Judges 18:29

29 They named the city Dan in honor of their ancestor Dan, Israel's son. Originally, the city was called Laish.

Judges 18:29 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 18:29

And they called the name of the city Dan
The name of their tribe, and to show that though they were at the furthest part of the land northward, and at such a distance from their tribe, which lay to the southwest, yet they belonged to it:

after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel;
one of the twelve sons of Jacob or Israel:

however, the name of the city was Laish at first;
which signifies a "lion", and might be so called from its being infested with lions, which might come from the mountain of Lebanon, near to which it was, and whither Dan, as a lion's whelp, leaped, ( Deuteronomy 33:22 ) and now the prophecy had its accomplishment. This place was also called Leshem, ( Joshua 19:47 ) and it is remarkable that Leshem is the name of the precious stone in the high priest's breastplate, on which the name of Dan was engraved, which was done many years before this city fell into the hands of the Danites, though that might portend it.

Judges 18:29 In-Context

27 The people of Dan took what Micah had made and the man who had become his priest and went to the city of Laish. They attacked a peaceful and secure people, killed them all with swords, and burned their city.

28 There was no one to rescue them because their city was far from Sidon and totally independent. The city was in the valley that belonged to Beth Rehob. The people of Dan rebuilt the city and lived in it.

29 They named the city Dan in honor of their ancestor Dan, Israel's son. Originally, the city was called Laish.

30 The people of Dan set up the carved idol for themselves. Jonathan (son of Gershom and grandson of Moses) and his descendants were priests for Dan's tribe until the people living in that land were taken captive.

31 So they set up for themselves the carved idol Micah had made. It stayed there the whole time the house of God was at Shiloh.