Shimei in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE

shim'-e-i (shim`i, possibly "hear me (El)" or "(Jah)"; Semeei, Semei): A name of frequent occurrence throughout the Old Testament records, sometimes varying slightly in form in English Versions of the Bible. The King James Version has "Shimi" in Ex 6:17; "Shimhi" in 1 Ch 8:21; "Shimeah" in 2 Sam 21:21. the Revised Version (British and American) has "Shimeites" in Zec 12:13, where the King James Version has "Shimei," and Nu 3:21 for the King James Version "Shimites." English Versions of the Bible has "Shema" in 1 Ch 8:13,21 margin for the "Shimei" of 8:21. In all others of the many occurrences in the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) the form is "Shimei." (1) A family name among the Levites before and after the exile, at least five of whom bore it: (a) Son of Gershon and grandson of Levi (Ex 6:17; Nu 3:18; 1 Ch 6:17; 23:7,10). The text of 1 Chronicles 6 and 23 is corrupt, making difficult the tracing of the various genealogies and the identification of the several Shimeis. Evidently that of 23:9 is a scribe's error for one of the four sons of Ladan or Libni, whose names are given in the preceding verse. (b) An ancestor of Asaph the musician (1 Ch 6:42), possibly the same as (a) above, Jahath the son of South (compare 1 Ch 23:10) being by a copyist's error transposed so as to read as if he were the father of South (c) A descendant of the Merarite branch of the Levites (1 Ch 6:29). (d) One of the 288 trained singers in the service of the sanctuary under Asaph (1 Ch 25:17). (e) One of the Levites who helped to cleanse the Temple in Hezekiah's reformation (2 Ch 29:14). He was a descendant of Heman the musician. Hezekiah afterward appointed him with Conaniah to have chief oversight of "the oblations and the tithes and the dedicated things" which were brought into the chambers of Yahweh's house prepared for them (2 Ch 31:11,12). (f) A Levite who under Ezra put away his foreign wife (Ezr 10:23), "Semeis" in 1 Esdras 9:23...