Why does the Torah change the name of Elyasaf's father from De'u'el (1:14) to Re'u'el' (here)?
Ramban: It is perfectly normal for the Torah to change a name to one with a similar meaning to the original one, 1 seeing as he was called by both names. 2
Moshav Zekenim citing R. Yehudah ha'Chasid (1:14): He is called Re'u'el, for in his portion will be buried Moshe 3 (Rashi Devarim 33:21), who is called Rei'a (the friend) of Kel (Hashem)
Ramban: 'Deu'el' means that he knew Hashem', Reu'el, that he placed his thoughts on Hashem, as in Tehilim, 139:17.
Ramban: Another example of this is the name 'Zerach' (in 26:13), which the Torah changes to 'Tzochar' (in Bereishis 46:10), since both mean to shine - See Yechezkel, 27:18.
Moshav Zekenim (Bereishis 30:11): He merited this, for when Moshe said that Dan will lead a Degel, the Nasi of Gad did not say 'I am Zilpah's Bechor. Also I should lead a Degel!' Moshe told him, it is better to be a tail of lions (one of the secondary Shevatim in a Degel of Bnei Leah) than a head of foxes. (It is reasonable that Dan had precedence, for he was older than Gad, and Yakov showed precedence to Bilhah even over Leah (refer to Bereishis 35:22:2:1)! And the Shevatim knew that the Degalim will be like the Seder in which Yakov's sons carried his bier; Reuven, Shimon and Gad will be in the south (Bamidbar Rabah 2:8)! Would he expect to have precedence over Reuven, Bechor Yisrael?! Perhaps he thought that Reuven lost his Bechorah, and it was given to Yosef; refer to Bereishis 49:4:3:1,
