לְגָ֕ד אֶלְיָסָ֖ף בֶּן־דְּעוּאֵֽל׃
Para Gad, Eliyasaf ben Deu'el.
Ramban
AND HIS HOST, AND THOSE THAT WERE NUMBERED OF THEM. The meaning thereof, as well as of all that were numbered of the camp of Judah,132Further, Verse 9. and so also all [such verses in this chapter], is that these are the words of G-d to Moses, connected with [the opening statement], And the Eternal spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron,133Verse 1. since they did not count them now a second time. This is also the sense of the verse, These are they that were numbered of the children of Israel,134Further, Verse 32. because He stated [in that same verse] all that were numbered of the camps according to their hosts [which indicates that He is referring to a census which had previously taken place, and not to a new census]. He mentioned all this in order to tell us that from the day of the census [which was on the first of Iyar]135Above, 1:1. until the camps were established [according to the four standards] and they so pitched by the standards, and so they set forward136Further, Verse 34. [which was on the twentieth of Iyar],137Ibid., 10:11, and see Taanith 29a [“on that day they turned aside” and hence they became subject again to death] not one man was missing. This was miraculous, in that not one person of this great multitude died [in the period of twenty days].
The change in the name of the father of the prince of the children of Gad [who is called Deuel above in 1: 14, and here in Verse 14 is referred to as Reuel], is because it is customary in the Sacred Language to change names of the same meaning, such as Zerah138I Chronicles 4:24. [one of the sons of Shimon], and Zohar139Genesis 46:10. [referring to the same son of Shimon, both names meaning “brightness”], of the expression as ‘tzachar’ (white) wool.140Ezekiel 27:18. Now [the father of the prince of the children of Gad] was called “Deuel” [of the root dei’ah, “knowledge”] because he “knew” G-d, [and he was also called] “Reuel” [of the root ra’ayon, “thoughts,” or re’uth, “longing” “striving”] because “he set all the thoughts of his heart on G-d,” similar to the expression in these verses: How weighty also are ‘rei’echa’ (Thy thoughts) unto me, O G-d;141Psalms 139:17. Thou understandest ‘l’rei’i’ (my thought) afar off.142Ibid., Verse 2. Since people used to call that person by two names [e.g. Deuel and Reuel], therefore the Torah mentioned both of them.
The change in the name of the father of the prince of the children of Gad [who is called Deuel above in 1: 14, and here in Verse 14 is referred to as Reuel], is because it is customary in the Sacred Language to change names of the same meaning, such as Zerah138I Chronicles 4:24. [one of the sons of Shimon], and Zohar139Genesis 46:10. [referring to the same son of Shimon, both names meaning “brightness”], of the expression as ‘tzachar’ (white) wool.140Ezekiel 27:18. Now [the father of the prince of the children of Gad] was called “Deuel” [of the root dei’ah, “knowledge”] because he “knew” G-d, [and he was also called] “Reuel” [of the root ra’ayon, “thoughts,” or re’uth, “longing” “striving”] because “he set all the thoughts of his heart on G-d,” similar to the expression in these verses: How weighty also are ‘rei’echa’ (Thy thoughts) unto me, O G-d;141Psalms 139:17. Thou understandest ‘l’rei’i’ (my thought) afar off.142Ibid., Verse 2. Since people used to call that person by two names [e.g. Deuel and Reuel], therefore the Torah mentioned both of them.
Chizkuni
ולהבדיל בין האור ובין החשך, “and in order to make a clear separation between periods of light and periods of darkness.” This phrase does not refer to either the sun or the moon. The Torah had already told us in verse 14 that this would be the function of the great luminaries. The phrase therefore refers to the stars, whose visibility tells us if it is day or night. They become visible when day fades, and they fade when dawn approaches.