Reference: Dan (1)
Fausets
("judge".) Jacob's fourth son, Bilhah's (maid of Rachel) first (Ge 30:6), own brother to Naphtali. The female corresponding name is Dinah ("judgment".) Rachel's exclamation originated the name, "God hath judged me," i.e. vindicated my cause by giving me a son. Jacob on his deathbed said, "Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel" (Ge 49:16), i.e., having the full tribal standing as much as Leah's descendants. (See CONCUBINE .) The judgeship of Samson may also be a fulfillment of Jacob's words (Jg 15:20). Hushim (the plural implying a family) or Shuham alone is mentioned as Dan's son (Ge 46:23); but at the Exodus the tribe stood second of Israel in numbers (Nu 1:39), Nu 1:54,700; 64,400 at the close of the wilderness sojourn (Nu 26:43).
It occupied the N. side of the tabernacle, the hindmost in the march (Nu 2:25,31; 10:25), with Asher and Naphtali. Of Dan was Aholiab, associated with Bezaleel, in the construction of the tabernacle (Ex 31:6, etc.). Its allotment was on the coast W. of Judah and Benjamin, S. of Ephraim, N. of Simeon; small, but most choice, extending from Joppa on the N. to Ekron on the S., 14 miles long, part of the shephelah (or vale sweeping along the whole coast, the N. part of which is Sharon). The powerful Philistines near them drove them partly toward the mountainous region bordering on Judah, so as to encroach on Judah's towns, Zorah and Eshtaol and Ir-shemesh or Beth-shemesh; compare Jos 15:33 with Jos 19:41. The Amorites previously "would not suffer them to come down into the valley" (Jg 1:34).
Hence, Samson resides at Mahaneh-Dan (the camp of Dan) in the hills, between Zorah and Eshtaol, behind Kirjath Jearim, and thence "comes down" to the vineyards of Timnath and the valley of Sorek. There too was his final resting place (5/type/mkjv'>Jg 13:25; 14:1,5,19; 16:4,31; 18:12). The Phoenician king Esmunazar made this rich plain his prize long after, as an inscription records if rightly deciphered. In Jos 19:47," the coast of Dan went out (too little)' for them," rather "went out from them" (Hebrew meehem), i.e. to a distance from their original allotment, namely, to Leshem or Laish, (which 600 of their warriors armed went forth from Zorah and Eshtaol to seize on, in the far N.) and named Dan after their father, at the W. source of the Jordan River, four miles W. of Paneas.
Thrice stress is laid on the 600 being "appointed with weapons of war" (Jg 18:11,16-17), for the Philistines deprived all Israelites they could of arms, so that we find Samson using a donkey's jawbone as his only weapon (1Sa 13:19-21). Hence, as being so occupied with the Philistine warfare, Danites were not among Barak's and Deborah's helpers against Sisera (Judges 4; Jg 5:17, where allusion occurs to Dan's possession of the only Israelite port, "Why did Dan remain in ships?".) The N. Danites of Laish (named by them Dan) carried with them Micah the Ephraimite's Levitical family priest (Judges 17; 18) and graven image, which they worshipped" until the day of the captivity of the land" (Jg 18:30-31), i.e. until the Israelite reverse whereby the Philistines carried away the ark; what aggravated their idolatry was it was at the very time "that the house of God was in Shiloh," within their reach.
This probably suggested the city Dan to Jeroboam as one of the two seats of the golden calf worship (1Ki 12:29). Dan's genealogy is not given in 1 Chronicles 2-12. Its unsettled state audits connection with the far N. Dan, the headquarters of idolatry, may have caused the loss of the genealogy. Dan is omitted among the sealed in Revelation 7 as having been the first to lapse into idolatry, for which cause Ephraim also is omitted (Judges 17; Ho 4:17) and Joseph substituted. Arethas of the 10th century suggests that Dan's omission is because Antichrist is to be from him, or else to be his tool (compare Ge 49:17; Jer 8:16; Am 8:14), as there was a Judas among the twelve.
Jacob's prophecy, "Dan shall be a serpent in the way, ... that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward," alludes primarily to Dan's local position in front of the royal Judah; so ready to meet the horse, forbidden in Israelite warfare, with the watchword "I have waited for Thy salvation," and to fall unawares on the advancing enemy by the way Dan's mode of warfare is illustrated in its attack on the men of Laish," careless, quiet, and secure," as also in their great judge Samson's mode of attack, watching for an opportunity and striking an unlooked for, stealthy, sudden blow. Mainly perhaps, by the Spirit, he has in view the old serpent which was to "bruise the heel" of the promised Savior (Ge 3:15), but ultimately to have its head bruised by Him; therefore he adds the desire of all believers, "I have waited for Thy salvation," which abrupt exclamation is thus clearly accounted for.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He will bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He will bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.
And Rachel said, God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son. Therefore she called his name Dan.
And Rachel said, God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son. Therefore she called his name Dan.
Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that bites the horse's heels, so that its rider shall fall backward.
Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that bites the horse's heels, so that its rider shall fall backward.
And behold, I have given to him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the wise-hearted, so that they may make all that I have commanded you:
And behold, I have given to him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the wise-hearted, so that they may make all that I have commanded you:
those numbered of them, of the tribe of Dan, were sixty-two thousand, seven hundred.
those numbered of them, of the tribe of Dan, were sixty-two thousand, seven hundred.
And the sons of Israel did according to all that Jehovah commanded Moses. So they did.
And the sons of Israel did according to all that Jehovah commanded Moses. So they did.
The banner of the camp of Dan shall be on the north side of their armies. And the ruler of the sons of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
The banner of the camp of Dan shall be on the north side of their armies. And the ruler of the sons of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
All those who were numbered in the camp of Dan were a hundred fifty-seven thousand, six hundred. They shall go last with their banners.
All those who were numbered in the camp of Dan were a hundred fifty-seven thousand, six hundred. They shall go last with their banners.
And the standard of the camp of the sons of Dan set forward, the rear guard of all the camps throughout their army. And over his army was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
And the standard of the camp of the sons of Dan set forward, the rear guard of all the camps throughout their army. And over his army was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
All the families of the Shuhamites, by their numbered ones, sixty-four thousand, four hundred.
All the families of the Shuhamites, by their numbered ones, sixty-four thousand, four hundred.
And the border of the sons of Dan came out too little for them. And the sons of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and lived in it. And they called Leshem Dan, after the name of their father Dan.
And the border of the sons of Dan came out too little for them. And the sons of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and lived in it. And they called Leshem Dan, after the name of their father Dan.
And the Amorites forced the sons of Dan into the mountain. For they would not allow them to come down to the valley.
And the Amorites forced the sons of Dan into the mountain. For they would not allow them to come down to the valley.
Gilead stayed beyond Jordan. And why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the seashore and remained in his havens.
Gilead stayed beyond Jordan. And why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the seashore and remained in his havens.
And the Spirit of Jehovah began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
And the Spirit of Jehovah began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
And Samson and his father and his mother went down to Timnath. And they came to the vineyards of Timnath. And, behold, a young lion roared to meet him.
And Samson and his father and his mother went down to Timnath. And they came to the vineyards of Timnath. And, behold, a young lion roared to meet him.
And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave changes of garments to them who told what the riddle meant. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave changes of garments to them who told what the riddle meant. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
And it happened afterwards, he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
And it happened afterwards, he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
Then his brothers and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying-place of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.
Then his brothers and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying-place of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.
And six hundred men of the family of the Danites moved from there, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, girded with weapons of war.
And six hundred men of the family of the Danites moved from there, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, girded with weapons of war. And they went up and pitched in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah. Therefore, they called that place A Camp of Dan to this day. Behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim.
And they went up and pitched in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah. Therefore, they called that place A Camp of Dan to this day. Behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim.
And the six hundred men of the sons of Dan, girded with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate.
And the six hundred men of the sons of Dan, girded with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate. And the five men who went up to spy out the land came in there, and took the engraved image and the ephod and the household gods, and the molten image. And the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men who were dressed with weapons of war.
And the five men who went up to spy out the land came in there, and took the engraved image and the ephod and the household gods, and the molten image. And the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men who were dressed with weapons of war.
And the sons of Dan set up the engraved image. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
And the sons of Dan set up the engraved image. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. And they set up Micah's engraved image for themselves, the image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
And they set up Micah's engraved image for themselves, the image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
And there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel. For the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.
And there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel. For the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears. But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, each man to sharpen his plowshare, and his mattock, and his axe, and his coulter.
But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, each man to sharpen his plowshare, and his mattock, and his axe, and his coulter. And there was the charge of a pim for the plowshares, and for the mattocks, and for the three-pronged forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the plowshares.
And there was the charge of a pim for the plowshares, and for the mattocks, and for the three-pronged forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the plowshares.
The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan; the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his stallions. For they have come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those who live in it.
The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan; the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his stallions. For they have come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those who live in it.
Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.
Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.
They who swear by the sin of Samaria and say, As your god lives, O Dan; and, As the way of Beer-sheba lives; even they shall fall and never rise up again.
They who swear by the sin of Samaria and say, As your god lives, O Dan; and, As the way of Beer-sheba lives; even they shall fall and never rise up again.