Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Chronicles 6:20

"Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son," — 1 Chronicles 6:20 (ASV)

Of Gershom. — Literally, to — that is, belonging to Gershom.

Libni his son. — See Numbers 3:21, To Gershon, the clan of the Libnite, and the clan of the Shimeite; these are the clans of the Gershonite.

The names Jahath, Zimmah, and Zerah recur in the line of Asaph, 1 Chronicles 6:41–43 below (see the Note there). Jeaterai, in whom the present series culminates, is wholly unknown. At the time when the list was first drawn up, the name may have represented a famous chieftain or family. It has the ending of a patronymic or gentilic term, and perhaps should be read with different vowels, we ‘Ithrai, or ‘Ithri, “and the Ithrite” (compare ‘Ishai for Yishai), a clan from which two of David’s heroes came (1 Chronicles 11:40).