1 Chronicles 23:17

And the sons of Eliezer were, Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17) And the sons of Eliezer were, Rehabiah the chief.—The word “were” (became) ought not to be in italics in the text, as it is expressed in the Hebrew.

The chief (head) means founder and eponym of the clan the sons of Rehabiah.

And Eliezer had none other sons.—Literally, And there became not to Eliezer ether sons, and the sons of Rehabiah had multiplied exceedingly (unto height, 1Chronicles 22:5). The clan Rehabiah was very populous.

Thus (1Chronicles 23:16-17) the descendants of Moses were comprised in two father-houses, or clans, viz., Shebuel and Rehabiah.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

23:1-23 David, having given charge concerning the building of the temple, settles the method of the temple service, and orders the officers of it. When those of the same family were employed together, it would engage them to love and assist one another.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the marginal references and notes. 1 Chronicles 23:28-32 give the most complete account in Scripture of the nature of the Levitical office.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

14. concerning Moses—His sons were ranked with the Levites generally, but not introduced into the distinctive portion of the descendants of Levi, who were appointed to the special functions of the priesthood.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The sons of Eliezer, for the son; the plural number for the singular, as Genesis 46:23 1 Chronicles 2:8,31, and oft elsewhere.

Rehabiah the chief, Heb. the first-born. He is so called, not because others were born after him, but because none were born before him. See Poole "Matthew 1:25".

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the sons of Eliezer were Rehabiah the chief,.... The first and only begotten, as it follows:

and Eliezer had none other sons; before nor after him:

but the sons of Rehabiah were very many; or greatly multiplied; not, as the Targum says, above 600,000; the number of Israel, as the Jewish writers (m) fancy; which they gather from Exodus 1:7, and that though Moses deprecated the multiplication of his seed, God fulfilled it.

(m) T. Bab Beracot, fol. 7. 1, 2, Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 16. fol. 220. 4.

Geneva Study Bible

And the sons of Eliezer were, Rehabiah the {c} chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

(c) The scripture calls him chief or first born even though he is alone and there is no one born after him, Mt 1:25.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

17. Rehabiah] Cp. 1 Chronicles 24:21.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 17. - Rehabiah. He was the chief (הָראשׁ); but it happened that he was also the only son. Hence it is added in antithesis that his sons were very many (see the name again, 1 Chronicles 26:25). The non-priestly Amramites are therefore seen to correspond with the houses of Shebuel and Rehabiah. 1 Chronicles 23:17

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Each of his two sons Gershon and Eliezer (see Exodus 2:22 and Exodus 18:3.) founded a father's-house; Gershon through his son Shebuel (שׁבוּאל, in 1 Chronicles 24:20 שׁוּבאל), Eliezer through Rehabiah. The plurals בני ג, בני א are used, although in both cases only one son, he who was head (הראשׁ) of the father's-house, is mentioned, either because they had other sons, or those named had in their turn sons, who together formed a father's-house. From the remark in 1 Chronicles 23:17, that Eliezer had no other sons than Rehabiah, while Rehabiah had very many, we may conclude that Gershon had other sons besides Shebuel, who are not mentioned because their descendants were numbered with Shebuel's father's-house.