Genesis 46:23 — Word Study
WLCוּבְנֵי־ דָ֖ן חֻשִֽׁים׃
BSAThe sonbên [descendant, offspring] of DanDân [a son of Jacob and founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel] HushimChûwshîym [one who hurries or is swift]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וּבְנֵי־ | and [the] sons of | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural construct |
| דָ֖ן | Dan | Noun proper masculine |
| חֻשִֽׁים׃ | Hushim | Noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The son of Dan: Hushim. |
| KJV | ¶ And the sons of Dan; Hushim. |
| ASV | And the sons of Dan: Hushim. |
| YLT | And sons of Dan: Hushim. |
| WEB | The son of Dan: Hushim. |
| BBE | And the son of Dan was Hushim. |
Where they part company is in the rendering of Hushim — see How Translations Differ.
A single main clause identifies Hushim as the son of Dan, typical of genealogical listings.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Genesis 46:23
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Genealogy of Jacob's Familygenerated
Genesis 46:23 lists Hushim as the son of Dan, contributing to the lineage of the tribes of Israel. This genealogy emphasizes the importance of family heritage and the establishment of the twelve tribes, which play a significant role in the history of Israel. The context highlights the descendants of Jacob as they prepare to settle in Egypt, marking a pivotal moment in their story.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 30:6 | Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; He has heard my plea and given me a son.” So she named him Dan. |
| 2 | Genesis 35:25 | The sons of Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali. |
| 3 | Genesis 49:16–17 | Dan shall provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. |
| 4 | Numbers 1:12–38 | from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai; |
| 5 | Numbers 10:25 | Finally, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out under their standard, serving as the rear guard for all units, with Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai in command. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חֻשִֽׁים, chu.Shimgenerated
The name חֻשִׁים (Hushim) is a proper noun referring to a descendant of Dan. The name suggests swiftness or haste, derived from a root meaning 'to hurry'. Hushim is noted in the genealogical records, indicating his place within the lineage of Jacob.
This word appears in a few contexts in the Old Testament, including references to individuals from the tribe of Benjamin and Dan. The use of the name here illustrates the connection of Hushim to the broader narrative of the tribes of Israel.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations of this verse generally agree on the identification of Hushim as Dan's son.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse is straightforward, with the finite verb implied in the genealogical listing. The main clause identifies Hushim as the son of Dan, following the introductory phrase that connects to the broader genealogy.
The noun phrase acts as the subject of the verse, emphasizing the lineage of Dan through Hushim. The simplicity of the structure reflects the typical format of genealogical records in the Old Testament.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Greek word used for Hushim is ασομ, which does not carry the same meaning of swiftness found in the Hebrew. This choice may reflect a different interpretive approach by the translators, focusing on the identification rather than the connotation of the name.
The translation choices in the Septuagint suggest a broader understanding of the text, as the Greek audience may have interpreted the name Hushim in a context that differed from the original Hebrew.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Genesis 46:23 tells us that Hushim is the son of Dan, one of Jacob's sons. This verse is part of a genealogy that lists the descendants of Jacob, showing the importance of family lineage in the history of Israel.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The name Hushim means one who hurries or is swift, reflecting a characteristic associated with the individual.
Dan was one of Jacob's sons and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Genealogy is important in the Bible as it establishes family lineage, inheritance, and the fulfillment of God's promises through specific lineages.
Yes, there are other individuals named Hushim mentioned in the Bible, including a man from the tribe of Benjamin.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does understanding the genealogy of Jacob enhance our view of the tribes of Israel?
- What significance do names hold in the context of family lineage in the Bible?
- In what ways can we see the importance of heritage in our own lives?
- How does the connection between Hushim and Dan reflect on the identity of the tribes of Israel?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Genesis 46:23 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd the sons of Dan, Hushim. He had but one son, wherefore the plural is put for the singular, see Genesis 46:7; Aben Ezra thinks he had two sons, and that one of them was dead, and therefore not
Read John Gill on Genesis 46 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd the sons of Dan; Hushim. The sons of Dan - Hushim or Shusham (Numbers 26:42).
Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 46 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(23) Dan has one son, Hushim, called Shuham in Numbers 26:42. No genealogy of this tribe is given in Chronicles.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Genesis 46 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges23. sons] Only one name is given. No list of Danites appears in 1 Chronicles 2-8. Hushim] In Numbers 26:42, Shuham. Hushim in 1 Chronicles 8:8 belongs to Benjamin.
Read Cambridge on Genesis 46 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleTHE MUSTER-ROLL OF ISRAEL, Genesis 46:8-27. “There is a painstaking minuteness in the dates and statistics of this history, which stands in wonderful contrast with the round numbers and vague statements of mythical narratives.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Genesis 46 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The son of Dan: Hushim.
The son of Dan: Hushim.
The son of Dan: Hushim.
The son of Dan: Hushim.
Tyndale line
¶ And the sons of Dan; Hushim.
And the sons of Dan: Hushim.
And the sons of Dan; Hushim.
And the sons of Dan; Hushim.
Also the sonnes of Dan: Hushim.
Strictly literal
And the sons of Dan: Hushim.
And sons of Dan: Hushim.
And sons of Dan: Hushim.
And the son of Dan: Chushim.
The son of Dan was Hushim.
From the Latin
The sons of Dan: Husim.
Simplified
The son of Dan: Hushim.
And the son of Dan was Hushim.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Samaritan Pentateuch agree word for word in this verse, confirming the identification of Hushim as the son of Dan. The Septuagint matches three of the three words, though the exact wording differs due to translation choices.
וּבְנֵי־ דָ֖ן חֻשִֽׁים׃
3 of the 3 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ובני דן חשׁים
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Genesis 46:23
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
son, male child, born of a woman
children (male and female)
youth, young men
the young of animals
of plant shoots
fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
member of a guild, order or class
of animals son of (the) herd
ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
n. relat. of age
base
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
done
H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman
. children (male and female)
. youth, young men
. the young of animals
. of plant shoots
. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
. . member of a guild, order or class
. of animals son of (the) herd
. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
. n. relat. of age
H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son
1121 ben bane
from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the
widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,
including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,
etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)
(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,
(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,
bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X
came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of
first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +
kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)
people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +
spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous
one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 0251
בֵּן (ben) — son: child.
: child/son
בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;
son of: Jaaziah (H3269);
brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)
§ Beno = "his son"
the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)
בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.
: descendant, people, tribe, nation
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : child/son
בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.
: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : descendant
בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.
: rebel/son(Belial)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : people/men/nation/tribe
בֵּן (ben) — son.
: [inheriting]son/heir
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.
: warrior/son(strong)
Conj | N-mp — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural constructHC/Ncmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
דָּן (Dan) means 'judge' and refers to the fifth son of Jacob and Bilhah. It encompasses the tribe descended from him and a city located in northern Israel, significant as a landmark in Palestine. The entries consistently highlight these aspects without notable disagreement.
דָּן n.pr.m. (judge)
son of Jacob and Bilhah
the tribe of Dan
a city on northern frontier of Israel at one of the sources of the Jordan
base
H1835 דָּן judge . son of Jacob and Bilhah
. the tribe of Dan
. a city on northern frontier of Israel at one of the sources of the Jordan
1835 Dan dawn
from 1777; judge; Dan, one of the sons of Jacob; also the
tribe descended from him, and its territory; likewise a place
in Palestine colonized by them:--Dan.
see HEBREW for 01777
דָּן (dan) — Dan.
§ Dan = "a judge"
1) the territory of the tribe of Dan 2) a city in Dan, the most northern landmark of Palestine
דָּן (dan) — Dan.
A man of the tribe of Dan living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.30.6;
son of: Israel (H3478) and Bilhah (H1090A);
brother of: Naphtali (H5321);
half-brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144);
father of: Hushim (H2366B)
§ Dan = "a judge"
1) the 5th son of Jacob, the 1st of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid
2) the tribe descended from Dan, the son of Jacob
3) a city in Dan, the most northern landmark of Palestine
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
Dan
A judge. (1.) The fifth son of Jacob. His mother was Bilhah, Rachel’s maid (Gen. 30:6, “God hath judged me”, Heb. dananni). The blessing pronounced on him by his father was, “Dan shall judge his people” (49:16), probably in allusion to the judgeship of Samson, who was of the tribe of Dan.
The tribe of Dan had their place in the march through the wilderness on the north side of the tabernacle (Num. 2:25, 31; 10:25). It was the last of the tribes to receive a portion in the Land of Promise. Its position and extent are described in Josh. 19:40-48.
The territory of Dan extended from the west of that of Ephraim and Benjamin to the sea. It was a small territory, but was very fertile. It included in it, among others, the…
(a judge). The fifth son of Jacob, and the first of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid. (Genesis 30:6) (B.C. after 1753.) The origin of the name is given in the exclamation of Rachel. The records of Dan are unusually meagre. Only one son is attributed to him, (Genesis 46:23) but his tribe was, with the exception of Judah, the most numerous of all. In the division of the promised land Dan was the last of the tribes to receive his portion, which was the smallest of the twelve. (Joshua 19:48) But notwithstanding its smallness it had eminent natural advantages. On the north and east it was completely embraced by its two brother tribes Ephraim and Benjamin, while on the southeast and south it joined Judah, and was thus surrounded by the three…
A judge,
1. A son of Jacob by Bilhah, Ge 30:3 35:25. The tribe of Dan was second only to that of Judah in numbers before entering Canaan, Nu 1:39 26:43. A portion was assigned to Dan, extending southeast from the seacoast near Joppa. It bordered on the land of the Philistines, with whom the tribe of Dan had much to do, Jud 13:1-16:31. Their territory was fertile, but small, and the natives were powerful. A part of the tribe therefore sought and conquered another home, Jos 19:1-51 Jud 18:1-31
judgment; he that judges
The Hebrew word חוּשִׁים (*Chuwshiym*) refers to Hushim, which can denote both a woman from the tribe of Benjamin, married to Shaharaim, and a man from the tribe of Dan. The name is derived from a root meaning 'hasters' and is associated with several individuals mentioned in the Old Testament, including a son of Dan and a son of Aher.
חוּשִׁים, חֻשִׁים n.pr.f. wife of Shaharaim of Benjamin
base
חֻשִׁים n.pr.m. of Dan
base
H2366a חוּשִׁים, חֻשִׁים wife of Shaharaim of Benjamin H2366b חֻשִׁים of Dan
2366 Chuwshiym khoo-sheem'
or Chushiym {khoo-shem'}; or Chushim {khoo- sheem'}; plural
from 2363; hasters; Chushim, the name of three
Israelites:--Hushim.
see HEBREW for 02363
חוּשִׁים (chu.shim) — Hushim.
A womanof the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.8.8; married to Shaharaim (H7842);
mother of: Abitub (H0036) and Elpaal (H0508)
§ Hushim = "who makes haste"
one of the two wives of Shaharaim
חֻשִׁים (chu.shim) — Hushim.
A man of the tribe of Dan living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.23;
son of: Dan (H1835H); also called Shuham at Num.26.42,43;
§ Hushim = "who makes haste"
1) the sons of Aher, a Benjamite
2) descendants of Dan
חֻשִׁים (chu.shim) — Hushim.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.7.12;
son of: Aher (H0313)
§ Hushim = "who makes haste"
1) the sons of Aher, a Benjamite
2) descendants of Dan
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
(who makes haste). In (Genesis 46:23) "the children of Dan" are said to have been Hushim. The name is plural, as if of a tribe rather than an individual. In (Numbers 26:42) the name is changed to Shuham. A Benjamite, (1 Chronicles 7:12) and here again apparently the plural nature of the name is recognized, and Hushim are stated to be "the sons of Aher." One of the two wives of Shaharaim. (1 Chronicles 8:8) (B.C. 1450.)