Joshua 19:40-48

The Inheritance of Dan Joshua 19:40-48

40 And the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.
41 And the coast of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh,
42 And Shaalabbin, and Ajalon, and Jethlah,
43 And Elon, and Thimnathah, and Ekron,
44 And Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath,
45 And Jehud, and Bene-berak, and Gath-rimmon,
46 And Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border before Japho.
47 And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.
48 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.

16.

Who was Dan? Joshua 19:40

Dan was also the son of Bilhah and Jacob (Genesis 30:6). His name means to judge. Jacob gave him a rich blessing (Genesis 49:16-18); and when the tribes of Israel were counted at Sinai, there were 62,700 men, twenty years of age and older, in this tribe (Numbers 1). At the later census he had grown until there were 64,400 men of this age (Numbers 26).

17.

Where was the territory of Dan? Joshua 19:40-46

The major part of Dan's territory lay along the Mediterranean seacoast, immediately west of the land given to the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was thus on his eastern border. On the northern border was the territory of Ephraim, and on the southern border was the territory of Judah.

18.

What additional territory was given to Dan? Joshua 19:47-48

Joshua mentions a conquest which was recorded more fully as an appendix to the book of Judges (Judges 17, 18). These Israelites went up to the north part of the land given to Israel and conquered an area around Leshem, which was near the headwaters of the Jordan River. This point was the northernmost spot of the land of Israel; and after the name of the place was changed from Leshem to Dan, it was common to speak of the territory of Israel as extending from Dan to Beer-sheba, the northernmost and southernmost important towns, respectively.