במדבר, פרק כ״ו, פסוק ח׳

Biblical genealogies sometimes present intriguing details that reveal deeper truths about ancient language and Jewish law. When tracing the lineage of Pallu, a plural term is used to announce his offspring, yet only a single son, Eliab, is named.

The primary approach among commentators is that Eliab was indeed Pallu's only son. Using a plural term for a single child reflects a natural, everyday way of speaking during biblical times. This phenomenon appears elsewhere in the text, demonstrating that referring to one's offspring in the plural, even when there is only one, was a standard figure of speech.

This unique phrasing carries a practical legal application regarding inheritance. The Talmud derives guidance from this exact situation for interpreting the will of a person who is nearing death. If a dying individual leaves instructions giving their property to their sons in the plural, but they actually have only one son and one daughter, the intent is understood to be leaving the entire estate to the single son, rather than including the daughter. This legal ruling relies directly on the biblical precedent set here, proving that the Torah itself uses the plural form even when referring to a single male heir [תורה תמימה].

In contrast, another perspective argues that the plural phrasing should be taken literally, meaning Pallu actually did have other sons. According to this view, the text deliberately omits the others and names only Eliab to focus the narrative. Eliab is singled out as a necessary introduction to the central story that follows immediately after, which focuses on his own sons, Dathan and Abiram [מלבי״ם].