Mahaneh-dan, a place between Zorah and Eshtaol where the Spirit of the Lord began to stir Samson (Judges 13:25; 18:12).
Also known as Mahaneh Dan · camp of Dan
Mahaneh-dan, meaning "camp of Dan," was a place located between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tribal territory of Dan. It is mentioned twice in the book of Judges. In Judges 13:25, it is described as the place where the Spirit of the Lord began to stir Samson, the legendary Israelite judge and warrior. Later, in Judges 18:12, Mahaneh-dan is mentioned as the place where the Danites camped during their migration northward to seek new territory. The exact location of Mahaneh-dan is not specified in the Bible, but it was situated in the area inhabited by the tribe of Dan.
Approximate location: 31.758, 34.994 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
Judg. 18:12 = “camp of Dan” 13:25 (R.V., “Mahaneh-dan”), a place behind (i.e., west of) Kirjath-jearim, where the six hundred Danites from Zorah and Eshtaol encamped on their way to capture the city of Laish, which they rebuilt and called “Dan, after the name of their father” (18:11-31). The Palestine Explorers point to a ruin called ‘Erma, situated about 3 miles from the great corn valley on the east of Samson’s home.
MA'HANEH-DAN (the camp of Dan), a place "behind Kirjath-jearim," Jud 18:12, and "between Zorah and Eshtaol." Jud 13:25.
MA'HANEH-DAN (the camp of Dan), a place "behind Kirjath-jearim," Jud 18:12, and "between Zorah and Eshtaol." Jud 13:25.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
2 verses in 1 book · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H4265
And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him at Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called Mahaneh-dan to this day.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.