Who was Dan in the Bible?

Dan was the fifth son of the patriarch Jacob, born to Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant (Genesis 30:6). He became the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel, which bore his name.

What was the significance of the Tribe of Dan?

The Tribe of Dan was one of the twelve tribes of Israel, receiving a territorial allotment in the Promised Land (Joshua 19:40-48). However, the tribe is later noted for idolatry and failing to fully conquer its land (Judges 18).

What was Jacob's prophecy about Dan?

In his final blessing, Jacob prophesied that Dan would provide justice for his people, but also compared him to a serpent (Genesis 49:16-17). This foreshadowed the tribe's mixed legacy of both judges and idolatry.

Dan

Old TestamentPatriarchsMaleSon

Dan was the fifth son of Jacob and the founder of the Israelite tribe bearing his name. (Gen.30.6; 35.25; 46.23; 49.16,17; 1Ch.2.2)

Dan

Biography

Dan was the fifth son of Jacob, born to Bilhah, the maidservant of Rachel (Genesis 30:6). When Rachel, who had been barren, saw Bilhah conceive, she declared, "God has vindicated me", hence the name Dan, meaning "judge" or "he who judges." Dan appears modestly in the patriarchal narratives, being among the brothers involved in the sale of Joseph into Egypt. He became the patriarch of one of Israel's twelve tribes. In Jacob's final blessing (Genesis 49:16-17), Dan is compared to a serpent by the roadside, a horse-biting viper, imagery that has generated much interpretive discussion, perhaps alluding to the tribe's cunning or its future role in judging Israel. The tribe of Dan eventually settled in the far north and fell into serious idolatry (Judges 18).

Significance

Dan's place in the twelve tribes of Israel carries structural and theological importance. As a son of Jacob through a concubine, he nonetheless received full tribal status, underscoring that God's covenant promises to Jacob encompassed all his sons equally. Jacob's prophetic blessing over Dan introduces the concept of judgment and deliverance, themes later embodied by Samson, Israel's most famous Danite judge (Judges 13-16). The tribe of Dan also figures prominently in eschatological discussions, as it is conspicuously absent from the list of sealed tribes in Revelation 7, prompting centuries of theological speculation about its fate and the consequences of persistent idolatry.

Verse Appearances (6)

Genesis

Genesis 30:6 Genesis 35:25 Genesis 46:23 Genesis 49:16 Genesis 49:17

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:2

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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