| Gen 22:17 | I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars... | Divine oath to Abraham, affirming multitudinous descendants. |
| Gen 26:4 | I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all... | God's reaffirmation of the multiplication promise to Isaac. |
| Gen 28:3 | God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you... | Isaac's blessing to Jacob for abundant descendants. |
| Gen 35:11 | God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply... | God's renewed promise to Jacob concerning many offspring. |
| Ex 1:7 | But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied... | Fulfillment of the promise as Israel proliferates in Egypt. |
| Lev 26:9 | For I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and multiply you... | God's promise of fertility and growth for obedience. |
| Deut 7:13 | He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit... | Blessing for faithfulness, including increased offspring. |
| Psa 107:38 | He blesses them, and they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish. | Divine favor leading to prosperity and growth. |
| Psa 127:3 | Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. | Children are a divine gift and blessing. |
| Psa 128:3-4 | Your wife will be like a fruitful vine... your children like olive shoots... | Blessing on those who fear the Lord, including abundant children. |
| Jer 29:6 | Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons... multiply there... | Exhortation to multiply even during exile. |
| Isa 49:20 | The children of which you were bereaved will yet say in your ears, 'The place is too cramped for me...' | Prophecy of abundant offspring for Zion, overflowing its bounds. |
| Gen 49:5-7 | Simeon and Levi are brothers... I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. | Jacob's prophecy foreshadowing Simeon's diminished status and dispersion. |
| Num 1:23 | Their registered men of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300. | Census showing Simeon's initial population at Sinai. |
| Num 26:14 | These are the clans of the Simeonites; those registered were 22,200. | Census after the plague, showing significant decline in Simeon's numbers. |
| Josh 19:1 | ...their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the people of Judah. | Simeon's dependent land allocation within Judah's territory. |
| Judg 1:3 | Judah said to Simeon his brother, "Come up with me into the territory... " | Simeon's reliance on Judah, reflecting their closer relationship or weakness. |
| Deut 33: Not explicitly mentioned among the tribes Moses blesses with land inheritance. | Moses' blessing lists many tribes, but Simeon's exclusion is often noted by scholars. | |
| Gen 49:8-12 | Judah, your brothers shall praise you... The scepter shall not depart from Judah... | Jacob's blessing prophesying Judah's future preeminence and kingship. |
| Num 2:9 | ...the total number for the camp of Judah: 74,600. | Census confirming Judah as the largest and most prominent tribe. |
| Neh 7:5 | I found the book of the genealogy of those who had come up in the first return... | The importance of genealogical records for identifying true lineage after exile. |
| Matt 1:1 | The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. | Genealogical record demonstrating Christ's lineage through Judah and David. |
1 Chronicles 4 verses
1 Chronicles 4 27 Meaning
The verse states that Shimei, a descendant from the tribe of Simeon, had a remarkably large family with sixteen sons and six daughters. This individual prolificacy is immediately contrasted with the overall situation of his kinsmen, who had few children. Furthermore, the verse emphasizes that the entire tribe of Simeon did not experience the same degree of multiplication and growth as the tribe of Judah, highlighting a significant demographic and divinely ordained difference between the two tribes.
1 Chronicles 4 27 Context
1 Chronicles 4:27 is nestled within the extensive genealogies that open the book of Chronicles (chapters 1-9). This particular chapter details the descendants of Judah (vv. 1-23) and Simeon (vv. 24-43), placing Simeon's record directly after Judah's, reflecting their close geographical proximity in the land of Canaan, where Simeon's inheritance lay within Judah's larger territory. The Chronicler, writing for a post-exilic audience, emphasizes these genealogies not merely as lists of names but as critical links to covenantal promises, particularly those related to the legitimacy of the priestly lines, the tribe of Judah, and the Davidic monarchy. The detailed mention of family sizes serves to illustrate the blessing of God and, in this case, a perceived lack thereof for a particular tribe, while simultaneously affirming Judah's prosperity and preeminence, fulfilling ancient prophecies about tribal destinies.
1 Chronicles 4 27 Word analysis
- And Shimei: In Hebrew, שִׁמְעִי (Shim'i), meaning "my renown" or "he has heard." Here, a specific individual in the Simeonite lineage. His personal fruitfulness is highlighted to contrast with the broader tribal trend.
- had sixteen sons and six daughters: A remarkably large family in any age, symbolizing blessing, strength, and the continuation of the family line. This specific detail emphasizes Shimei's personal blessing despite the tribal narrative.
- but his brothers had not many children: The Hebrew for "not many" is לֹא־רַבּוּ (lo-rabbu), meaning "they did not multiply." This immediately creates a sharp contrast, indicating a general trend of limited progeny among Shimei's close kin, or within his immediate clan.
- nor did all their family multiply: This expands the scope from Shimei's brothers to the entire tribe of Simeon ("all their family"). The Hebrew verb for "multiply" is רָבָה (rābâh), meaning to become numerous or increase greatly, a term often used in God's promises of multiplication to the patriarchs. The negation here signifies the tribe's failure to meet that standard.
- like the children of Judah: In Hebrew, בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה (bəney Yəhudâ), referring to the descendants of Judah. Judah is set as the benchmark for population growth and blessing, consistently fulfilling the ancient promises and exhibiting robust demographic strength. This comparison underscores Judah's unique position and God's faithfulness to its lineage.
1 Chronicles 4 27 Bonus section
The Chronicler's primary aim in compiling these genealogies was not just historical record-keeping but theological instruction for the returning exiles. This verse, therefore, serves several layers of purpose:
- Validation of Tribal Identity: It validates the continuation of distinct tribal identities, even for smaller tribes like Simeon, within the post-exilic community.
- Divine Sovereignty over Demographics: It illustrates God's active hand in the demographic development of the tribes, showing that population growth (or lack thereof) is not random but part of His overarching plan and reflection of covenant blessing or consequence.
- Elevation of Judah: By explicit comparison, it further elevates the status of the tribe of Judah, the primary focus of the Chronicler, emphasizing its numerical strength and position as the leading tribe of Israel, the one chosen for the Davidic dynasty. This provided encouragement and hope for the returning remnant, reminding them of the continued existence of God's covenant with Judah and David's house.
1 Chronicles 4 27 Commentary
1 Chronicles 4:27, though brief, provides a profound insight into God's providential ordering of the tribes of Israel, echoing ancient prophecies and covenantal truths. The exceptional fertility of an individual Simeonite, Shimei, is highlighted only to be immediately overshadowed by the overarching narrative of the tribe of Simeon itself—they "did not multiply like the children of Judah." This seemingly simple statement carries significant theological weight.
It subtly reflects Jacob's prophecy in Genesis 49:5-7, where Simeon and Levi were prophesied to be "scattered in Israel," a condition borne out in Simeon's history, notably its drastically reduced numbers by the time of the second wilderness census (Numbers 26) and its inheritance being absorbed within Judah's territory (Joshua 19:1-9). In contrast, Judah's robust multiplication consistently fulfilled the promises made to Abraham and Jacob concerning his seed and future dominion (Genesis 49:8-12).
For the post-exilic audience of Chronicles, this verse underscored the faithfulness of God to His Word: not only were the blessings of fruitfulness a reality for the faithful (represented by Judah), but the long-term consequences of tribal actions (as with Simeon, who was involved in the Baal-Peor apostasy) were also evident. It affirmed Judah's central role as the dominant tribe, from which the legitimate royal line, leading ultimately to the Messiah, would spring. The passage also emphasizes that God's overarching plans for the nation operate beyond individual fortunes, though He remains sovereign over all.