Deuteronomy 33:22

“Dan is a lion's whelp--His proper settlement in the south of Canaan being too small, he by a sudden and successful irruption, established a colony in the northern extremity of the land. This might well be described as the leap of a young lion from the hills of Bashan.”

“Dan shall be like a lion which leaps forth from his covert in Bashan. Compare Song of Solomon 4:8. return to 'Top of Page'”

“A lion's whelp - Courageous, and generous, and strong, and successful against his enemies. Which leapeth - From Bashan, because there were many and fierce lions in those parts, whence they used to come forth and leap upon the prey. Or this may refer either to the particular victories obtained by Samson, who was of the tribe of Dan, or to a more general achievement of that tribe, when a party of them surprised Laish, which lay in the farthest part of the land of Canaan from them. And the mountain of Bashan lying not far from that city, from whence they probably made their descent upon it, thus leaping from Basham. Deuteronomy 33:23”

“33:22 Dan was the elder of two sons of Jacob by Rachel’s servant Bilhah (Gen 30:5-6). The name means “he judged.” The tribe of Dan was originally given territory between Judah and the Mediterranean. However, because of fierce hostility in that region, they were unable to settle there (Josh 19:40-48). The tribe then moved to the far north, destroyed the people who lived there, and settled in their place near Mount Hermon, north of the Sea of Galilee and adjacent to Bashan. The historical record doesn’t mention Dan’s staging area from which an attack was made against Laish, but the phrase leaping out from Bashan might suggest that Dan would attack from Bashan (Judg 18:27-28; see Gen 49:16-17).”

“Gen 49:16, Gen 49:17; Jos 19:47; Jdg 13:2, Jdg 13:24, Jdg 13:25, Jdg 14:6, Jdg 14:19, Jdg 15:8, Jdg 15:15, Jdg 16:30; Jdg 18:27; Ch1 12:35 Deuteronomy 33:23”

“Dan is "a young lion which springs out of Bashan." Whilst Jacob compared him to a serpent by the way, which suddenly bites a horse's feet, so that its rider falls backward, Moses gives greater prominence to the strength which Dan would display in conflict with foes, by calling him a young lion which suddenly springs out of its ambush. The reference to Bashan has nothing to do with the expedition of the Danites against Laish, in the valley of Rehoboth ( Jdg 18:28), as this valley did not belong to Bashan. It is to be explained from the simple fact, that in the regions of eastern Bashan, which abound with caves, and more especially in the woody western slopes of Jebel Hauran, many lions…”