Judges 18:29

29 and the name of the city was called Dan, by the name of their father (after the name of their father), whom Israel had begat, the which city was called Laish before.

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 Forsooth six hundred men took the priest, and the things which we before-said, and came into Laish to the people resting and secure; and they smited them by the sharpness of sword, and betook the city to burning, (And the six hundred men took the priest, and all the things which we spoke of, and came into Laish to the people there, who were secure and at rest, yea, without a care in the world; and they struck them down with their sharp swords, and burned down the city,)

28 while no man utterly gave help (to them), for they dwelled far from Sidon, and had not anything of fellowship and cause with any men. And the city was set in the country(side) of Bethrehob; the which city Dan builded again, and dwelled therein; (while utterly no one gave them any help, for they lived far from Sidon, and the city was set in the countryside of Bethrehob, and they had nothing of fellowship, or dealings, with anyone. And then the Danites rebuilt the city, and lived there;)

29 and the name of the city was called Dan, by the name of their father (after the name of their father), whom Israel had begat, the which city was called Laish before.

30 And Dan setted there the graven image (And the Danites set up Micah's idol), and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, [the] son of Moses, and Jonathan's sons, (were) the priests, in the lineage of Dan, till into the day of their captivity.

31 And the idol of Micah dwelled with them, in all [the] time that the house of God was in Shiloh. (And Micah's idol stayed with them, all the time that the House of God was in Shiloh.)