Dan was the son of Yaakov and Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid. Rachel named him, saying: “God has judged me (dananni), He has heard my voice and given me a son” (Genesis 30:6). According to the Yalkut Shimoni, he was born on 9 Elul. The Torah lists a single son, Chushim.

In his blessings, Yaakov declared: “Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.” Rashi explains that he would avenge his people against the Philistines, and that the prophecy alludes to Samson, of the tribe of Dan, whose father Manoach came from Zorah.

In the wilderness, the banner of the camp of Dan marched last, as the rear guard of all the camps. Rashi cites the Jerusalem Talmud: because the tribe was so numerous it traveled at the rear and returned to everyone whatever they had lost. In the Land of Israel the tribe received a territory including Zorah and Eshtaol; part of it later migrated north, conquered Leshem, also called Laish, and renamed it Dan after their ancestor.

According to the Yalkut Shimoni, Dan died at the age of one hundred and twenty-five. Tradition places his tomb at Zorah, in his tribe's territory, while Sefer HaYashar relates that he was buried in Eshtaol. A site in the Zorah forest is attributed to him, and another, more recent tradition points to a tomb near Mount Tabor.