King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
Complete Jewish Bible:
"Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Isra'el.
Berean Standard Bible:
Dan shall provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
American Standard Version:
Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Dan{H1835} shall judge{H1777} his people{H5971}, as one{H259} of the tribes{H7626} of Israel{H3478}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Deuteronomy 33:22
- ¶ And of Dan he said, Dan [is] a lion's whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.
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.
Judges 18:26
- And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they [were] too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.
Judges 18:27
- ¶ And they took [the things] which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people [that were] at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.
Judges 15:20
- And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.
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.
Judges 18:1
- ¶ In those days [there was] no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day [all their] inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.
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Commentary for Genesis 49:16
Genesis 49:16 is part of the larger narrative where Jacob, also known as Israel, is blessing his sons before his death. This verse specifically addresses Dan, one of Jacob's twelve sons and the progenitor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The phrase "Dan shall judge his people" suggests that the tribe of Dan will have a role in governance or judicial leadership among the Israelites.
In the historical context of the ancient Near East, judging often involved more than legal decisions; it encompassed ruling, leading, and delivering justice. The blessing of Dan, though brief, implies that his descendants will play a significant role in the affairs of the nation of Israel. This is particularly interesting because, in the broader biblical narrative, the tribe of Dan is not prominently featured in the judicial or ruling structures of Israel, unlike the tribe of Judah or Levi.
The verse reflects the ancient practice of a dying patriarch bestowing roles and destinies upon his sons, which was a common cultural tradition in the region. These blessings were seen as prophetic and carried weight in the collective consciousness of the Israelites. The theme of Genesis 49:16 is the establishment of tribal identities and roles within the nation of Israel, which would later become more defined with the development of the monarchy and the division of the kingdom into the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah.
It's worth noting that the tribe of Dan's history includes a reputation for idolatry and a failure to fully possess their allotted inheritance in the land of Canaan, as mentioned in the book of Judges. Despite this, the blessing in Genesis 49:16 stands as a testament to the potential and expectation set for the tribe at the very end of Jacob's life.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H1835
There are 64 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דָּן
Transliteration: Dân
Pronunciation: dawn
Description: from דִּין; judge; Dan, one of the sons of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory; likewise a place in Palestine colonized by them; Daniel - Strong's Number: H1777
There are 24 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דִּין
Transliteration: dîyn
Pronunciation: deen
Description: or (Genesis 6:3) דּוּן; a primitive root; a straight course, i.e. sail direct; (come) with a straight course. - Strong's Number: H5971
There are 1654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עַם
Transliteration: ʻam
Pronunciation: am
Description: from עָמַם; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock; folk, men, nation, people. - Strong's Number: H259
There are 801 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶחָד
Transliteration: ʼechâd
Pronunciation: ekh-awd'
Description: a numeral from אָחַד; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first; a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together, - Strong's Number: H7626
There are 178 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שֵׁבֶט
Transliteration: shêbeṭ
Pronunciation: shay'-bet
Description: from an unused root probably meaning to branch off; a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan; [idiom] correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe. - Strong's Number: H3478
There are 2229 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יִשְׂרָאֵל
Transliteration: Yisrâʼêl
Pronunciation: yis-raw-ale'
Description: from שָׂרָה and אֵל; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity; Israel.