Judges 18:29 · Bible study
Judges 18:29 Commentary: Study: Renaming Laish to Dan
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
This study examines why the narrator emphasizes that Laish was renamed Dan after Israel's son, and what this reveals about tribal identity and later history.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Danites rename Laish as Dan to mark their conquest and tribal identity, while the narrator preserves the original name as a historical note.
- Key words: H0199 ulam (but, however), a strong adversative, marking the contrast between the new name and the former name; H7223 rishon (first, former), indicating priority in time.
- Main debate: Whether the phrase about the former name is an editorial addition (Cambridge Bible) or an integral part of the original narrative.
- Theological theme: Human attempts to claim God's promises through violence and compromise, and the persistent memory of what came before.
- Best use: A case study in how biblical narrators use names and geographical asides to anchor stories in history and invite theological reflection.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish.
WEB World English Bible 2000
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.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and call the name of the city Dan, by the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel; and yet Laish is the name of the city at the first.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
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.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Calling the name of the city Dan, after the name of their father, who was the son of Israel, which before was called Lais.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y llamaron el nombre de aquella ciudad Dan, conforme al nombre de Dan su padre, hijo de Israel, bien que antes se llamaba la ciudad Lais.
E chamaram o nome daquela cidade Dã, conforme ao nome de Dã seu pai, filho de Israel, bem que antes se chamava a cidade Laís.
ils l’ appelèrent Dan, d’ après le nom de Dan, leur père, qui était né à Israël; mais la ville s’ appelait auparavant Laïs.
und nannten sie Dan nach dem Namen ihres Vaters Dan, der Israel geboren war. ( Und die Stadt hieß vorzeiten Lais.)
En zij noemden den naam der stad Dan, naar den naam huns vaders Dan, die aan Israel geboren was; hoewel de naam dezer stad te voren Lais was.
Poi i Daniti ricostruirono la città e l’abitarono. E le posero nome Dan, dal nome di Dan loro padre, che fu figliuolo d’Israele; ma prima, il nome della città era Lais.
I nazwali imię miasta onego Dan według imienia Dana, ojca swego, który się był urodził Izraelowi; a przedtem imię miasta onego było Lais.
и нарекли имя городу: Дан, по имени отца своего Дана, сына Израилева; а прежде имя города тому было: Лаис.
照著他們始祖 以色列 之 子 但 的名字，給那城 起名 叫 但；原 先 那城 名 叫拉億。
And they gave the town the name of Dan, after Dan their father, who was the son of Israel: though the town had been named Laish at first.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Judges 18:29
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse records the Danites renaming the captured Canaanite city after their tribal ancestor Dan, son of Jacob (who was also called Israel). The naming served to mark the land as belonging to the tribe, even though their original territory lay far to the southwest. Gill notes that Laish means 'lion,' connecting to Moses' blessing of Dan as a lion's whelp (Deuteronomy 33:22). Adam Clarke observes that this city became the northern extremity of the promised land, memorialized in the phrase 'from Dan to Beersheba.' The Cambridge Bible suggests the clause 'however the name of the city used to be Laish' is an editorial addition, inserted later to preserve the earlier name. The verse thus functions both historically, explaining how a prominent Israelite city got its name, and theologically, subtly reminding readers that this place had a prior identity now absorbed into Israel's story.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The Danites renamed the captured city Laish to Dan after their tribal ancestor Dan, and the narrator notes the city's original name.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial addition of the former name | All commentators note that the verse includes a reference to the city's earlier name, Laish. | Some, like the Cambridge Bible, view the clause 'however the name of the city used to be Laish' as a later editorial addition. Others treat it as an original part of the narrative, providing context for readers unfamiliar with the older name. |
| Moral evaluation of the Danites' conquest | The account describes the conquest in neutral terms, without explicit commendation or condemnation. | Matthew Henry and Wesley emphasize the violence and the people's 'security' as a warning. Gill and Keil & Delitzsch focus more on the geographical and historical outcome. Readers differ on whether the narrator implicitly criticizes the Danites or simply records events. |
| Connection to Joshua 19:47 | Both passages report the Danites capturing Leshem/Laish and renaming it Dan. | The Joshua account appears to give a more straightforward conquest narrative, while Judges 18 provides extensive background about the idols and the priest. Some see this as differing traditions; others harmonize them as two stages of the same event. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The events of Judges 18 unfold during a period when 'there was no king in Israel' (Judges 17:6; 21:25). The tribe of Dan had been allotted territory in the coastal plain south of Joppa, but pressure from the Philistines and Amorites left them cramped and vulnerable. In response, they sent five spies northward to seek a new homeland. The spies discovered Laish, a city in the upper Jordan Valley near the foot of Mount Hermon.
Keil and Delitzsch identify Laish with Tell el Kadi, a site in the Huleh lowland where one of the Jordan's sources flows. The city was inhabited by a people described as 'quiet and unsuspecting' (Judges 18:7, 27), with no allies, far from Sidon and without external dealings. The spies reported that the land was spacious and lacked nothing. Six hundred armed Danites then marched north, stopping at the house of Micah in Ephraim to steal his household gods and his Levite priest. They arrived at Laish, attacked without warning, slaughtered the inhabitants, and burned the city. Rebuilding it, they renamed it Dan after their forefather.
The new city became the northernmost landmark of Israel, regularly paired with Beersheba to describe the full extent of the land (Judges 20:1; 2 Samuel 17:11). Yet the site soon carried a darker legacy: Jeroboam I later set up one of his golden calves at Dan (1 Kings 12:29-30), making it a center of apostasy. The narrator's note that 'the name of the city used to be Laish' may quietly witness to what was lost, both the peaceful Canaanite community and, for Israel, the pure worship that should have marked this new stronghold.
Textual Notes
The Cambridge Bible notes that the clause 'howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first' (along with 'who was born unto Israel') is likely an editorial addition, based on the style of similar formulaic notes in Genesis (e.g., Genesis 28:19). The Hebrew conjunction ulam ('but,' 'however') strengthens the adversative sense, suggesting a deliberate insertion. No significant variant readings are attested in the manuscript tradition for this verse.
Reception History
The city of Dan became a standard fixture in Israel's geography, appearing frequently in the phrase 'from Dan to Beersheba' to denote the whole land. In later Jewish tradition, Dan's location at the northern border made it a symbol of Israel's reach, but its association with Jeroboam's golden calves (1 Kings 12:29-30) gave it a reputation for idolatry. Early Christian interpreters, such as the fourth-century historian Eusebius, noted Dan's role in the divided kingdom. The verse itself has been cited to illustrate how conquerors assert identity by renaming places, a recurring pattern in Scripture and history. Across traditions, readers have found in this verse a poignant reminder that even our most successful ventures rest on ground that once belonged to someone else, and that names carry stories we cannot fully control.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Claiming a Name, Claiming an Inheritance. The Danites rename Laish after their ancestor Dan. Naming signifies ownership and identity. They are asserting that this land belongs to their tribe, even though they have abandoned their original allotment.
- Spiritual Drift Disguised as Progress. The Danites see their migration as a success, but they carry stolen idols and a renegade priest. The new city's name honors Israel, yet its foundation is built on theft and violence.
- Names That Outlast Us. Dan becomes a permanent place marker ("from Dan to Beersheba"), yet its legacy is mixed, a reminder of military conquest and spiritual compromise.
Five-point outline
- Israel's northern boundary took its name from a tribe that nearly disappeared.
- Human initiative, not divine direction, drove this conquest.
- The quiet and unsuspecting are often the first to suffer.
- Success does not equal blessing.
- God's purposes continue even through flawed human decisions.
Illustration hooks
- A family moves to a new town and names their home after their ancestral village, wanting to carry their identity into a new place, even if the move was driven by hardship.
- Developers rename a historic neighborhood after its new owners, erasing the old community's memory. The change feels like progress to some, like loss to others.
- An athlete changes her jersey number to honor a relative, hoping to step into a legacy, but her performance and character will define what that number means going forward.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God seem to let the Danites succeed when they are clearly doing the wrong thing?
- What difference does a name make? Does renaming something really change its identity?
- Is there a warning in this story about using faith language to cover selfish decisions?
Leading a Discussion
Judges 18:29 closes a story full of moral ambiguity. The Danites steal idols, hire a priest, and slaughter a peaceful city, then name their new home after one of Israel's sons. As you discuss this verse, notice what the narrator chooses to include and what he leaves out. The bare facts invite us to reflect on how we name our own choices and legacies.
Discussion questions
- What does the act of renaming Laish communicate about the Danites' view of themselves and their new city?
- Why do you think the narrator adds that the city used to be called Laish? What does that detail preserve?
- The name Dan means 'judge' (see Genesis 30:6). In what ways does this story either reflect or contradict that meaning?
- Read Joshua 19:47 in parallel. How does that account compare with Judges 18:27-29? What does the difference tell us?
- The Danites claim the legacy of their ancestor Dan, yet they are also carrying stolen idols. What does this tension say about claiming a spiritual heritage while disobeying God?
- Later, Dan became a center of idolatry under Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:29-30). Looking back, do you see seeds of that in this story?
- In your own life, are there places or choices you have renamed to sound more noble, while the foundation story is more complicated?
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)
| Genesis 14:14 | When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he led out his three hundred eighteen trained men, born in his house, and pursued as far as Dan. |
| Genesis 30:6 | Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan. |
| Genesis 32:28 | He said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.” |
| Joshua 19:47 | 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 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. |
| Judges 20:1 | Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, to Yahweh at Mizpah. |
| II Samuel 17:11 | But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that you go to battle in your own person. |
| I Kings 12:29 | He set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. |
| I Kings 12:30 | This thing became a sin, for the people went even as far as Dan to worship before the one there. |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that Dan later became the northern boundary of the promised land, so the common expression "from Dan to Beer-sheba" came to represent Israel's full territorial extent from north to south. The city's name thus marked one extreme of the nation's geographic reach.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools commentary notes that the phrase "howbeit … at the first" is an editorial addition inserted later, not part of the original text. It observes the same formula appears in Genesis 28:19, attributed to the Elohist source, and considers the reference to "who was born unto Israel" as also editorial.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note explains that the tribe of Dan renamed the city of Laish after their ancestor Dan, who was a son of Israel. It simply records that the original name was Laish, marking the change that came with the tribe's conquest.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights the prophetic significance behind the city's renaming. The original name Laish means "lion," which he connects to Jacob's blessing that Dan would be a lion's whelp. He also notes that the city's earlier name Leshem matches the stone bearing Dan's name in the high priest's breastplate, seeing this as a prior portent.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch notes that Laish was vulnerable because it had no deliverer in its isolated condition. They identify the city's location in the valley toward Beth-rehob, in the upper Huleh lowland by the Leddan spring, and confirm that the site is Tell el Kadi, later rebuilt and renamed Dan.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange highlights that the Danites are not unbelieving but superstitious: they want a god they can steal and control rather than serve Jehovah.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that the Danites conquered Laish easily because the people were careless and off their guard. He draws a spiritual parallel: Satan likewise gains advantage when believers grow secure and drop their watchfulness. For Henry, the tragedy of Laish warns that constant vigilance, not ease, protects the soul.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley rejects Matthew Henry's claim that the goodness of God's promised land will intensify the punishment of those who perish. He argues that this reasoning fails under predestination: if some are not elected, they never had a genuine offer, and if all the elect are saved, the grant was never free to the others.