Dan

Dan

Meaning: "Judge" (Genesis 30:6)

Symbol: Snake (or scales of justice; Genesis 49:16-17)

Stone/Color: Topaz (or beryl) / Color unknown, possibly light green (Exodus 28:20)

Family: Fifth son of Jacob, born to Rachel's handmaiden Bilhah (Genesis 30:1-6)

Size: First Census: 62,700. Second Census: 64,400.

Location: Small portion of land that included Joppa (Tel Aviv today). The tribe failed to conquer the Philistines in the land and migrated to the northernmost part of Canaan (Judges 18).

Jacob's Blessing: "Dan shall judge his people... Dan shall be a serpent by the way" (Genesis 49:16-17).

Moses' Blessing: "Dan is a lion’s whelp; he shall leap from Bashan" (Deuteronomy 33:22)

Notable: The tribe of Dan is reprimanded in the Song of Deborah for not joining in battle (Judges 5:17). Samson was from this tribe (Judges 13:2, 24). King Jeroboam built a pagan temple in Dan (1 Kings 12:29). Amos included Dan in his list of idolaters (Amos 8:14).

Categories: Bible, Twelve Tribes of Israel