Shimea - the hearing prayer. (1.) One of David's sons by Bathsheba (1 Chr. 3:5); called also Shammua 1 Chr 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 1 Chr 9:38).

Shimei - famous. (1.) A son of Gershon, and grandson of Levi ( Num. 3:18; 1 Chr. 6:17,1 Chr. 6:29); 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" 2 Sam 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 2:8,1 Kings 2:9). 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 1 Kings 4:18) "the son of Elah."

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

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

(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. 31:12,2 Chr. 31:13).

(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.

Shimhi - famous, a Benjamite (1 Chr. 8:21).

Shimrath - guardian, a Benjamite, one of Shimhi's sons (id.).

Shimri - watchman. (1.) A Simeonite (1 Chr. 4:37).

(2.) The father of one of the "valiant men" of David's armies (1 Chr. 11:45).

(3.) Assisted at the purification of the temple in the time of Hezekiah (2 Chr. 29:13).

Shimrom - watchman, the fourth son of Issachar ( Gen. 46:13; 1 Chr. 7:1; R.V., correctly, "Shimron").

Shimron - watch-post, an ancient city of the Canaanites; with its villages, allotted to Zebulun ( Josh. 19:15); now probably Semunieh, on the northern edge of the plain of Esdraelon, 5 miles west of Nazareth.

Shimron-meron - the same, probably, as Shimron ( Josh. 12:20).

Shimshai - the shining one, or sunny, the secretary of Rehum the chancellor, who took part in opposing the rebuilding of the temple after the Captivity ( Ezra 4:8,Ezra 4:9,Ezra 4:17-23).

Shinab - cooling, the king of Adamah, in the valley of Siddim, who with his confederates was conquered by Chedorlaomer ( Gen. 14:2).

Shinar, The Land of - LXX. and Vulgate "Senaar;" in the inscriptions, "Shumir;" probably identical with Babylonia or Southern Mesopotamia, extending almost to the Persian Gulf. Here the tower of Babel was built ( Gen. 11:1-6), and the city of Babylon. The name occurs later in Jewish history ( Isa. 11:11; Zech. 5:11). Shinar was apparently first peopled by Turanian tribes, who tilled the land and made bricks and built cities. Then tribes of Semites invaded the land and settled in it, and became its rulers. This was followed in course of time by an Elamite invasion; from which the land was finally delivered by Khammurabi, the son of Amarpel ("Amraphel, king of Shinar," Gen. 14:1), who became the founder of the new empire of Chaldea. (See AMRAPHEL.)

Shiphmite - probably the designation of Zabdi, who has charge of David's vineyards (1 Chr. 27:27).

Shiphrah - beauty, one of the Egyptian midwives ( Ex. 1:15).

Shiphtan - judicial, an Ephraimite prince at the time of the division of Canaan ( Num. 34:24).

Ships - early used in foreign commerce by the Phoenicians ( Gen. 49:13). Moses ( Deut. 28:68) and Job ( Deut 9:26) make reference to them, and Balaam speaks of the "ships of Chittim" ( Num. 24:24). Solomon constructed a navy at Ezion-geber by the assistance of Hiram's sailors (1 Kings 9:26-28; 2 Chr. 8:18). Afterwards, Jehoshaphat sought to provide himself with a navy at the same port, but his ships appear to have been wrecked before they set sail (1 Kings 22:48,1 Kings 22:49; 2 Chr. 20:35-37).

In our Lord's time fishermen's boats on the Sea of Galilee were called "ships." Much may be learned regarding the construction of ancient merchant ships and navigation from the record in Acts 27, 28.

Shishak I - =Sheshonk I., king of Egypt. His reign was one of great national success, and a record of his wars and conquests adorns the portico of what are called the "Bubastite kings" at Karnak, the ancient Thebes. Among these conquests is a record of that of Judea. In the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign Shishak came up against the kingdom of Judah with a powerful army. He took the fenced cities and came to Jerusalem. He pillaged the treasures of the temple and of the royal palace, and carried away the shields of gold which Solomon had made (1 Kings 11:40;1 Kings 14:25; 2 Chr. 12:2). (See REHOBOAM.) This expedition of the Egyptian king was undertaken at the instigation of Jeroboam for the purpose of humbling Judah. Hostilities between the two kingdoms still continued; but during Rehoboam's reign there was not again the intervention of a third party.

Shittah-tree - ( Isa. 41:19; R.V., "acacia tree"). Shittah wood was employed in making the various parts of the tabernacle in the wilderness, and must therefore have been indigenous in the desert in which the Israelites wandered. It was the acacia or mimosa (Acacia Nilotica and A. seyal). "The wild acacia (Mimosa Nilotica), under the name of sunt, everywhere represents the seneh, or senna, of the burning bush. A slightly different form of the tree, equally common under the name of seyal, is the ancient 'shittah,' or, as more usually expressed in the plural form, the 'shittim,' of which the tabernacle was made." Stanley's Sinai, etc. ( Ex. 25:10,Ex. 25:13,Ex. 25:23,Ex. 25:28).

Shittim - acacias, also called "Abel-shittim" ( Num. 33:49), a plain or valley in the land of Moab where the Israelites were encamped after their two victories over Sihon and Og, at the close of their desert wanderings, and from which Joshua sent forth two spies (q.v.) "secretly" to "view" the land and Jericho ( Josh. 2:1).

Shoa - opulent, the mountain district lying to the north-east of Babylonia, anciently the land of the Guti, or Kuti, the modern Kurdistan. The plain lying between these mountains and the Tigris was called su-Edina, i.e., "the border of the plain." This name was sometimes shortened into Suti and Su, and has been regarded as = Shoa ( Ezek. 23:23). Some think it denotes a place in Babylon. (See PEKOD.)

Shobab - apostate. (1.) One of David's sons by Bathseheba (2 Sam. 5:14).

(2.) One of the sons of Caleb (1 Chr. 2:18), the son of Hezron.

Shobach - poured out, the "captain of the host of Hadarezer" when he mustered his vassals and tributaries from beyond "the river Euphrates" (2 Sam. 10:15-18); called also Shophach (1 Chr. 19:16).