Bible Strands
Zechariah 12:13
the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Zechariah delivers a prophetic declaration that the land will mourn, specifying that each clan will do so separately. The passage lists the clan of the house of Levi and their wives alongside the clan of Shimei and their wives.
The words — מִשְׁפַּ֤חַת (mish.pachat) translates literally as the clan, while לְ/בָ֑ד (le.vad) means to alone, marking each group as distinct in the mourning.
The thread — The clan of Levi is named in Exodus 6:16, which lists his sons Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Shimei appears in 2 Samuel 16:5 as a man from the family of the house of Saul.
Why it lands — The text states that mourning will occur clan by clan, naming Levi and Shimei alongside David and Nathan. It asks the reader to recognize that corporate identity and lineage will be the focal point of the land's collective response.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;
Cross-references
- Exodus 6:16 These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.
- Numbers 3:1 This is the account of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
- 2 Samuel 16:5 As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the family of the house of Saul was just coming out. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and as he approached, he kept yelling out curses.
- 1 Kings 1:8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s mighty men would not join Adonijah.
- 1 Chronicles 3:19 The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei. The children of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah, their sister Shelomith,
- 1 Chronicles 4:27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children, so their whole clan did not become as numerous as the sons of Judah.
- 1 Chronicles 23:7 The Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.
- 1 Chronicles 23:10 And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei—four in all.
- 2 Chronicles 29:14 Jehiel and Shimei from the Hemanites; and Shemaiah and Uzziel from the Jeduthunites.
- Malachi 2:4 Then you will know that I have sent you this commandment so that My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the LORD of Hosts.