Judges 18:29

Dan Dan Laish

²⁷ And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

²⁸ And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.

And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.

³⁰ And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

³¹ And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish.
KJV: And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.
WEB: They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel; however the name of the city used to be Laish.
ASV: And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.
DARBY: And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel; howbeit Laish was the name of the city at the first.
BLB: And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father who was born to Israel. But Laish [was] the name of the city formerly.

ÅB: Og de kalte byen Dan etter sin stamfar Dan, Israels sønn; før het den La'is.
OTB: De kalte den Dan, etter sin stamfar Dan, som ble født til Israel, selv om byen tidligere ble kalt Laish.
B1930: Og de kalte byen Dan efter sin stamfar Dan, Israels sønn; før het den La'is.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Joshua 19:47
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.
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1 Kings 15:20
So Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.
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Genesis 14:14
And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
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Genesis 30:6
And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.
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1 Kings 12:29–30
And he set the one in Beth-el, and the other put he in Dan.
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Judges 20:1
Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.
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Genesis 32:28
And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
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2 Samuel 17:11
Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.
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