Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Genesis 49:16 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 16. 16Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Dan will judge or provide justice for his people as one of Israel's tribes. The name-wordplay affirms his full tribal standing before the serpent image describes how he may act.
Read It With
- Genesis 49:1–28
Read verses 16–18 together. Judgment, strategic serpent imagery, and Jacob's prayer for God's salvation form one movement.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Dan's name-wordplay affirms judicial responsibility and full tribal standing before a strategic animal image.
Read Genesis 49:16–18 together
Why these verses belong together: Dan's judicial wordplay and serpent strategy lead into Jacob's prayer for the LORD's salvation.
Verse 16. 16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
Verse 17. 17 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.
Verse 18. 18 I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.
What Remains True
A smaller community can bear real responsibility for justice without needing the size or prestige of another group.
How It Can Shape Life
- Give people authority proportionate to their responsibility and evaluate justice by faithful action rather than status or visibility.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 49:1–28 — Jacob Speaks Over His Twelve SonsSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed text, family antecedents, tribal reception, royal trajectory, and Christian canonical reception.
Exact location: Genesis 49:1–28 with Genesis 34:1–31; 35:22; 37–48; 50:15–26; Deuteronomy 33; Judges 5; 1 Chronicles 5:1–2; 2 Samuel 7; Psalm 60; and Revelation 5:5 in the pinned standardized 1769 KJV
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Poetic structure, wordplay, difficult forms, leadership, animal images, divine titles, and Joseph's distinction.
Exact location: WLC Genesis 49:1–28, especially be'acharit hayyamim, pachaz kammayim, mekheroteihem, yiqqeru shor, shevet, mechoqeq, shiloh, mishpethayim, Gad wordplay, Naphtali wording, ben porat, avir ya'aqov, ro'eh, even yisra'el, and nezir echav
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Coming-days idiom, Reuben, Simeon and Levi, Shiloh, abundance, tribal geography, rare terms, Naphtali, Joseph, shepherd-and-stone syntax, and ancient textual alternatives.
Exact location: NET Genesis 49 translator and textual notes, especially verses 1, 3–7, 10–12, 13–18, 21–26
Open NET Genesis 49 ↗