דָּן (H1835) — Hebrew Lexicon

דָּן

𐤃𐤍

Dan

H1835 noun

SILEX Entry

Root דִּנ to judge, act as judge, govern, litigate

Definition

Personal name meaning 'Dan' (possibly 'He has vindicated' or 'He has judged'); designates (1) Dan, son of Jacob and Bilhah, (2) the tribe descending from him, (3) the territory allotted to this tribe in the Israelite tribal system, and (4) a northern city named Dan, which became significant in the history of northern Israel. The word sometimes refers to these different entities depending on the context.

Semantic Range

personal name; name of a tribal ancestor; tribal designation; territorial designation (tribal allotment); name of a specific city in the northern territory; part of a geographic idiom expressing the limits of Israelite settlement

Root / Etymology

From the root דִּין (din), meaning 'to judge, govern, litigate'. The name Dan is a one-syllable theophoric or experiential name, likely signifying 'He has judged' or 'He has vindicated', reflecting a statement of divine action or justice (see Genesis 30:6 for narrative etymology).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the patriarchal period, דָּן is introduced as the son of Jacob (Israel) through Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, symbolizing a sense of divine justice or vindication (cf. Genesis 30:6). The name becomes eponymous for one of the twelve Israelite tribes, the tribe of Dan, positioned originally in the southwest (between Judah and Ephraim), though many members later migrated northward, founding the city of Dan (formerly Laish), which became a prominent cultic and political center. In biblical literature, 'Dan' can refer to the progenitor, the tribal group, or the region/settlement. The phrase 'from Dan to Beersheba' expresses the entire geographic span of the Israelite settlement. English translations sometimes render 'Dan' as simply a geographical or tribal name, but the biblical context—especially in narrative or genealogical lists—may emphasize lineage, land, or cultural identity. The name is distinct from דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniel), though related in root. There is no evidence that 'Dan' referred to a religious or ethnic identity separate from the wider category of Israelite in biblical times. The association with the city of Dan in the extreme north is particularly prominent in the period of the Judges and Monarchy. The later city of Dan served as a cultic center during the divided monarchy, notably as a site for the golden calf (see 1 Kings 12:29-30). The word is never anachronistically equivalent to the later terms 'Jew' or 'Judean'.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from דִּין; judge; Dan, one of the sons of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory; likewise a place in Palestine colonized by them; Daniel

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

דין (d-y-n) — to judge, govern, litigate, vindicate

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H1777	דִּין	Judge
H1778	דִּין	those who judge
H1779	דִּין	legal judgment
H1780	דִּין	legal judgment
H1781	דַּיָּן	to a judicial official
H1782	דַּיָּן	and judicial officials
H1783	דִּינָה	in Dinah
H4066	מָדוֹן	contention
H4082	מְדִינָה	in the province
H4265	מַחֲנֵה־דָן	He-has-judged

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H1835-02`	דָּֽן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged	55
`H1835-05`	מִ/דָּ֖ן	midan	`HR/Np`	from Dan	from Dan	8
`H1835-01`	בְּ/דָֽן	bedan	`HR/Np`	in Dan	in Judge	2
`H1835-03`	לְ/דָ֕ן	ledan	`HR/Np`	for Dan	to Dan	2
`H1835-06`	וּ/לְ/דָ֣ן	uledan	`HC/R/Np`	And about Dan	and to Dan	1
`H1835-04`	לְ/מִ/דָּן֙	lemidan	`HR/R/Np`	from Dan	from Dan	1
`H1835-07`	וְ/דָ֕ן	vedan	`HC/Np`	and Dan	and He-has-judged	1

Occurrences in Scripture

70 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H1835-02`	Genesis 14:14	דָּֽן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Genesis 30:6	דָּֽן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Genesis 35:25	דָּ֖ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Genesis 46:23	דָ֖ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Genesis 49:16	דָּ֖ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Genesis 49:17	דָן֙	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Exodus 1:4	דָּ֥ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan,	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Exodus 31:6	דָ֔ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Exodus 35:34	דָֽן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Exodus 38:23	דָ֖ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Leviticus 24:11	דָֽן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-03`	Numbers 1:12	לְ/דָ֕ן	ledan	`HR/Np`	for Dan	to Dan
`H1835-02`	Numbers 1:38	דָ֔ן	dan	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Numbers 1:39	דָ֑ן	dan	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Numbers 2:25	דָ֛ן	dan	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Numbers 2:25	דָ֔ן	dan-2	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Numbers 2:31	דָ֔ן	dan	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Numbers 7:66	דָ֑ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Numbers 10:25	דָ֔ן	dan	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Numbers 13:12	דָ֔ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Numbers 26:42	דָן֙	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Numbers 26:42	דָּ֖ן	dan-2	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Numbers 34:22	דָ֖ן	dan	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Deuteronomy 27:13	דָּ֥ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-06`	Deuteronomy 33:22	וּ/לְ/דָ֣ן	uledan	`HC/R/Np`	And about Dan	and to Dan
`H1835-02`	Deuteronomy 33:22	דָּ֖ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Deuteronomy 34:1	דָּֽן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Joshua 19:40	דָ֖ן	dan	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Joshua 19:47	דָ֖ן	dan	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Joshua 19:47	דָ֠ן	dan-2	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Joshua 19:47	דָּ֔ן	dan-3	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Joshua 19:47	דָּ֥ן	dan-4	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Joshua 19:48	דָ֖ן	dan	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Joshua 21:5	דָ֞ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Joshua 21:23	דָ֔ן	dan	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Judges 1:34	דָ֖ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-07`	Judges 5:17	וְ/דָ֕ן	vedan	`HC/Np`	and Dan	and He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Judges 13:25	דָ֑ן	dan	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Judges 18:2	דָ֣ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Judges 18:16	דָֽן	dan	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Judges 18:22	דָֽן	dan	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Judges 18:23	דָ֔ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Judges 18:25	דָ֔ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Judges 18:26	דָ֖ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Judges 18:29	דָּ֔ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Judges 18:29	דָּ֣ן	dan-2	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Judges 18:30	דָ֖ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-04`	Judges 20:1	לְ/מִ/דָּן֙	lemidan	`HR/R/Np`	from Dan	from Dan
`H1835-05`	1 Samuel 3:20	מִ/דָּ֖ן	midan	`HR/Np`	from Dan	from Dan
`H1835-05`	2 Samuel 3:10	מִ/דָּ֖ן	midan	`HR/Np`	from Dan	from Dan
`H1835-05`	2 Samuel 17:11	מִ/דָּן֙	midan	`HR/Np`	from Dan	from Dan
`H1835-05`	2 Samuel 24:2	מִ/דָּן֙	midan	`HR/Np`	from Dan	from Dan
`H1835-05`	2 Samuel 24:15	מִ/דָּן֙	midan	`HR/Np`	from Dan	from Dan
`H1835-05`	1 Kings 5:5	מִ/דָּ֖ן	midan	`HR/Np`	from Dan	from Dan
`H1835-01`	1 Kings 12:29	בְּ/דָֽן	bedan	`HR/Np`	in Dan	in Judge
`H1835-02`	1 Kings 12:30	דָּֽן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	1 Kings 15:20	דָּ֔ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-01`	2 Kings 10:29	בְּ/דָֽן	bedan	`HR/Np`	in Dan	in Judge
`H1835-05`	Jeremiah 4:15	מִ/דָּ֑ן	midan	`HR/Np`	from Dan	from Dan
`H1835-05`	Jeremiah 8:16	מִ/דָּ֤ן	midan	`HR/Np`	from Dan	from Dan
`H1835-02`	Ezekiel 48:1	דָּ֥ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Ezekiel 48:2	דָּ֗ן	dan	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Ezekiel 48:32	דָּ֖ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	Amos 8:14	דָּ֔ן	dan	`HNp`	O Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	1 Chronicles 2:2	דָּ֚ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	1 Chronicles 21:2	דָּ֑ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-03`	1 Chronicles 27:22	לְ/דָ֕ן	ledan	`HR/Np`	for Dan	to Dan
`H1835-02`	2 Chronicles 2:13	דָּ֗ן	dan	`HNp`	of Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	2 Chronicles 16:4	דָּ֔ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged
`H1835-02`	2 Chronicles 30:5	דָּ֔ן	dan	`HNp`	Dan	He-has-judged

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