Shittah Tree, Shittim
(Heb. shittah, the thorny), is without doubt correctly referred to some species of Acacia, of which three or four kinds occur in the Bible lands. The woof of this tree—perhaps the Acacia seyal is more definitely signified—was extensively employed in the construction of the tabernacle. See Exod 25,26,36,37,38 . (This tree is sometimes three or four feet in diameter (Tristram). The wood is close-grained and hard, of a fine orange-brown color, and admirably adapted to cabinet work.—ED.) The A. seyal is very common in some parts of the peninsula of Sinai. It yields the well-known substance called gum arabic, which is obtained by incisions in the bark, but it is impossible to say whether the ancient Jews were acquainted with its use. From the tangled thicket into which the stem of this tree expands, Stanley well remarks that hence is to be traced the use of the plural form of the Heb. noun shittim, the singular number occurring once only in the Bible. This acacia must not be confounded with the tree (Robinia pseudo-acacia) popularly known by this name in England, which is a North American plant, and belongs to a different genus and suborder. The true acacias belong to the order Leguminosae, sub-order Mimoseae .
Shittim
(the acacias), the place of Israel’s encampment between the conquest of the transjordanic highlands and the passage of the Jordan. ( Numbers 25:1 ; 33:49 ; Joshua 2:1 ; 3:1 ; Micah 6:5 ) Its full name appears to be given in the first of these passage—Abel has-Shittim, “the meadow, or moist place, of the acacias.” it was “in the Arboth-moab, by Jordan-Jericho,” ( Numb 22:1 ; 26:3 ; 31:12 ; 33:48 , 49 That is to say, it was in the Arabah or Jordan valley, opposite Jericho.
Simeon
(heard). The second of Jacob’s son by Leah. His birth is recorded in ( Genesis 29:33 ) The first group of Jacob’s children consists, besides Simeon, of the three other sons of Leah—Reuben, Levi, Judah. Besides the massacre of Shechem, ( Genesis 34:25 ) the only personal incident related of Simeon is the fact of his being selected by Joseph as the hostage for the appearance of Benjamin. ( Genesis 42:19 , 24 , 36 ; 43:23 ) The chief families of the tribe of Simeon are mentioned int he lists of ( Genesis 46:10 ) At the census of Sinai Simeon numbered 59,300 fighting men. ( Numbers 1:23 ) When the second census was taken, at Shittim, the numbers had fallen to 22,200, and it was the weakest of all the tribes. This was no doubt partly due to the recent mortality following the idolatry of Peor, but there must have been other causes which have escaped mention. To Simeon was allotted a portion of land out of the territory of Judah, on its southern frontier, which contained eighteen or nineteen cities, with their villages, spread round the venerable well of Beersheba. ( Joshua 19:1-8 ; 1 Chronicles 4:28-33 ) Of these places, with the help of Judah, the Simeonites possessed themselves, ( Judges 1:3 , 17 ) and there they were found, doubtless by Joab, residing in the reign of David. ( 1 Chronicles 4:31 ) What part of the tribe took at the time of the division of the kingdom we are not told. The only thing which can be interpreted into a trace of its having taken any part with the northern kingdom are the two casual notices of ( 2 Chronicles 15:9 ) and 2Chr 34:6 Which appear to imply the presence of Simeonites there in the reigns of Asa and Josiah. On the other hand the definite statement of ( 1 Chronicles 4:41-43 ) proves that at that time there were still some of them remaining in the original seat of the tribe, and actuated by all the warlike, lawless spirit of their progenitor. A devout Jew, inspired by the Holy Ghost, who met the parents of our Lord in the temple, took him in his arms, and gave thanks for what he saw and knew of Jesus. ( Luke 2:25-35 ) There was a Simeon who succeeded his father Hillel as president of the Sanhedrin about A.D. 13, and whose son Gamaliel was the Pharisee at whose feet St. Paul was brought up. ( Acts 22:3 ) It has been conjectured that he may be the Simeon of St. Luke.