Abiezer - His descendants formed one of the most important branches of the Manassites. They furnished to Israel the greatest of the Judges, Gideon Judges 6:11, Judges 6:24, Judges 6:34, and were regarded as the leading family among the so-called "sons of Gilead.

And his sister Hammoleketh,.... The sister of Gilead so named; though the Targum renders it "that reigned"; and so Kimchi, that reigned in some part of Gilead; and the Vulgate Latin version translates it, "a queen bare Ishod, and Abiezer, and Mahalah"; Abiezer is the same with Jeezer, from whom a family sprung of that name, Numbers 26:30, of which Gideon was, Judges 6:11.

A third branch of the descendants of Gilead were descended from Machir's sister Hammoleketh, a name which the Vulgate has taken in an appellative sense. Of her sons, Ishod, i.e., "man of splendour," is not elsewhere mentioned. The name Abiezer occurs, Joshua 17:2, as that of the head of one of the families of Manasseh. In Numbers 26:30, however, he is called Jeezer, which is probably the original reading, and consequently our Abiezer is different from that in Joshua 17:2. Another circumstance which speaks strongly against the identification of the two men is, that the family descended from Jeezer holds the first place among the families of Manasseh, which is not at all consonant with the position of the son of Machir's sister here mentioned. Of the family of Abiezer came the judge Gideon, Judges 11:15. A daughter of Zelophehad is called Mahlah in Numbers 26:33; Numbers 27:1, but she is not the person here mentioned.

And {h} his sister Hammoleketh bare Ishod, and Abiezer, and Mahalah.

(h) Meaning, the sister of Gilead.

7:18 His - Gilead's sister. Mahalah - Understand, and Shemida, out of the next verse .

7:1-40 Genealogies. - Here is no account either of Zebulun or Dan. We can assign no reason why they only should be omitted; but it is the disgrace of the tribe of Dan, that idolatry began in that colony which fixed in Laish, and called it Dan, Jud 18 and there one of the golden calves was set up by Jeroboam. Dan is omitted, Re 7. Men become abominable when they forsake the worship of the true God, for any creature object.