Who was Dan in the Bible?

Fifth son of Jacob, and first of Bilhah, Rachel's maid. Gen. 30:6, etc. Little is recorded of him personally: only one son is mentioned in Gen. 46:23. The tribe of Dan was, however, numerous: at the Exodus there were 62,700 fighting men, exceeding all the tribes except Judah; and at the second numbering they had increased to 64,400. Num. 1:39; Num. 26:42-43. Yet when in the land the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountains: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley. Judges 1:34. This showed great want of faith in the DANITES (as they are called in Judges 13:2; Judges 18:1, 11; 1 Chr. 12:35); and Deborah in her song said, 'Why did Dan remain in ships,' when the Lord's enemies were being destroyed?

Their portion fell on the sea-coast between those of Manasseh and Judah. It was small in comparison with their numbers, which occasioned some going north and building the city of Dan, q.v. Dan was not conspicuous among the tribes, but Aholiab, who helped Bezaleel in the work of the tabernacle, was of the tribe, Ex. 31:6; and Samson also.

Then we too often resort to a humanly conceived substitution, as Rachel did in verse 3. Sarah had done the same in giving Abraham her handmaid by whom to have a child. Rachel ought to have known that this did not work out as Sarah planned, but she thought, as Sarah, that the children of Bilhah, her handmaid, would be hers. When a boy was born (vv. 5-6), Rachel said that God had given her a son, and she named him Dan, meaning “judge.” Bilhah also had a second son whom Rachel named Naphthali, meaning “my wrestling,” because of Rachel's wrestling with her sister Leah. All of this struggle is a picture of the struggle of Romans 7, which only stirs up the evil passions of our hearts, rather than subduing them, as we attempt to do. At first sight it may be that people would not discern any spiritual significance of a history like this, and might wonder why the Lord has gone to such pains to record all the details of this. But all scripture is of vital consequence to every believer.

Dan was the first son of Rachel's maid Bilhah. “Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.” Prophetically this brings us to the time when self-government is resumed in Israel. To some degree this has been true since 1948. But it is added that “Dan shall be a serpent by the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider shall fall backward” (v. 17). This prophecy specifically refers to the tribulation period when satanic activity rises to a dreadful height in the proud, deceitful reign of the antichrist in Israel. When we compare this verse with Revelation 7, it seems likely the antichrist will come from the tribe of Dan, for in Revelation 7 Dan is omitted from the 144,000. Well may Jacob add here, “I have waited for Your salvation, O Lord!” Yet even though Dan is missing from the 144,000 sealed in Revelation 7, he will have his place in the blessing of the millennium, for it is plainly declared that he will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

When Jacob blessed his sons he said, "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 biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward." Gen. 49:16-17. This tribe was guilty of setting up very early in the land the idolatry, which continued until the people were carried into captivity. Judges 18:30-31. One naturally associates 'the adder that biteth the heels' with the serpent that would bruise the heel of the seed of the woman. Gen. 3:15. It seems to suggest that the Antichrist will arise out of the tribe of Dan, and this indeed has been the judgement of Christians from the earliest times. Moses said, "Dan is a lion's whelp: he shall leap from Bashan," Deut. 33:22, which may be a prophecy that Dan would do the work of Satan: cf. Ps. 22:12-13. This thought is confirmed by Dan's name being absent from 1 Chr. 2 - 8 (the book that records much of grace and blessing), and being omitted also from the list of tribes from each of which twelve thousand will be sealed in a future day. Rev. 7:3-8. Still God's promises to the twelve tribes will be kept, and the tribe of Dan will have its portion in the land as prophesied in Ezek. 48:1-2, 32.

The portion of land that fell to Dan being found too small, a party of them went far north unto Leshem or Laish, which they took, and destroyed; they built a city there and called it after their father Dan. Joshua 19:47. This is often named as the north border of Palestine; 'from Dan to Beersheba' implying the whole land. It was here that open idolatry was early set up. The city is identified with a few ruins at Tell el Kady, 33 15' N, 35 39' E. The place is visited because one of the sources of the Jordan issues from a spring near by.

The inheritance of Dan was near to the sea-coast, west of Ephraim and Benjamin, and north of Judah. But later, in Judges 18:1 we learn that Dan had not possessed what he was entitled to, so that, after sending spies to the north of the land, who found the Sidonians living in peace without fortifications or armaments, six hundred men from Dan journeyed there and attacked the inhabitants, killing them and burning their city Laish (Judg.18:27-29), then rebuilding the city for themselves, calling it Dan. Thus the tribe of Dan is thereafter referred to as at the extreme north of the land. Laish is the same as Leshem, noted in verse 47, this verse referring to the conquest of Judges 18. Though the area described in verses 41-46 was Dan's proper inheritance, it seems that they retained little possession of this.

Though Dan's place among the tribes as referring to judgment is an honourable one, yet his after history was contrary to the truth of his position. Dan was the first to introduce idolatry publicly in their tribe (Judg.18:30-31). How solemnly this teaches us that, when we are privileged to be in the place of judging for God, we may so assume such authority for ourselves that it amounts to idolatry!

A state like that cannot stand still. It must either be judged, or it will spread. We have been looking at it in connection with a single individual. We will next see how it begins to spread, until it takes in a whole tribe, and that the tribe of Dan. Just as Judah stands for the truth, the basis of all government amongst the people of God, so Dan stands for the execution of government. Dan means judge, and he stands for that in the prophecy of Jacob. "Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel." Most significantly, too, the patriarch foretells the apostasy, of which we are seeing the beginning here.

It is significant that the words "all their," in connection with "inheritance," are in italics; they are not in the original. It really says, "[Their] inheritance had not fallen to them." Practically they had not inherited a place. Here is a people without a portion. As a matter of fact, the tribe of Dan had not taken their inheritance. The Philistines occupied a large portion of it on one side, and they were not able, as we saw, to expel the Amorites, so they were driven up into the mountains, and cramped so closely that they had no enjoyment of their inheritance.

Nevertheless such is the grace of God that in Ezekiel's prophecy of the restoration of the tribes (where it is a question not of service but of mercy) Dan is the first mentioned and provided for — the worst sinner of all (though very appropriately he is the least near to the sanctuary); then at last is fulfilled Jacob's assurance which even their wickedness could not cancel, "Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel." We see in other ways the blending of mercy and judgment. Moses said, "Dan is a lion's whelp: he shall leap from Bashan." He has some of the same characteristics as Judah; and so (while we never get a leader from such a tribe as Reuben's) we find that Dan with all its faults is honoured by having a deliverer called from his sons, when from that tribe strode forth the heroic and stalwart form of Samson, disastrous to the enemies of God in his life, more so in his death: a curious personification of the blended natures of a snake and a lion's whelp,

In Jacob's prophecy (Gen. 49) we read in connection with Dan of Satanic character, the power of evil in manifestation. This can only be met and overcome by Jehovah's salvation, and for this Jacob expresses earnest desire. But despite Dan's evil character the prophetic assurance that he shall judge his people points to restoration and the realization of self-government, as far as the nation is concerned, when the day of the lawless one, the false Messiah, is over — a personage linked with Dan it would seem from this very prophecy. So in Dan's blessing as pronounced by Moses we have suggested the power that overcomes the enemy. His name means "judge," or "judging," and he stands for the spirit of rule which must necessarily be realized through the lesson of self-rule, self-judgment, self-government, and this means the truth applied to the whole man. Little does Dan's history express this, rather is it entirely in contrast to what his character should be. It is this which makes what Jacob yearns for in speaking of him such a necessity — Jehovah's salvation. This alone can meet the condition in which man is found, unable to rule himself (or the creation over which he was set as head at the first), dominated by the evil of his own heart, carried about by every wind of Satanic influence, he shows a character and power like that of the serpent. Self-judgment, self-government alone become possible through submission to another will and power, that of God revealed in Christ. Thus man comes into his true place and dignity — the enemy overcome, mastery through grace secured, the dominion of sin broken as made free by the Son. This is the first step in the cycle of divine blessing and perfection.

Then we too often resort to a humanly conceived substitution, as Rachel did in verse 3. Sarah had done the same in giving Abraham her handmaid by whom to have a child. Rachel ought to have known that this did not work out as Sarah planned, but she thought, as Sarah, that the children of Bilhah, her handmaid, would be hers. When a boy was born (vs.5-6), Rachel said that God had given her a son, and she named him Dan, meaning "judge." Bilhah also had a second son whom Rachel named Naphthali, meaning "my wrestling," because of Rachel's wrestling with her sister Leah. All of this struggle is a picture of the struggle of Romans 7, which only stirs up the evil passions of our hearts, rather than subduing them, as we attempt to do. At first sight it may that people would not discern any spiritual significance of a history like this, and might wonder why the Lord has gone to such pains to record all the details of this. But all scripture is of vital consequence to every believer.

Dan was the first son of Rachel's maid Bilhah. "Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel." Prophetically this brings us to the time when self-government is resumed in Israel. To some degree this has been true since 1948. But it is added that "Dan shall be a serpent by the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider shall fall backward" (v.17) This prophecy specifically refers to the tribulation period when satanic activity rises to a dreadful height in the proud, deceitful reign of the antichrist in Israel. When we compare this verse with Revelation 7, it seems likely the antichrist will come from the tribe of Dan, for in Revelation 7 Dan is omitted from the 144,000. Well may Jacob add here, "I have waited for Your salvation, 0 Lord!" Yet even though Dan is missing from the 144,000 sealed in Revelation 7, he will have his place in the blessing of the millennium, for it is plainly declared that he will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.