Jeremiah 4:15

From Dan. A designation of the northern limit of Palestine (see Deut. 34:1), frequently mentioned along with the southern limit, Beersheba (Judges 20:1; 1 Sam. 3:20; etc.). Dan lay at the foot of Mt. Hennon. The town was originally a Sidonian colony called Laish. In their migration northward the Danites captured Laish and renamed it “Dan” (see on Joshua 19:47). When Jeroboam selected Dan as the site for one of the golden calves (see 1 Kings 12:29), the town became a prominent center of idolatry. From this northern extremity of the land would come the first reports of the approaching army of the Chaldeans.

Mount Ephraim. On the location and significance of this geographical designation see Additional Note on 1 Samuel 1. The mention of Ephraim immediately after Dan gives an indication of either the rapid spread of the news of the invader or the rapid approach of the invaders themselves. The border of Ephraim was only a short distance from Jerusalem.