Judges 18:29

29 They renamed the city Dan, after their ancestor Dan who had been one of Israel's sons; but in fact, the original name of the city was 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 Danites took along the things that Micah had made, as well as the priest who had been with him, and came to Laish, to a people who were undisturbed and secure. They killed the people and burned down the city.

28 No one was there to rescue them because the city was far away from Sidon and had no dealings with anyone else. It was in the Beth-rehob Valley. They rebuilt the city and settled in it.

29 They renamed the city Dan, after their ancestor Dan who had been one of Israel's sons; but in fact, the original name of the city was Laish.

30 The Danites set up the sculpted image for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom and grandson of Moses, and his sons became priests for the Danite tribe until the land went into exile.

31 They kept for themselves the sculpted image that Micah had made throughout the whole time that God's sanctuary was in Shiloh.