Is Zimri "Zavdi ben Zerach" in Yehoshua 7:1?
Radak: Yes. Malbim - perhaps he had two names. In Yehoshua he was called Zavdi for detriment; they changed his name in the Sefer of lineage, that Ezra copied, and called him Zimri.
Who were Eisan, Heiman, Kalkol and Dara?
'Rashi': All were in the days of David and Shlomo. They were exceedingly wise - "va'Yechkam mi'Kol Adam me'Eisan ha'Ezrachi v'Heiman v'Chalkol v'Darda Bnei Machol 1 ." There, regarding Chochmas Shlomo, Darda applies. Even though [Dor ha'Midbar 2 ] was called Dor De'ah due to their Chochmah, Shlomo became wiser than all of them. The Aleph is ha'Ezrachi is extra; really, he is Zarchi - from Zerach. Many times Aleph enters a word and it is not pronounced, e.g. "v'Achvasi", "v'He'eznichu 3 ", "veha'Safsuf." Sometimes an Aleph is omitted, e.g. "v'Someru", "v'Yaku ha'Ramim" in place of Aramim.
'Rashi' citing Pesikta d'Rav Kahana (Parah): "Mi'Kol Adam" - this is Adam ha'Rishon; Eisan - this is Avraham; Heiman is Moshe; Kalkol is Yosef; Darda is Dor ha'Midbar 4 ; Machol - Chet ha'Egel was Machul (pardoned) for them.
Malbim: Chazal said that Bnei Zerach had Nevu'ah in Egypt. We can say that they are Zerach's sons - they were Nevi'im and Chachamim. We cannot say that Eisan ha'Ezrachi and Heiman are [Eisan ha'Ezrachi and Heiman ha'Ezrachi,] the authors of Tehilim 88 and 89. Clearly those authors were after the Churban and Bitul Malchus Beis David! They were others, from Bnei Korach, in Galus Bavel; they had the same names as the earlier Chachamim. Eisan and Heiman mentioned below (6:18, 27) were different - they had different fathers.
Malbim: Even though their father was Machol, he called them Bnei Zerach.
It seems that this is 'Rashi's intent, like it says in Midrashim. (PF)
These two words have a Nekudah under the Aleph. Why does 'Rashi' say that it is not pronounced? (PF)
Since Shlomo was wiser than Moshe, what is the Chidush that he was wiser than Dor ha'Midbar? Perhaps it means more than all of Dor ha'Midbar combined. (PF)
Why does it say "Kulam Chamishah"?
Malbim: One might have thought that he had other sons who were less esteemed and were not mentioned.
