Often the Hebrew term ben means son
in the literal sense. But the term is also used more generally as grandson, descendant
(for example, the list of Aaron’s descendants in Ezra 7:1–7 leaves out six names that the list in 1 Chronicles 6:3–14 includes, yet still uses son
as the linking term).1 The opening chapters of Exodus identify Moses as belonging to the tribe of Levi (Exodus 6:16–20), and Gershom as his literal son by Zipporah (Exodus 2:20). But there is no such revelation regarding Jonathan. So we cannot be entirely sure that Jonathan is the literal grandson of Moses. But if ben here means son
as opposed to grandson
or descendant,
that means these events happened less than a hundred years after Israel’s arrival, which coheres with what we find in Judges 2:6–10.2
30 And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.