What is the meaning of 1 Chronicles 4:27? Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters • “Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters” (1 Chronicles 4:27) records an unmistakable marker of God’s tangible blessing on a single man within the tribe of Simeon. • Scripture consistently treats numerous offspring as evidence of divine favor—see God’s original mandate in Genesis 1:28, His promise to Jacob in Genesis 35:11, and the celebration of children in Psalm 127:3-5. • By naming exact numbers, the chronicler affirms real history, reminding readers that God keeps track of individual families (Luke 12:7) and delights in fulfilling His word literally. but his brothers did not have many children • The contrast—“but his brothers did not have many children”—highlights God’s sovereignty even within one household. While Shimei’s branch flourished, the rest of the brothers experienced limited growth, underscoring truths found in passages such as 1 Samuel 2:7 and Psalm 113:9, where the Lord alone grants or withholds increase. • The text invites recognition that fruitfulness is never guaranteed by human effort alone; rather, as Deuteronomy 7:13 points out, it is ultimately the Lord who blesses the fruit of the womb. • This disparity also prevents any assumption that tribal destiny is automatic; each family remains accountable to walk in obedience (Deuteronomy 28:1-4). so their whole clan did not become as numerous as the sons of Judah • The final clause ties personal realities to wider tribal outcomes. Because the majority of Simeonite families stayed small, “their whole clan did not become as numerous as the sons of Judah.” • Judah’s growth had been prophetically announced in Genesis 49:8-10, and census data confirm it: Numbers 1:27 lists Judah at 74,600, while Simeon totals only 59,300 (Numbers 1:23) and later plummets to 22,200 (Numbers 26:14). • This size gap fulfills Jacob’s earlier warning that Simeon would be scattered (Genesis 49:5-7). Indeed, when the land is allotted, Simeon receives towns inside Judah’s territory (Joshua 19:1-9), and by the monarchy many Simeonites have blended into Judah (2 Chronicles 15:9). • Through these details the chronicler reinforces that God’s prophetic word stands unchanged over centuries; population trends, borders, and tribal identities all unfold exactly as spoken. summary 1 Chronicles 4:27 records literal family numbers to spotlight God’s precise oversight. Shimei’s exceptional fruitfulness contrasts with his brothers’ limited offspring, and that difference affects the tribe’s long-term size, demonstrating both divine sovereignty and the steady fulfillment of earlier prophecies concerning Simeon and Judah. God’s word proves accurate down to census figures, and His purposes advance through the ordinary realities of births, family lines, and tribal destinies. |
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