Dan

Fifth son of Jacob and first son through Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, ancestor of the tribe of Dan. Rachel, who was childless at the time, named him “Dan” (meaning “he judged”), saying “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son” (Genesis 30:6). Jacob’s blessing described Dan as a judge and a serpent: “Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path” (Genesis 49:16-17). The tribe initially settled near the coast but migrated northward due to Philistine pressure (Judges 18). The judge Samson came from this tribe.