Dan

1Rachel saw that she had no children for Jacob. She was jealous of her sister Leah. She said to Jacob, "Give me children, or I will die."

And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

NoteLong ago, having children was the most important thing for a family. A woman with no children often felt very sad and ashamed.

2Jacob became angry with Rachel. He said, "Am I in God's place? He is the one who has kept you from having children."

And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

NoteJacob means that he is not God. Only God can decide when a baby is born.

3Rachel said, "Here is my servant Bilhah. Sleep with her. She will give birth on my knees. Then I can have children through her too."

And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.

NoteHolding a new baby on your knees was a sign. It meant, "This baby counts as mine."

4So Rachel gave him her servant Bilhah to be his wife. Jacob slept with her.

And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.

NoteIn those days a man could have more than one wife. Bilhah was Rachel's servant, so her baby would count as Rachel's baby.

5Bilhah was going to have a baby. She had a son for Jacob.

And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.

6Rachel said, "God has judged for me. He heard me and gave me a son." So she named him Dan.

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.

NoteIn Hebrew, the old language of this story, "Dan" sounds like the word for "he judged." Judged here means God gave Rachel what was fair.

7Bilhah, Rachel's servant, was going to have another baby. She had a second son for Jacob.

And Bilhah Rachel’s maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.

8Rachel said, "I have fought hard with my sister, and I have won." She named him Naphtali.

And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.

Note"Naphtali" sounds like the Hebrew word for "my fight." People often picked names that sounded like something that had happened.

16"Dan will judge his people. He will be one of the tribes of Israel."

Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.

NoteDan's name sounds like the word for judge. To judge is to decide who is right when people argue. A tribe is one of the big family groups of Israel, all of them coming from one of Jacob's sons.

17"Dan will be a snake beside the road. He will be a snake in the path. He bites the horse's heels. Then the rider falls off backward."

Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

NoteA snake is small, but it can stop a big horse. Dan's family would be small and still strong.

18"LORD, I have waited for you to save me."

I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.

NoteLORD in big letters stands for God's own special name.

22About Dan he said: "Dan is a young lion. He leaps out from Bashan."

And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion’s whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.

NoteDan was another son of Jacob. Bashan was a green land with hills, where lions lived.