Genesis 49:16
New International Version
“Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

New Living Translation
“Dan will govern his people, like any other tribe in Israel.

English Standard Version
“Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

Berean Standard Bible
Dan shall provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

King James Bible
Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.

New King James Version
“Dan shall judge his people As one of the tribes of Israel.

New American Standard Bible
“Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel.

NASB 1995
“Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel.

NASB 1977
“Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel.

Legacy Standard Bible
“Dan shall render justice to his people, As one of the tribes of Israel.

Amplified Bible
“Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel.

Christian Standard Bible
Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

American Standard Version
Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel.

Contemporary English Version
Dan, you are the tribe that will bring justice to Israel.

English Revised Version
Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"[Dan] will hand down decisions for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

Good News Translation
"Dan will be a ruler for his people. They will be like the other tribes of Israel.

International Standard Version
"Dan will judge his people as one of Israel's tribes.

Majority Standard Bible
Dan shall provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

NET Bible
Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

New Heart English Bible
Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

Webster's Bible Translation
Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.

World English Bible
“Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Dan judges his people, "" As one of the tribes of Israel;

Young's Literal Translation
Dan doth judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel;

Smith's Literal Translation
Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Dan shall judge his people like an- other tribe in Israel.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Dan will judge his people just like any other tribe in Israel.

New American Bible
“Dan shall achieve justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

New Revised Standard Version
Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Dan shall judge his people as if the tribes of Israel were one.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Dan shall judge his people, as one tribe too in Israel.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob Blesses His Sons
15He saw that his resting place was good and that his land was pleasant, so he bent his shoulder to the burden and submitted to labor as a servant. 16Dan shall provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. 17He will be a snake by the road, a viper in the path that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward.…

Cross References
Judges 18:1-31
In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. / So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night. / And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?” ...

Judges 13:2-25
Now there was a man from Zorah named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, whose wife was barren and had no children. / The angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “It is true that you are barren and have no children; but you will conceive and give birth to a son. / Now please be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, and not to eat anything unclean. ...

Judges 5:16-18
Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision. / Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger by the ships? Asher stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors. / Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.

Judges 15:20
And Samson judged Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines.

Judges 16:31
Then Samson’s brothers and his father’s family came down, carried him back, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. And he had judged Israel twenty years.

Deuteronomy 33:22
Concerning Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s cub, leaping out of Bashan.”

Judges 14:1-20
One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman. / So he returned and told his father and mother, “I have seen a daughter of the Philistines in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.” / But his father and mother replied, “Can’t you find a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me, for she is pleasing to my eyes.” ...

Judges 17:1-6
Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim / said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have the silver here with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD!” / And when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I wholly dedicate the silver to the LORD for my son’s benefit, to make a graven image and a molten idol. Therefore I will now return it to you.” ...

Judges 16:1-3
One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute and went in to spend the night with her. / When the Gazites heard that Samson was there, they surrounded that place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They were quiet throughout the night, saying, “Let us wait until dawn; then we will kill him.” / But Samson lay there only until midnight, when he got up, took hold of the doors of the city gate and both gateposts, and pulled them out, bar and all. Then he put them on his shoulders and took them to the top of the mountain overlooking Hebron.

Judges 16:4-22
Some time later, Samson fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. / The lords of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice him and find out the source of his great strength and how we can overpower him to tie him up and subdue him. Then each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.” / So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me the source of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.” ...

Judges 16:23-30
Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They rejoiced and said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands.” / And when the people saw him, they praised their god, saying: “Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy who destroyed our land and multiplied our dead.” / And while their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison to entertain them. And they stationed him between the pillars. ...

Revelation 7:5
From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

Matthew 19:28
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Luke 22:30
so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Hebrews 11:32
And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,


Treasury of Scripture

Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.

Genesis 30:6
And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.

Numbers 10:25
And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, which was the rereward of all the camps throughout their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

Deuteronomy 33:22
And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.

Jump to Previous
Dan Israel Judge Justice Provide Tribes
Jump to Next
Dan Israel Judge Justice Provide Tribes
Genesis 49
1. Jacob calls his sons to bless them.
3. Their blessing in particular.
29. He charges them about his burial.
33. He dies.














Dan
The name "Dan" comes from the Hebrew root "דָּן" (dan), meaning "to judge" or "to rule." Dan was the fifth son of Jacob and the first son of Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant. The tribe of Dan is often associated with judgment and leadership, reflecting the meaning of the name. In the context of the tribes of Israel, Dan's role is significant as it highlights the importance of justice and governance within the community of God's people. Historically, the tribe of Dan settled in a region that was strategically important, often serving as a buffer against external threats, which further underscores their role in providing justice and protection.

shall provide justice
The phrase "shall provide justice" indicates a future role or responsibility. The Hebrew word for justice, "מִשְׁפָּט" (mishpat), encompasses not only legal judgments but also fairness, righteousness, and the maintenance of social order. This prophetic declaration by Jacob over his son Dan suggests that the tribe will play a crucial role in upholding God's standards of justice among the Israelites. This aligns with the broader biblical theme that God desires His people to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8).

for his people
The term "his people" refers to the descendants of Dan, as well as the broader community of Israel. This phrase emphasizes the communal aspect of justice, where the actions of one tribe can impact the entire nation. In the biblical narrative, the well-being of the community is often tied to the faithfulness and righteousness of its leaders and members. Dan's responsibility to provide justice is not just for his own tribe but for the collective good of all Israel, highlighting the interconnectedness of the tribes and their shared destiny.

as one of the tribes of Israel
This phrase situates Dan within the larger context of the twelve tribes of Israel, each with its unique role and contribution to the nation. The mention of "one of the tribes of Israel" underscores the unity and diversity within the people of God. Each tribe had specific blessings and responsibilities, and together they formed a complete and functioning society under God's covenant. Dan's role in providing justice is a reminder of the diverse gifts and callings within the body of believers, each contributing to the fulfillment of God's purposes.

(16, 17) Dan.--In passing on to the sons of the handmaids it was necessary to assure them of an independent rank among their brethren. The four tribes descended from them did always hold an inferior position, but Jacob by his words to Dan prevented their ever becoming subject states. Playing, then, upon the name Dan (a judge), he says that he shall judge his people as a distinct and separate tribe, possessed of all those rights of self-government and tribal independence which this rank implied. It seems also that Dan's symbol was a serpent, and from this Jacob prophesies that though too weak a tribe to take the foremost place in war, yet that Dan should not be without military importance; and this was especially the case in the days of Samson. The word rendered adder is more exactly the arrow-snake, which lies in wait in the "path," a narrow track, and springs upon its prey as it passes. A horse bitten in this way would rear and throw its rider, who would then be in the power of his assailant.

Verses 16-18. - Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. With a play upon his name, the firstborn son of Rachel's handmaid, Bilhah, is described as one who should occupy an important place and exercise highly beneficial functions in the future commonwealth, enjoying independence and self-government as one of the tribes of Israel (Herder, and others), and performing the office of an administrator among the People not of his own tribe merely, but also of all Israel, a prediction pointing perhaps to the transient supremacy enjoyed by Dan over the other tribes in the days of Samson (Onkelos, et alii). Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. The שְׁפִיפון, from the Syriac שֶׁפַפ, to glide (Gesenins), from שׁוּפ, to sting (Kalisch), שָׁפַפ, to bite (Furst), was the horned serpent, cerastes, of the color of sand, and marked with white and black spots, which was exceedingly dangerous to passers-by, its bite being poisonous and fatal. The allusion has been almost unanimously explained as pointing to Samson (Judges 16:28), but the tribe in general appears not to have been entirely destitute of the treacherous and formidable characteristics here depicted (Judges 18:27). "It is certainly observable that the first introduction of idolatry in Israel is ascribed to the tribe of Dan (Judges 18.), and that in the numbering of the tribes in Revelation 7. the name of Dan is omitted. From these or other causes many of the Fathers (Irenaeus, Ambrose, Augustine, Theodoret) were led to believe that Antichrist should spring from the tribe of Dan" ('Speaker's Commentary'). I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord. To discover in this beautiful and tender ejaculation of the dying patriarch an apprehensive sigh lest his strength should be exhausted before his benediction was completed (Tuch), or a prayer that God might speedily effect his painless dissolution (Hengstenberg), or a device for dividing his benedictions, and separating the group of Judah from that of Joseph (Lange), is surely to fail in seizing its hidden spirit. It is doubtful if even the usual interpretation, that Jacob here expresses his hope and expectation that God would help and succor his descendants (Calvin, Rosenmüller, Keil, Kalisch, Murphy, and others), exhausts its rich significance. That, speaking in their name, he does anticipate the deliverance of Jehovah" In thy help do I hope, O Jehovah! - is apparent; but nothing surely can be more natural than to suppose that the dying patriarch, at the moment when he was formally transmitting to his children the theocratic blessing, had his thoughts lifted up towards that great salvation, of which all these material and temporal benedictions pronounced upon his sons were but the shadows and the types, and of which perhaps he had been incidentally reminded by the mention of the biting serpent, to which he had just likened Dan ('Speaker's Commentary'). It is noticeable that this is the first occurrence of the term salvation (יְשׁוּעָח, from the root יָשַׁע, unused in Kal, to be roomy or spacious, hence in the Hiphil to set free or deliver).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Dan
דָּ֖ן (dān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1835: Dan -- 'judge', a son of Jacob, also a place in Northern Israel

shall provide justice
יָדִ֣ין (yā·ḏîn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1777: A straight course, sail direct

for his people
עַמּ֑וֹ (‘am·mōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

as one
כְּאַחַ֖ד (kə·’a·ḥaḏ)
Preposition-k | Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 259: United, one, first

of the tribes
שִׁבְטֵ֥י (šiḇ·ṭê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7626: Rod, staff, club, scepter, tribe

of Israel.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc


Links
Genesis 49:16 NIV
Genesis 49:16 NLT
Genesis 49:16 ESV
Genesis 49:16 NASB
Genesis 49:16 KJV

Genesis 49:16 BibleApps.com
Genesis 49:16 Biblia Paralela
Genesis 49:16 Chinese Bible
Genesis 49:16 French Bible
Genesis 49:16 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Genesis 49:16 Dan will judge his people as one (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 49:15
Top of Page
Top of Page