Exodus 6:15 is a genealogy. It lists the sons of Simeon, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, and names the family groups that descended from him. Its purpose is to record who belongs to which tribe during the period when Israel was enslaved in Egypt and about to be led out. Moses is the one who recorded this family register, which appears as part of a longer section where God gives Moses and Aaron their commission to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon.
Exodus 6:15 (WEB)
What Exodus 6:15 Means
The verse begins with “The sons of Simeon,” which tells you this is a list of the children of Jacob’s second son by Leah. Simeon’s sons are named one by one: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul. Each name stands for a branch of the family that would grow into a clan within Israel. Reading the names is a little like reading a family tree on the wall of an old home, where every name represents a real household with its own story.
The verse ends with a detail that stands out. Shaul is described as the son of a Canaanite woman, which means that not every son in this line came from an Israelite mother. The text records this plainly and does not hide it. Scripture keeps the family history honest, including the parts that are less tidy, and it still counts Shaul as part of Simeon’s household.
What the verse does not do is give you a message about your own life or promise anything directly to the reader. It is a record of descent. Its value lies in showing that God’s people were real families, traceable and known, and that the story of Israel’s deliverance is rooted in actual people across generations.
The Context of Exodus 6:15
Exodus is traditionally attributed to Moses, and it tells how the descendants of Jacob grew into a nation in Egypt and how God delivered them. Our verse sits inside a passage where Moses expresses doubt about his own ability to speak before Pharaoh, and God responds by restating the commission to bring Israel out of Egypt. Just before verse 15, the genealogy of Reuben is given, and just after it, the families of Levi are listed, leading to Moses and Aaron themselves.
That setting changes how the verse reads. The list of Simeon’s sons is not a random interruption. It is part of a deliberate pattern of tracing the tribes, which prepares the reader to understand who Moses and Aaron are and why their family line matters. The names in verse 15 are part of the groundwork that makes the larger story of exodus and covenant make sense.
Key Phrases in Exodus 6:15
Genesis 46:10
The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.
(WEB)
This verse contains the earlier list of Simeon’s sons as they went down to Egypt with Jacob. Reading it alongside Exodus 6:15 shows how the same family names carry through the book of Genesis into the story of Israel’s life in Egypt, which makes the later genealogy feel like a continuation rather than a new beginning.
Exodus 6:14
These are the heads of their fathers’ houses. The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben.
(WEB)
The verse just before our passage introduces the heads of the fathers’ houses and begins the tribal lists. Reading it first helps you see how the genealogy of Simeon fits into the organized record of Israel’s families, which Moses presents as part of his preparation for leading them out of Egypt.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 6:15
Lord, you know every family line and every name written in your Word. Thank you that you do not overlook the ordinary, the complicated, or the hidden parts of our histories. Help me to trust that you are weaving my life into your larger story, even when I cannot see how the pieces fit. Give me honesty to face my own history and grace to receive others as you do. Amen.
