Genesis 49:16

16 "Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Isra'el.

Genesis 49:16 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 49:16

Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
] There is an elegant paronomasia, or an allusion to the name of Dan in those words, which signifies to judge, and the sense of them is, there should be heads, rulers, and judges of it, as the other tribes had; and this is the rather mentioned of him, because he is the first of the children of concubine wives as yet taken notice of; and what is here said of him is also to be understood of the rest of the sons of the concubines; for the meaning is not, that a judge should arise out of him as out of the other tribes, that should judge all Israel, restraining it to Samson, who was of this tribe, as the Targums and Jarchi; for no such judge did arise out of all the tribes of Israel; nor was Samson such a judge of Israel as David, who, according to Jarchi, is one of the tribes of Israel, namely, of Judah; for David did not judge as Samson, nor Samson as David, their form of government being different.

Genesis 49:16 In-Context

14 "Yissakhar is a strong donkey lying down in the sheep sheds.
15 On seeing how good is settled life and how pleasant the country, he will bend his back to the burden, and submit to forced labor.
16 "Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Isra'el.
17 Dan will be a viper on the road, a horned snake in the path that bites the horse's heels so its rider falls off backward.
18 I wait for your deliverance, ADONAI.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.