The term "Danite" refers to a member of the tribe of Dan, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The tribe of Dan is named after Dan, the fifth son of Jacob and the first son of Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant (Genesis 30:5-6). The Danites played a significant role in the history of Israel, both during the period of the conquest of Canaan and in the era of the Judges.

Territory and Settlement

Initially, the tribe of Dan was allotted a portion of land in the southwestern part of Canaan, near the Philistine territory (Joshua 19:40-48). However, the Danites struggled to fully possess this land due to the strength of the Philistines and other local inhabitants. As a result, a portion of the tribe sought additional territory in the north. This led to the migration and conquest of the city of Laish, which they renamed Dan (Judges 18:1-29). This northern settlement became significant in Israel's history, marking the northern boundary of the land, often referred to as "from Dan to Beersheba" (Judges 20:1).

Role in the Conquest and Judges

During the conquest of Canaan under Joshua, the Danites were part of the Israelite forces that sought to take possession of the Promised Land. However, their inability to fully secure their initial inheritance led to their migration northward. In the period of the Judges, the Danites are noted for their idolatry. Judges 18 recounts how the Danites took a Levite priest and an idol from the house of Micah, establishing a center of idolatrous worship in their new city of Dan.

Notable Danites

One of the most famous Danites is Samson, a judge of Israel known for his extraordinary strength and his struggles against the Philistines (Judges 13-16). Samson's life is marked by his Nazirite vow, his feats of strength, and his eventual downfall due to his relationship with Delilah. Despite his personal failings, Samson is remembered for his role in delivering Israel from Philistine oppression.

Religious and Cultural Influence

The tribe of Dan is often associated with idolatry and apostasy in the biblical narrative. The establishment of a shrine in Dan with a graven image is seen as a significant departure from the worship of Yahweh as prescribed in the Mosaic Law. This idolatrous practice persisted into the period of the divided kingdom, when Jeroboam I set up golden calves in Bethel and Dan to prevent the Israelites from worshiping in Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:28-30).

Prophetic References

In the prophetic literature, the tribe of Dan is sometimes omitted from lists of the tribes of Israel, such as in the vision of the 144,000 in Revelation 7. This omission has led to various interpretations, often seen as a reflection of the tribe's association with idolatry.

Biblical Quotations

· Genesis 30:5-6 : "And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Then Rachel said, 'God has vindicated me; He has heard my voice and given me a son.' So she named him Dan."
· Judges 18:1 : "In those days there was no king in Israel, and in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for themselves to live in, for until that time they had not come into possession among the tribes of Israel."
· Judges 13:24-25 : "So the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the LORD blessed him. And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him at Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol."

The Danites, while integral to the history of Israel, serve as a reminder of the dangers of straying from the covenantal relationship with God, highlighting the importance of faithfulness and obedience to His commands.1. (n.) A descendant of Dan; an Israelite of the tribe of Dan.

2. (n.) One of a secret association of Mormons, bound by an oath to obey the heads of the church in all things.

1582. Gemalli -- a Danite
... 1581, 1582. Gemalli. 1583 . a Danite. Transliteration: Gemalli Phonetic
Spelling: (ghem-al-lee') Short Definition: Gemalli. Word ...
/hebrew/1582.htm - 6k

2366b. Chushim -- a Danite
... a Danite. Transliteration: Chushim or Chushim Short Definition: Hushim. Word Origin
from chush Definition a Danite NASB Word Usage Hushim (2). 2366a, 2366b. ...
/hebrew/2366b.htm - 5k

3020. Yogli -- perhaps "led into exile," a Danite
... 3019, 3020. Yogli. 3021 . perhaps "led into exile," a Danite. Transliteration:
Yogli Phonetic Spelling: (yog-lee') Short Definition: Jogli. ...
/hebrew/3020.htm - 6k

7748. Shucham -- a Danite
... 7747, 7748. Shucham. 7749 . a Danite. Transliteration: Shucham Phonetic
Spelling: (shoo-khawm') Short Definition: Shuham. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/7748.htm - 6k

1704. Dibri -- a Danite
... a Danite. Transliteration: Dibri Phonetic Spelling: (dib-ree') Short Definition:
Dibri. Word Origin from dabar Definition a Danite NASB Word Usage Dibri (1). ...
/hebrew/1704.htm - 6k

5996. Ammishadday -- "my kinsman is Shaddai," a Danite
... Ammishadday. 5997 . "my kinsman is Shaddai," a Danite. Transliteration: Ammishadday
Phonetic Spelling: (am-mee-shad-dah'ee) Short Definition: Ammishaddai. ...
/hebrew/5996.htm - 6k

1835. Dan -- "judge," a son of Jacob, also his desc. and their ...
... Word Origin from din Definition "judge," a son of Jacob, also his desc. and their
territory, also a place in N. Isr. NASB Word Usage Dan (68), Danite* (1). Dan. ...
/hebrew/1835.htm - 6k

1323. bath -- daughter
... Word Origin from ben Definition daughter NASB Word Usage branches (1), Danite*
(1), daughter (265), daughter or her daughter's (1), daughter your daughter's (1 ...
/hebrew/1323.htm - 6k

1839. Dani -- descendant of Dan
... Danites, of Dan. Patronymically from Dan; a Danite (often collectively) or descendants
(or inhabitants) of Dan -- Danites, of Dan. see HEBREW Dan. 1838, 1839 ...
/hebrew/1839.htm - 6k

Books of the Hebrew Canon.
... into juxtaposition with the list of the Danite towns (vv.41"46); and to each
of the verses which have thus exchanged places the LXX. ...
/.../chapter ii books of the.htm

The Testament of Judah Concerning Fortitude, and Love of Money ...
... This may be the same as the Timnathah on the Danite frontier (Joshua 19:43), and
with the Timnathah where Samson's wife dwelt (Judges 14:1 sqq ). ...
/.../iv the testament of judah concerning.htm

Chapter xlix
... This may be considered as prophetically covering also the case of the Danite Samson,
for who would have supposed that such dangerous powers lurked in that ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xlix.htm

Danite (7 Occurrences)
... the heads of the church in all things. Multi-Version Concordance Danite (7
Occurrences). Leviticus 24:11 And the son of the Israelitish ...
/d/danite.htm - 9k

Dan (71 Occurrences)
... wise-hearted artificers engaged in the construction of the tabernacle (Exodus
31:6). One who was stoned for blasphemy was the son of a Danite woman (Leviticus ...
/d/dan.htm - 41k

Tribe (250 Occurrences)
... wise-hearted artificers engaged in the construction of the tabernacle (Exodus
31:6). One who was stoned for blasphemy was the son of a Danite woman (Leviticus ...
/t/tribe.htm - 45k

Danites (15 Occurrences)

/d/danites.htm - 11k

Oholiab (5 Occurrences)
... o-ho'-li-ab ('oholi'abh, "father's tent"; the King James Version Aholiab): A Danite
artificer, who assisted Bezalel in the construction of the tabernacle and ...
/o/oholiab.htm - 8k

Jogli (1 Occurrence)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia JOGLI. jog'-li (yoghli, perhaps = "led into exile"):
Father of Bukki, a Danite chief (Numbers 34:22). Multi-Version Concordance ...
/j/jogli.htm - 6k

Girded (48 Occurrences)
... Judges 18:11 And there journey thence, of the family of the Danite, from Zorah,
and from Eshtaol, six hundred men girded with weapons of war. (YLT). ...
/g/girded.htm - 21k

Inhabit (29 Occurrences)
... Judges 18:1 In those days there is no king in Israel, and in those days the tribe
of the Danite is seeking for itself an inheritance to inhabit, for 'that ...
/i/inhabit.htm - 16k

Removal (42 Occurrences)
... raise up for themselves the graven image, and Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Manasseh,
he and his sons have been priests to the tribe of the Danite, till the ...
/r/removal.htm - 20k

Who was Samson in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Danite: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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