The Meaning of Judges 18:29 Explained

Judges 18:29

KJV: And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.

YLT: and call the name of the city Dan, by the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel; and yet Laish is the name of the city at the first.

Darby: And they named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was La'ish at the first.

ASV: And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they called  the name  of the city  Dan,  after the name  of Dan  their father,  who was born  unto Israel:  howbeit  the name  of the city  [was] Laish  at the first. 

What does Judges 18:29 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Judges 18

1  The Danites send five men to seek out an inheritance
3  At the house of Micah they consult with Jonathan, and are encouraged
7  They search Laish, and bring back news of good hope
11  Six hundred men are sent to surprise it
16  In their way they rob Micah of his priest and his consecrated things
27  They win Laish, and call it Dan
30  They set up idolatry, wherein Jonathan inherits the priesthood

What do the individual words in Judges 18:29 mean?

And they called the name of the city Dan after the name of Dan their father who was born to Israel and However Laish of the city [was] formerly
וַיִּקְרְא֤וּ שֵׁם־ הָעִיר֙ דָּ֔ן בְּשֵׁם֙ דָּ֣ן אֲבִיהֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יוּלַּ֖ד לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְאוּלָ֛ם לַ֥יִשׁ הָעִ֖יר לָרִאשֹׁנָֽה

וַיִּקְרְא֤וּ  And  they  called 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
שֵׁם־  the  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
הָעִיר֙  of  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
דָּ֔ן  Dan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּן 
Sense: the 5th son of Jacob, the st of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid.
בְּשֵׁם֙  after  the  name 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
דָּ֣ן  of  Dan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּן 
Sense: the 5th son of Jacob, the st of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid.
אֲבִיהֶ֔ם  their  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
יוּלַּ֖ד  was  born 
Parse: Verb, QalPass, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  to  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וְאוּלָ֛ם  and  However 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אוּלָם  
Sense: but, but indeed (a strong adversative).
לַ֥יִשׁ  Laish 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: לָוִשׁ 
Sense: father of Phaltiel, the man to whom king Saul gave his daughter Michal in marriage even though she was already married to David.
הָעִ֖יר  of  the  city  [was] 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
לָרִאשֹׁנָֽה  formerly 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.