17
Danדָןwill beיְהִיa serpentנָחָשׁbyעֲלֵיthe way,דֶרֶךְa viperשְׁפִיפֹןbyעֲלֵיthe path,אֹרַחthat bitesהַנֹּשֵׁךְthe horse’sסוּסheels,עִקְּבֵיso that its riderוַ רֹכְבוֹfallsיִּפֹּלbackward.אָחוֹר
Genesis 49:17
Study it in the app“Dan will be a serpent by the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse’s heels, so that its rider falls backward.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 49:17, word by word
- Danדָןdan
Dan
See it on the mapWhere else “dan” appears- will beיְהִיyehi
be
To be: "I will be their Elohim".
Where else “yehi” appears- a serpentנָחָשׁnachash
serpent
A legless reptile that crawls and often bites with venom.
Where else “nachash” appears- the wayדֶרֶךְderech
road
The track or route by which one goes from one place to another.
Where else “derech” appears- a viperשְׁפִיפֹןshefifon
horned viper
A kind of viper. It occurs only in Genesis 49:17.
Where else “shefifon” appears- the pathאֹרַחorach
path
A road; or a way of life.
Where else “orach” appears- that bitesנֹּשֵׁךְnoshech
bite
To sink the teeth in, like a snake that strikes and poisons.
Where else “noshech” appears- the horse’sסוּסsus
horse
A war and draft animal that pulls chariots, or the one who rides it.
Where else “sus” appears- heelsעִקְּבֵיikve
heel
The back part of the foot, under the ankle.
Where else “ikve” appears- so that its riderרֹכְבrochv
rider
The one mounted on a horse: messenger or soldier.
Where else “rochv” appears- fallsיִּפֹּלyipol
fall
To fall to the ground, or for a city to fall.
Where else “yipol” appears- backwardאָחוֹרachor
behind
The part behind something or someone, the side not seen from the front.
Where else “achor” appears
Places in this verse
Dan
Today: Tel Dan nature reserve, northern Israel
A city at the far north of Israel, at the foot of Mount Hermon.
The tribe of Dan took the city and gave it their name (Judg 18:29). Jeroboam set up a golden calf there (1 Kgs 12:29).
The context
16Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 · This verse (above)
18For your salvation I wait, YHWH.
To study Genesis 49 in a group
1. What it says
What did Jacob say about Judah and Joseph in his blessings (vv. 8-12, 22-26)?
2. What it means
What does it show that Jacob gave each son a different blessing (v. 28)?
3. How I live it
How can you recognize what is distinct and unique in each person in your family?