Commentary for Numbers 2:14

אליסף בן רעואל. Nachmanides writes that it is an accepted practice in the Holy Tongue to sometimes change the name of the father of the person concerning whom the Torah reveals some important fact. [In Numbers 1,14, 2, 7,47, 10,20 the father of this tribal leader Elyassaph is referred to as דעואל, Ed.] He was known by both names, each complimentary in its way. Hence the Torah mentioned both names. The former name reflects דעואל,s intellectual attachment to Hashem, the latter his emotional attachment to Hashem, Whom he viewed as his shepherd.

ונשיא לבני גד אליסף בן רעואל, “and the prince of the sons of Gad, Elyassaph son of Re-uel.” In this instance Elyassaph’s father’s name begins with the letter ר instead of the letter ד as we have read it elsewhere. According to the Massoretes there is only one other person whose name רעואל appears with the alternate spelling דעואל. He is Moses’ father-in-law‘s father mentioned in Numbers 10,29. At any rate the switch in letters indicates that the persons concerned were anxious to obtain nearness to G’d, understanding of Him and intimacy with Him. [When spelled רעו-אל, the first three letters allude to רועה, shepherd, someone extremely caring; when spelled דעו-אל the first three letters refer to דעה intimate knowledge, intimacy. Ed.]

V. 14. רמב׳׳ן macht auf die Abweichung im Namen des Vaters des Stammesfürsten Eljassaf aufmerksam, welcher oben Kap. 1, 14 De'uel und hier Re'uel heißt, und bemerkt dabei, wie das nicht seltene Vorkommen solcher Namensverschiedenheiten desselben Mannes daraus hervorgeht, dass man die Namen der Menschen nicht als bloße Schallmerkmale, sondern denkend nach ihrer Bedeutung auffasste, und daher die Zeitgenossen leicht denselben Namensbegriff durch einen synonymen Ausdruck wiedergaben, und so zwei Namen des Mannes gang und gäbe wurden, die der Bedeutung nach eins sind. So war der Name זרח und צוחר identisch, beide Glanz bedeutend, und so auch דעואל und רעואל sein Erkennen oder sein Denken (רעיון) auf Gott richten. (Vergl. übrigens das zu Bereschit Kap. 36, 1 Bemerkte.)

אליסף בן רעואל, “Elyasaf son of R’uel. Everywhere else this name appears it was spelled with the letter ד instead of with the letter ר.