The Illustrated Bible Dictionary: Shihor..Shimeon

Shihor..Shimeon


Shihor dark, (1 Chr. 13:5), the southwestern boundary of Canaan, the Wady el-'Arish. (See SIHOR ¯T0003428; NILE.)

Shihor-Libnath black-white, a stream on the borders of Asher, probably the modern Nahr Zerka, i.e., the "crocodile brook," or "blue river", which rises in the Carmel range and enters the Mediterranean a little to the north of Caesarea (Josh. 19:26). Crocodiles are still found in the Zerka. Thomson suspects "that long ages ago some Egyptians, accustomed to worship this ugly creature, settled here (viz., at Caesarea), and brought their gods with them. Once here they would not easily be exterminated" (The Land and the Book).

Shilhim aqueducts, a town in the south of Judah (Josh. 15:32); called also Sharuhen and Shaaraim (19:6).

Shiloah, The waters of =Siloah, (Neh. 3:15) and Siloam (q.v.)

Shiloh generally understood as denoting the Messiah, "the peaceful one," as the word signifies (Gen. 49:10). The Vulgate Version translates the word, "he who is to be sent," in allusion to the Messiah; the Revised Version, margin, "till he come to Shiloh;" and the LXX., "until that which is his shall come to Shiloh." It is most simple and natural to render the expression, as in the Authorized Version, "till Shiloh come," interpreting it as a proper name (comp. Isa. 9:6).

Shiloh, a place of rest, a city of Ephraim, "on the north side of Bethel," from which it is distant 10 miles (Judg. 21:19); the modern Seilun (the Arabic for Shiloh), a "mass of shapeless ruins." Here the tabernacle was set up after the Conquest (Josh. 18:1-10), where it remained during all the period of the judges till the ark fell into the hands of the Philistines. "No spot in Central Palestine could be more secluded than this early sanctuary, nothing more featureless than the landscape around; so featureless, indeed, the landscape and so secluded the spot that from the time of St. Jerome till its re-discovery by Dr. Robinson in 1838 the very site was forgotten and unknown." It is referred to by Jeremiah (7:12, 14; 26:4-9) five hundred years after its destruction.

Shilonite Ahijah the prophet, whose home was in Shiloh, is so designated (1 Kings 11:29; 15:29). The plural form occurs (1 Chr. 9:5), denoting the descendants of Shelah, Judah's youngest son.

Shimea the hearing prayer. (1.) One of David's sons by Bathsheba (1 Chr. 3:5); called also Shammua (14:4).

(2.) A Levite of the family of Merari (1 Chr. 6:30).

(3.) Another Levite of the family of Gershon (1 Chr. 6:39).

(4.) One of David's brothers (1 Sam. 16:9, marg.).

Shimeah (1.) One of David's brothers (2 Sam. 13:3); same as Shimea (4).

(2.) A Benjamite, a descendant of Gibeon (1 Chr. 8:32); called also Shimeam (9:38).

Shimei famous. (1.) A son of Gershon, and grandson of Levi (Num. 3:18; 1 Chr. 6:17, 29); called Shimi in Ex. 6:17.

(2.) A Benjamite of the house of Saul, who stoned and cursed David when he reached Bahurim in his flight from Jerusalem on the occasion of the rebellion of Absalom (2 Sam. 16:5-13). After the defeat of Absalom he "came cringing to the king, humbly suing for pardon, bringing with him a thousand of his Benjamite tribesmen, and representing that he was heartily sorry for his crime, and had hurried the first of all the house of Israel to offer homage to the king" (19:16-23). David forgave him; but on his death-bed he gave Solomon special instructions regarding Shimei, of whose fidelity he seems to have been in doubt (1 Kings 2:8,9). He was put to death at the command of Solomon, because he had violated his word by leaving Jerusalem and going to Gath to recover two of his servants who had escaped (36-46).

(3.) One of David's mighty men who refused to acknowledge Adonijah as David's successor (1 Kings 1:8). He is probably the same person who is called elsewhere (4:18) "the son of Elah."

(4.) A son of Pedaiah, the brother of Zerubbabel (1 Chr. 3:19).

(5.) A Simeonite (1 Chr. 4:26, 27).

(6.) A Reubenite (1 Chr. 5:4).

(7.) A Levite of the family of Gershon (1 Chr. 6:42).

(8.) A Ramathite who was "over the vineyards" of David (1 Chr. 27:27).

(9.) One of the sons of Heman, who assisted in the purification of the temple (2 Chr. 29:14).

(10.) A Levite (2 Chr. 31:12, 13).

(11.) Another Levite (Ezra 10:23). "The family of Shimei" (Zech. 12:13; R.V., "the family of the Shimeites") were the descendants of Shimei (1).

Shimeon hearkening. Ezra 10:31.

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