Journey Through The Scriptures

The tribes of Dan, Naphtali, and Gad were similar in being great warriors who were often on the frontlines in battle. The Danites were strong and valiant, while the tribe of Naphtali was placed at the forefront of many battles because of their fierce fighting skills. But the history of the Danites, in particular, shows a failure to live up to their name. Dan means “judge,” but instead of providing justice for the nation, Jacob prophesied that Dan would prove treacherous. Judges 18 shows that the Danites were responsible for the first major appearance of idolatry in Israel.

Perhaps this resulted from the failure of the Danites to completely separate themselves from the Canaanites. The Bible also says that the Naphtalites did not drive out the Canaanites (Judges 1:33), a dangerous practice that both ignored God’s command and led to intermarriage and idolatry. Samson was the most famous of the Danites, but he was weak in faith and mixed with the idolaters around him. The territory of Dan marked the northernmost point of Israel, and the name was often used as a synonym for the nation’s northern border.