Dan

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Fifth son of Jacob, and first of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid (Gen. 30:66And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan. (Genesis 30:6)). Little is recorded of him personally: only one son is mentioned in Genesis 46:2323And the sons of Dan; Hushim. (Genesis 46:23). The tribe of Dan was, however, numerous: at the Exodus there were 62,700 fighting men, exceeding all the tribes except Judah; and at the second numbering they had increased to 64,400 (Num. 1:3939Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Dan, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred. (Numbers 1:39); Num. 26:42-4342These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families. 43All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those that were numbered of them, were threescore and four thousand and four hundred. (Numbers 26:42‑43)). Yet when in the land the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountains: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley (Judg. 1:3434And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley: (Judges 1:34)). This showed great want of faith in the DANITES (as they are called in Judg. 13:22And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. (Judges 13:2); Judg. 18:1,111In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. (Judges 18:1)
11And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war. (Judges 18:11) and 1 Chron. 12:3535And of the Danites expert in war twenty and eight thousand and six hundred. (1 Chronicles 12:35)); and Deborah in her song said, “Why did Dan remain in ships,” when the Lord’s enemies were being destroyed?
Their portion fell on the sea-coast between those of Manasseh and Judah. It was small in comparison with their numbers, which occasioned some going north and building the City of Dan. Dan was not conspicuous among the tribes, but Aholiab, who helped Bezaleel in the work of the tabernacle, was of the tribe (Ex. 31:66And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee; (Exodus 31:6)); and Samson also.
When Jacob blessed his sons he said, “Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward” (Gen. 49:16-1716Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. 17Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. (Genesis 49:16‑17)). This tribe was guilty of setting up very early in the land the idolatry, which continued until the people were carried into captivity (Judg. 18:30-3130And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. 31And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh. (Judges 18:30‑31)). One naturally associates “the adder that biteth the heels” with the serpent that would bruise the heel of the seed of the woman (Gen. 3:1515And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)). It seems to suggest that the Antichrist will arise out of the tribe of Dan, and this indeed has been the judgment of Christians from the earliest times. Moses said, “Dan is a lion’s whelp: he shall leap from Bashan” (Deut. 33:2222And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp: he shall leap from Bashan. (Deuteronomy 33:22)), which may be a prophecy that Dan would do the work of Satan (compare Psa. 13:12-13). This thought is confirmed by Dan’s name being absent from 1 Chronicles 2-8 (the book that records much of grace and blessing), and being omitted also from the list of tribes from each of which twelve thousand will be sealed in a future day (Rev. 7:3-83Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 4And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. 5Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 6Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. 7Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. 8Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. (Revelation 7:3‑8)). Still God’s promises to the twelve tribes will be kept, and the tribe of Dan will have its portion in the land as prophesied in Ezekiel 48:1-2, 321Now these are the names of the tribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and west; a portion for Dan. 2And by the border of Dan, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Asher. (Ezekiel 48:1‑2)
32And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan. (Ezekiel 48:32).