הם יצאו את העיר. אמר יוסף אם ירחיקו מן העיר אין כל בריה יכולה לעמוד בפניהם לפי שנמשלו לחיות גור אריה יהודה. יהי דן נחש עלי דרך. נפתלי אילה שלוחה. קום רדוף עד שאימת העיר עליהם: הם יצאו את העיר, “when they had barely left the gates of the city,” not having covered any distance as yet. Joseph had reasoned that once they had reached beyond a certain distance it would be impossible to exercise any control over them [without violence. Ed.] as they had been compared to wild beasts. (Compare Yaakov’s blessing of Yehudah in Genesis 49 9 where he compared Yehudah alone to a ferocious lion.) In verse 21 in that chapter the tribe of Naftali is described by Yaakov as a hind let loose, suggesting again that militarily the sons of Yaakov were feared by their contemporaries. They would inspire fear in their adversaries.