John Calvin Commentary Genesis 49:16

"Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel." — Genesis 49:16 (ASV)

Dan shall judge his people. In the word judge there is an allusion to his name, because among the Hebrews, דון (din) signifies to judge. Rachel, when she gave thanks to God, gave this name to the son born to her by her handmaid, as if God had been the vindicator of her cause and right.

Jacob now gives a new interpretation to the meaning of the name; namely, that the sons of Dan shall have a significant part in the government of the people. For the Jews foolishly restrict this to Samson, because he alone presided over the whole people, whereas the language instead applies to the perpetual condition of the tribe.

Jacob therefore means that, though Dan was born from a concubine, he shall still be one of the judges of Israel. This is because his offspring shall not only possess a share of the government and command in the general political order—so that this tribe may form a distinct unit of leadership—but the tribe shall also be appointed the standard-bearer to lead the fourth division of the camp of Israel. In the second place, his subtle disposition is described.

For Jacob compares this people to serpents, who rise out of their lurking-places by stealth against the unwary whom they wish to injure. The sense then is that Dan shall not be so courageous as to earnestly and boldly engage in open conflict; instead, he will fight with cunning and use snares.

Nevertheless, Jacob shows that Dan will be superior to his enemies, whom he does not dare to approach with collected forces, just as serpents, by their secret bite, bring down the horse and its rider. Here also, no judgment is explicitly passed on whether this subtlety of Dan should be considered worthy of praise or blame. However, conjecture tends to lead us to place it among his faults, or at least his disadvantages: that instead of confronting his enemies in open conflict, he will fight them only with secret deceptions.