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Testament of Simeon

One of the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, presenting the last words of Simeon, the second son of Jacob.|||Survives in Greek and Armenian.|||The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, in their extant form, are a Jewish work, probably of the late 2nd century CE, with Christian interpolations.|||Not canonical in any tradition.|||The last words of Simeon. Warns against envy and jealousy, and encourages love and forgiveness.|||Charles, R. H. The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs. A. & C. Black, 1908.|||Kee, H. C. " Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs." In The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 1. Doubleday, 1983.|||Testament of Simeon — Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testament_of_Simeon|Background and scholarly discussion.|||" And Simeon said: Envy is the mother of all evil, and it destroys the soul." — Testament of Simeon 1:1

Collection: Jewish Pseudepigrapha Canon: varies

Canon Status

Not canonical in any tradition.

Date & Provenance

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, in their extant form, are a Jewish work, probably of the late 2nd century CE, with Christian interpolations.

Language & Manuscripts

Survives in Greek and Armenian.

Why It Matters for Study

The last words of Simeon. Warns against envy and jealousy, and encourages love and forgiveness.

" And Simeon said: Envy is the mother of all evil, and it destroys the soul." — Testament of Simeon 1:1

Read the Text & External Resources

Public-domain translations and scholarly databases where the text can be read online or downloaded.

  • " And Simeon said: Envy is the mother of all evil, and it destroys the soul." — Testament of Simeon 1:1 " And Simeon said: Envy is the mother of all evil, and it destroys the soul." — Testament of Simeon 1:1

External links open in a new tab. Sources are chosen for public-domain or open-access availability; always verify edition and translation when citing in academic work.

Further Reading

Charles, R. H. The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs. A. & C. Black, 1908.
Kee, H. C. " Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs." In The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 1. Doubleday, 1983.
Testament of Simeon — Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testament_of_Simeon|Background and scholarly discussion.