Genesis 35:25

35:25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali.

Genesis 46:23

46:23 The son of Dan: Hushim. ¹ 

Genesis 49:16-17

49:16 Dan ²  will judge ³  his people

as one of the tribes of Israel.

49:17 May Dan be a snake beside the road,

a viper by the path,

that bites the heels of the horse

so that its rider falls backward. ⁴ 

Deuteronomy 33:22

Blessing on Dan

33:22 Of Dan he said:

Dan is a lion’s cub;

he will leap forth from Bashan. ⁵ 

Jeremiah 13:2

13:2 So I bought the shorts as the Lord had told me to do ⁶  and put them on. ⁷ 

Jeremiah 13:24

13:24 “The Lord says, ⁸ 

‘That is why I will scatter your people ⁹  like chaff

that is blown away by a desert wind. ¹⁰ 

Jeremiah 15:14-20

15:14 I will make you serve your enemies ¹¹  in a land that you know nothing about.

For my anger is like a fire that will burn against you.”

15:15 I said, ¹² 

“Lord, you know how I suffer. ¹³ 

Take thought of me and care for me.

Pay back for me those who have been persecuting me.

Do not be so patient with them that you allow them to kill me.

Be mindful of how I have put up with their insults for your sake.

15:16 As your words came to me I drank them in, ¹⁴ 

and they filled my heart with joy and happiness

because I belong to you. ¹⁵ 

15:17 I did not spend my time in the company of other people,

laughing and having a good time.

I stayed to myself because I felt obligated to you ¹⁶ 

and because I was filled with anger at what they had done.

15:18 Why must I continually suffer such painful anguish?

Why must I endure the sting of their insults like an incurable wound?

Will you let me down when I need you

like a brook one goes to for water, but that cannot be relied on?” ¹⁷ 

15:19 Because of this, the Lord said, ¹⁸ 

“You must repent of such words and thoughts!

If you do, I will restore you to the privilege of serving me. ¹⁹ 

If you say what is worthwhile instead of what is worthless,

I will again allow you to be my spokesman. ²⁰ 

They must become as you have been.

You must not become like them. ²¹ 

15:20 I will make you as strong as a wall to these people,

a fortified wall of bronze.

They will attack you,

but they will not be able to overcome you.

For I will be with you to rescue you and deliver you,” ²² 

says the Lord.

[46:23]  ¹ tn This name appears as “Shuham” in Num 26:42. The LXX reads “Hashum” here.

[49:16]  ² sn The name Dan (דָּן, dan) means “judge” and forms a wordplay with the following verb.

[49:16]  ³ tn Or “govern.”

[49:17]  ⁴ sn The comparison of the tribe of Dan to a venomous serpent is meant to say that Dan, though small, would be potent, gaining victory through its skill and shrewdness. Jewish commentators have linked the image in part with Samson. That link at least illustrates the point: Though a minority tribe, Dan would gain the upper hand over others.

[33:22]  ⁵ sn He will leap forth from Bashan. This may refer to Dan’s conquest of Laish, a region just to the west of Bashan (Judg 18:27-28).

[13:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “according to the word of the Lord.”

[13:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “upon your loins.” The “loins” were the midriff of the body from the waist to the knees. For a further discussion including the figurative uses see R. C. Dentan, “Loins,” IDB 3:149-50.

[13:24]  ⁸ tn The words, “The Lord says” are not in the text at this point. The words “an oracle of the Lord” does, however, occur in the middle of the next verse and it is obvious the Lord is the speaker. The words have been moved up from the next verse to enhance clarity.

[13:24]  ⁹ tn Heb “them.” This is another example of the rapid shift in pronouns seen several times in the book of Jeremiah. The pronouns in the preceding and the following are second feminine singular. It might be argued that “them” goes back to the “flock”/“sheep” in v. 20, but the next verse refers the fate described here to “you” (feminine singular). This may be another example of the kind of metaphoric shifts in referents discussed in the notes on 13:20 above. Besides, it would sound a little odd in the translation to speak of scattering one person like chaff.

[13:24]  ¹⁰ sn Compare the threat using the same metaphor in Jer 4:11-12.

[15:14]  ¹¹ tc This reading follows the Greek and Syriac versions and several Hebrew mss. Other Hebrew mss read “I will cause the enemy to pass through a land.” The difference in the reading is between one Hebrew letter, a dalet (ד) and a resh (ר).

[15:15]  ¹² tn The words “I said” are not in the text. They are supplied in the translation for clarity to mark the shift from the Lord speaking to Jerusalem, to Jeremiah speaking to God.

[15:15]  ¹³ tn The words “how I suffer” are not in the text but are implicit from the continuation. They are supplied in the translation for clarity. Jeremiah is not saying “you are all knowing.”

[15:16]  ¹⁴ sn Heb “Your words were found and I ate them.” This along with Ezek 2:8–3:3 is a poetic picture of inspiration. The prophet accepted them, assimilated them, and made them such a part of himself that he spoke with complete assurance what he knew were God’s words.

[15:16]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “Your name is called upon me.”

[15:17]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “because of your hand.”

[15:18]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Will you be to me like a deceptive (brook), like waters which do not last [or are not reliable].”

[15:19]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “So the Lord said thus.”

[15:19]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “If you return [ = repent], I will restore [more literally, ‘cause you to return’] that you may stand before me.” For the idiom of “standing before” in the sense of serving see BDB 764 s.v. עָמַד Qal.1.e and compare the usage in 1 Kgs 10:8; 12:8; 17:1; Deut 10:8.

[15:19]  ²⁰ tn Heb “you shall be as my mouth.”

[15:19]  ²¹ tn Heb “They must turn/return to you and you must not turn/return to them.”

[15:20]  ²² sn See 1:18. The Lord renews his promise of protection and reiterates his call to Jeremiah.