The tribe of Dan
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(Exod. 31:6) had its inheritance between the territories of the tribes of Judah and Ephraim on the one side, and between the territories of the tribe of Benjamin and the seacoast on the other. Peace and tranquility were not the lot of the tribe of Dan (Judg. 1:34, 35); the sons of Dan were frequently troubled and hard-pressed by the natives of the neighboring pagan lands. The inheritance of the Danites was undoubtedly fertile, though it abounded in undulating plains and rocky hills, but it was the smallest inheritance among the rest (Josh. 19:47; Judg. 18:1), and for this reason they were concerned to expand their territory.
To this end, five men sent by them found land on the northern border, near Beth-rehob, called Laish, or otherwise Leshem, with a city of the same name (Judg. 18:7; Josh. 19:47), which seemed in every respect suitable for settlement and not difficult to conquer (Judg. 18:10). The sacred historian gives us, though brief, yet interesting information about how they acted in order to take possession of Laish. They struck down the people of Laish with the sword and burned the city (Judg. 18:27 [as given]). However, the Danites soon rebuilt the city and named it Dan, after the name of their father Dan, son of Israel (v. 29).