Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
Genesis 49:16 belongs to Jacob's dying testimony to his children, spoken to his sorrowing sons after he had forgiven their wrongs, loving them to the last with no resentful or unforgiving spirit. The words were not his own from natural paternal feeling, which would have spoken only love and tenderness, but truth given by God by the spirit of prophecy under inspiration. That inspiration lifted his mind above his natural feelings, and though painful the testimony was spoken with angels around him in his last hours and the power of God's grace shining upon him.
As part of those inspired words, the verse presents the light in which God viewed deeds of violence and declares that He would visit them for their sins. Among the prophetic words spoken concerning the other sons, this word concerning Dan was not as gloomy as the words spoken against Simeon and Levi.
Genesis 49:16 belongs to Jacob's dying testimony to his children, spoken to his sorrowing sons after he had forgiven their wrongs, loving them to the last with no resentful or unforgiving spirit. The words were not his own from natural paternal feeling, which would have spoken only love and tenderness, but truth given by God by the spirit of prophecy under inspiration. That inspiration lifted his mind above his natural feelings, and though painful the testimony was spoken with angels around him in his last hours and the power of God's grace shining upon him.
As part of those inspired words, the verse presents the light in which God viewed deeds of violence and declares that He would visit them for their sins. Among the prophetic words spoken concerning the other sons, this word concerning Dan was not as gloomy as the words spoken against Simeon and Levi.