Joshua 19:40-48 · Bible study
Joshua 19:40-48 Commentary: Dan's Inheritance
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why the largest tribe received the smallest inheritance, and what they did about it. Joshua 19:40-48 explores Dan's cramped lot and bold northern expansion.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Dan, the last tribe to receive land, got a small territory and then expanded by conquering Leshem far to the north.
- Key words: goral (lot), nachalah (inheritance), yatsa (went out/extended), leshem/dan (renamed city).
- Main debate: Whether verse 47 refers to activity under Joshua or is a later insertion summarizing Judges 18.
- Theological theme: Human initiative within divine allotment; the tension between receiving gifts and fighting to possess them.
- Best use: Teaching on faithfulness despite small beginnings; discussions on how God's people expand through risk and action.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
40The seventh lot came out for the clans of the tribe of Dan:
41The territory of their inheritance included Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh,
42Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah,
43Elon, Timnah, Ekron,
44Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,
45Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon,
46Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, including the territory across from Joppa.
47(Later, when the territory of the Danites was lost to them, they went up and fought against Leshem, captured it, and put it to the sword. So they took possession of Leshem, settled there, and renamed it after their father Dan.)
48This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Dan, including these cities and their villages.
WEB World English Bible 2000
40The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.
41The border of their inheritance was Zorah, Eshtaol, Irshemesh,
42Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah,
43Elon, Timnah, Ekron,
44Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,
45Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon,
46Me Jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border opposite Joppa.
47The border of the children of Dan went out beyond them; for the children of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and lived therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their forefather.
48This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.
KJV King James Version 1769
40And the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.
41And the coast of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Ir–shemesh,
42And Shaalabbin, and Ajalon, and Jethlah,
43And Elon, and Thimnathah, and Ekron,
44And Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath,
45And Jehud, and Bene–berak, and Gath–rimmon,
46And Me–jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border before Japho.
47And 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.
48This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
40The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.
41And the border of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh,
42and Shaalabbin, and Aijalon, and Ithlah,
43and Elon, and Timnah, and Ekron,
44and Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath,
45and Jehud, and Bene-berak, and Gath-rimmon,
46and Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border over against Joppa.
47And the border of the children of Dan went out beyond them; for the children of Dan went up and fought 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.
48This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
40For the tribe of the sons of Dan, for their families, hath the seventh lot gone out;
41and the border of their inheritance is Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Ir-Shemesh,
42and Shalabbin, and Aijalon, and Jethlah,
43and Elon, and Thimnathah, and Ekron,
44and Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath,
45and Jehud, and Bene-Barak, and Gath-Rimmon,
46and Me-Jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border over-against Japho.
47And the border of the sons of Dan goeth out from them, and the sons of Dan go up and fight with Leshem, and capture it, and smite it by the mouth of the sword, and possess it, and dwell in it, and call Leshem, Dan, according to the name of Dan their father.
48This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Dan, for their families, these cities and their villages.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
40The seventh lot came forth for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.
41And the territory of their inheritance was Zoreah, and Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh,
42and Shaalabbin, and Ajalon, and Jithlah,
43and Elon, and Timnathah, and Ekron,
44and El-tekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath,
45and Jehud, and Beneberak, and Gath-Rimmon,
46and Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border over against Japho.
47And the border of the children of Dan ended with these; and the children of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and took possession of it, and dwelt in it, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.
48This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities and their hamlets.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
40The seventh lot came out to the tribe of the children of Dan by their families
41And the border of their possession was Saraa and Esthaol, and Hirsemes, that is, the city of the sun,
42Selebin and Aialon and Jethela,
43Elon and Themna and Acron,
44Elthece, Gebbethon and Balaath,
45And Juda and Bane and Barach and Gethremmon:
46And Mejarcon and Arecon, with the border that looketh towards Joppe,
47And is terminated there. And the children of Dan went up and fought against Lesem, and took it: and they put it to the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt in it, calling the name of it Lesem Dan, by the name of Dan their father.
48This is the possession of the tribe of the sons of Dan, by their kindreds, the cities and their villages.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Joshua 19:40
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators agree that Dan, descended from Jacob's fifth son, drew the seventh and final lot. Their territory was the smallest of the tribes, wedged between the powerful lands of Judah, Ephraim, and the Philistines along the Mediterranean coast. Keil & Delitzsch note it was formed by Judah giving up some northern towns and Ephraim some southern ones. Barnes and the Cambridge Bible stress that the Danites found themselves confined among the hills by Amorites who held key cities (Judges 1:34-35). The Hebrew of verse 47 does not literally say the border was 'too little'; it reads 'the border of the children of Dan went out from them', a phrase the KJV rendered with 'too little' added. Most scholars, including Gill and Adam Clarke, interpret this to mean the Danites extended their border because their allotted space was insufficient. So they mounted an expedition against Leshem (Laish), a distant city north of the Sea of Galilee. They captured it, renamed it Dan, and settled there. This episode, recounted fully in Judges 18, is inserted here to complete the account of where the tribe actually lived.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal chronological reading: The passage is part of the Joshua narrative, and the conquest of Leshem is presented as happening during Joshua's lifetime. Some commentators (e.g., Keil & Delitzsch) accept it as a contemporary event.
- Later supplementation view: The expanded wording in verse 47 (the sequence of fighting, capturing, and settling) more closely matches the detailed account in Judges 18, suggesting it was inserted to explain the tribe's northern presence after the original allotment.
- Theological interpretation: Dan's small inheritance and subsequent move are read as divine judgment for the tribe's failure to trust God fully, foreshadowing their later apostasy. This view is common in Reformed and Wesleyan traditions.
What is clear: Dan received the seventh and last lot, a small territory, and later a group of Danites conquered Leshem, renamed it Dan, and settled there, leaving a dual settlement pattern that endured into the monarchy.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Timing of the Leshem conquest | All commentators agree that the Danites conquered Leshem and renamed it Dan. | Some, like Matthew Henry, place the event after Joshua's death (as in Judges 18); others, like Keil & Delitzsch, see it as an extension that could have occurred during Joshua's lifetime, recorded here to complete the tribal allotment. |
| Meaning of 'went out from them' | The Hebrew verb 'yatsa' indicates movement outward, not necessarily insufficiency. | The KJV supplies 'too little,' suggesting the border was inadequate. Others (Barnes, Cambridge) translate it 'was extended,' implying the Danites actively pushed their boundary. The difference affects whether the passage emphasizes need or initiative. |
| Why Dan was last and smallest | Dan was a large tribe that received a small portion wedged among stronger neighbors. | Commentators differ on whether this was providential placement (to guard against the Philistines) or a sign of divine disfavor. Matthew Henry sees it as a post of danger for a powerful tribe; Calvinist traditions might see it as testing; others see it as the natural outcome of the lot process. |
| Insertion of verse 47 into the chapter | Most scholars note that verse 47 interrupts the normal formulaic conclusion found in verse 48. | Some (like Wesley) view it as a necessary supplement to explain why Danites lived so far from their original lot. Others (source critics) see it as a later redactional addition. The debate does not affect the historicity of the event, only the literary unity of the chapter. |
Historical & Cultural Context
When Joshua distributed the land at Shiloh, the tribe of Dan came last. It was a numerous tribe, numbered at 64,400 men in the wilderness census (Numbers 26:43), yet received the smallest portion. The territory measured roughly fourteen miles from Joppa to Ekron. It lay in the fertile Sharon plain, described by the Cambridge Bible as the cornfield and garden of southern Palestine. But the tribe was hemmed in: Judah on the east, Ephraim on the north, and the Philistines on the west. Several of the assigned cities, such as Zorah and Eshtaol, had originally been Judah's (Joshua 15:33) and were later given to the Levites (Joshua 21:16). The Danites struggled to hold them; the Amorites kept possession of Shaalbim and Aijalon (Judges 1:35).
The most dramatic feature of the passage is the notice that Dan expanded far north. Leshem, also called Laish, was a Sidonian colony near the sources of the Jordan, peaceful and prosperous. The Danites surprised it, killed its inhabitants, and settled there, renaming it Dan. The city later became a cultic center under Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:29). This northern migration probably occurred after Joshua's death, as Judges 18 narrates in detail. The listing here in the land distribution may be a later editorial addition to show the tribe's final location. Zorah and Eshtaol remained the home of Samson (Judges 13:2, 25), linking this territory to one of Israel's most famous judges.
Joppa, the only significant port in Dan's lot, is mentioned as the western boundary. It was the gateway for Solomon's cedar imports (2 Chronicles 2:16) and later for Jonah's flight (Jonah 1:3). The list of place names, many now lost, anchors the narrative in real geography and shows God's faithfulness in giving each tribe a tangible inheritance, even if the Danites found theirs too small to keep.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note one significant textual issue. In verse 47, the KJV adds the words 'too little,' which are not present in the Hebrew. The Masoretic Text reads literally: 'the border of the children of Dan went out from them' (וַיֵּצֵא גְבוּל־בְּנֵי־דָן מֵהֶם). The missing phrase was supplied by translators to clarify what 'went out from them' might mean. Houbigant, cited by Adam Clarke, even proposed that a copyist inadvertently wrote the common phrase 'the border went out' instead of an original verb meaning 'was too small.' However, the majority of consulted sources accept the existing Hebrew as meaning the border was extended. No other textual variants are noted in the supplied data for this passage.
Reception History
Christians have read this passage primarily as background to the story of Samson and the tragic history of the tribe of Dan. Early church writers often allegorized Dan as a figure of apostasy because the tribe later set up a golden calf in the northern city. Some medieval commentators, such as Rashi, noted the irony that the tribe named 'Judge' (Dan) became the first to embrace idolatry. Protestant reformers like Calvin saw here a caution about human ambition: Dan's dissatisfaction with God's portion led them to seize a city they eventually corrupted. In modern times, the passage has been used in sermons about perseverance and initiative, with the Danites as a model for turning limited resources into fruitful expansion. The name change from Leshem to Dan has also been read as a sign of claiming new territory for God's people.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Last in line, least in size. Dan drew the seventh lot and received a tiny territory. God's timing and measure differ from human expectations. Even a tribe that was once large and proud faced limitation.
- Cramped and crowded. The Danites could not hold their assigned cities because of Amorite pressure. Human effort and divine promise sometimes meet resistance. The tribe had to fight for every foothold.
- Bold expansion. Rather than accept defeat, Dan launched a successful campaign against Leshem, renaming it for their ancestor. Resilience and initiative become part of their story.
Five-point outline
- The seventh lot: Dan receives the smallest inheritance. (vv.40-46)
- A catalogue of cities: names that echo with struggle and loss. (vv.41-46)
- The border that went out from them: expansion not retreat. (v.47a)
- Conquest of Leshem: how Dan took what they needed. (v.47b)
- Renaming the city: identity and legacy. (v.47c)
Illustration hooks
- The last pick in gym class. Being chosen last can feel like a slight. But the Danites show that the last pick can still make something of the opportunity.
- A small garden plot. You get a tiny patch of soil, less than you hoped. But you turn it into a productive vegetable bed. Then you also take over the abandoned lot next door.
- Moving for space. A family outgrows their starter home. They don't complain, they save, plan, and find a bigger place. Dan's northern move is the ancient version of that.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did God give a large tribe such a small piece of land? Doesn't God see what we need?
- Is it okay to take initiative and expand beyond what was originally assigned? Or should we stay put and trust God's first allocation?
- What does it mean when a tribe that started strong ends up scattered, both north and south? Is there a warning here about lost identity?
Leading a Discussion
Start by reading Joshua 19:40-48 aloud. Notice the contrast between the long list of towns in verses 41-46 and the terse report of war and relocation in verse 47. This passage shows God's people receiving a gift, and then having to fight to keep it and grow it. The questions below will help your group explore the text and its meaning for today.
Discussion questions
- Dan was one of the largest tribes, but drew the last and smallest lot. What does that tell you about God's distribution of resources? Is fairness always the point?
- Look at the list of place names. How does knowing that Zorah and Eshtaol were Samson's hometowns (Judges 13:2) change your reading of this passage?
- The Hebrew says the border of Dan 'went out from them.' Commentators say this means they extended it. Why do you think the KJV added 'too little'? What difference does that make?
- Why did the Danites go so far north rather than fight harder for what they already had? What does that say about their character, and about the unseen obstacles they faced?
- The city they captured was originally called Leshem (or Laish). They renamed it Dan, after their ancestor. What does renaming a place say about identity and ownership?
- How do you balance accepting God's lot with the push to expand? When is contentment with your portion faithfulness, and when is it resignation?
- This passage ends with a formula: 'This is the inheritance... these cities with their villages.' But Dan's story was not settled, they later lost the northern city to idolatry. How can we hold our inheritance without losing what matters most?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Joshua 15:33 | In the lowland, Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, |
| Judges 13:2 | There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and childless. |
| Judges 13:25 | Yahweh’s Spirit began to move him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. |
| Judges 16:31 | Then his brothers and all the house of his father came down and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burial site of Manoah his father. He judged Israel twenty years. |
| Judges 18:2 | The children of Dan sent five men of their family from their whole number, men of valor, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it. They said to them, “Go, explore the land!” They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. |
| I Chronicles 2:53 | The families of Kiriath Jearim: the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites; from them came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites. |
| II Chronicles 11:10 | Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin. |
| Joshua 10:12 | Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh in the day when Yahweh delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel. He said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still on Gibeon! You, moon, stop in the valley of Aijalon!” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke points out that the phrase "went out too little" is a translation difficulty; the Hebrew more likely means the border was too narrow, compelling the Danites to conquer Leshem. He also notes this event actually occurred after Joshua's death, as recorded in Judges 18, suggesting the verse may be a later explanatory addition.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes points out that the King James Version's phrase "too little" does not appear in the Hebrew. The actual meaning is that the Danites, finding themselves confined among the hills, extended their border by conquering the peaceful Sidonian inhabitants of Leshem and taking their city and territory.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights that Dan's allotted territory was the smallest of all the tribes despite their large numbers, squeezing them between powerful neighbors. This pressure drove them to expand northward, capturing Laish and renaming it Dan, fulfilling Jacob's prophecy of a tribe that would strike like a serpent from ambush.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes observe that Dan's allotted territory proved too small, so the tribe took aggressive action. They attacked Leshem, captured it by the sword, and renamed it Dan after their ancestor. This highlights their active expansion beyond the original inheritance.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill observes that the tribe of Dan's allotted inheritance was insufficient for them, so they later conquered Leshem (Laish) and renamed it Dan after their ancestor. He notes that several cities listed in the allotment were never fully possessed by Israel, indicating the incomplete nature of the conquest.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that Dan's inheritance was formed from land surrendered by Judah and Ephraim, yet the tribe still found it too small. To expand, they conquered Leshem by force and renamed it Dan, establishing a colony there.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch notes that Dan's territory was carved from Judah and Ephraim's lands, lying in the fertile lowland west of Benjamin. The boundaries are omitted because they followed the adjoining territories. The Danites later conquered Leshem in the far north because they could not drive out the Amorites from their original allotment.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Dan, a leading tribe in the wilderness, received its inheritance last and in a dangerous border region. He sees Providence placing this powerful tribe in harm's way, best able to deal with the Philistines. The account also records Dan expanding their territory by their own valor, capturing Leshem.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley explains that the Danites abandoned their assigned territory because hostile neighbours made life there unbearable. Their move to the far north was not a land grab from another tribe but a necessity, since the city they took belonged to no other tribe.