Dan is a lion’s whelp: this is said of Judah in Gen 49.9. The figure can be expressed as a metaphor, “Dan is a young lion,” or as a simile, “Dan is like a young lion.” In most instances a simile will probably be better.

Leaps forth from Bashan: Bashan was a region east of the Jordan River, south of Lake Galilee (see 3.1). The text is talking about military raids against neighboring peoples. It does not mean Dan “leaps out of Bashan”; it means that from his lair in Bashan Dan assaults his enemies, and in a number of languages something like the following will be a possible translation:

• From your lair [or, cave] in Bashan
you leap out on [or, attack] your enemies.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .