Reference: Zebulun
American
1. Or ZABULON, Re 7:8, the sixth son of Jacob and Leah, born in Mesopotamia, Ge 30:20. Moses gives us few particulars respecting him. His tribe was respectable for numbers, Nu 1:30; 26:26; and its portion in the Holy Land accorded with the prediction of Jacob, Ge 49:13, extending from the Mediterranean sea at Carmel to the sea of Gemnesaret, between Issachar on the south, and Naphtali and Asher on the north and north-west, Jos 19:10. His posterity are often mentioned in connection with Issachar, his nearest brother, De 33:18. They were entangled with the Phoenicians on the west, Jg 1:30; Isa 8:22, and took part with Barak and Gideon in the defense of the country against its oppressors, Jg 4:10; 5:18; 6:35. Elon, one of the Judges of Israel, was a Zebulunite, Jg 12:11-12. The inhabitants of this region in the time of Christ were highly favored by his instructions- Nazareth and Cana, Capernaum, Magdala, and Tiberias being all in these limits.
2. A city in the border of Asher, but probably belonging to Zebulun, Jos 19:27.
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Easton
dwelling, the sixth and youngest son of Jacob and Leah (Ge 30:20). Little is known of his personal history. He had three sons (Ge 46:14).
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Fausets
(See ISSACHAR.) Tenth of Jacob's sons, sixth and last of Leah's sons (Ge 30:20; 35:23; 46:14). Named from Leah's anticipation, "now will my husband dwell ('izbeleniy) with me, for I have borne him six sons." Jacob's blessing (Ge 49:13) was, "Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea, and he shall be for an haven of ships, and his border shall be unto Sidon." Zebulun reached from the sea of Gennesareth to Mount Carmel, and so nearly to the Mediterranean. Its most westerly point reached to Mount Carmel, which brought it nigh Zidonia, the territory of Tyre and Sidon. The language of Genesis is such as no forger would from after history put as a prophecy. Though substantially accurate it suggests more of a maritime coast as belonging to Zebulun than after facts would have prompted. Zebulun had no seacoast, yet reached close to the Mediterranean, and actually coasted the sea of Gennesareth; the rich plain now the Buttauf was in its territory.
Zebulun was far from Sidon yet bordering toward it. Zebulun possessed the fisheries of lake Tiberias or the sea of Gennesareth. So Moses' blessing (De 33:18), "rejoice Zebulun in thy going out," i.e. in mercantile and shipping enterprise; "and Issachar in thy tents"; both tribes should rejoice in their undertakings a broad and at home, in their work and in their rest. "They shall call the peoples to the mountain (of the Lord's inheritance, Ex 15:17); there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness"; instead of making their abundance into mammon they would consecrate it to the Lord. Typically there is a reference to the conversion of the Gentiles; Isa 60:5-6,16; 66:11-12, "the abundance of the sea shall be converted," etc.; and to Jesus the true Light, ministering most in Galilee, the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, the darkest and most Gentilized part of Palestine. "The way of the sea," the great road from Damascus to the Mediterranean, traversed a good part of Zebulun (Isa 9:1-2; Mt 4:12,16). The "treasures hid in the sand" are the riches of the sea in general; possibly too referring to the then precious glass manufactured from the sand of these coasts (Tacitus, Annals v. 7; Pliny, H. N. 5:17; 36:65; Josephus, B. J. 2:10, Section 2; Job 28:17). The precious purple dye was also extracted from the murex.
In the wilderness Zebulun was one of the foremost, marching with Issachar and Judah under the standard of Judah. Distinguished in the contest with Jabin as "jeoparding their lives unto the death in the high places of the field," literally, "despised life even unto death" at the call of fatherland. Jg 5:14-15,18, "out of Zebulun came they that handle the pen of the writer" (See WRITING); rather "marchers with the staff of the musterer." David at Ziklag was joined by "50,000 of Zebulun such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, which could keep rank ('closing up together'; compare Php 2:2; Mt 6:24), not of double heart." Such spiritually are the soldiers whom Jesus seeks (1Ch 12:33). They contributed with Issachar and Naphtali "bread on asses, camels, mules, and oxen; meat, meal, cakes of figs, bunches of raisins, wine, oil, oxen, and sheep abundantly," to entertain David's adherents (1Ch 12:40; contrast Ps 12:2).
Zebulun had three sons heads of houses (Ge 46:14; Nu 26:26). The tribe had four of its cities assigned to Mesarite Levites. Elon the judge (Nu 12:11-12) was of Zebulun. Some of this tribe accepted Hezekiah's touching invitation to the Passover after the fall of the northern kingdom (2Ch 30:10-11,18). In Ps 68:27, Zebulun's princes represent the N. as Judah's princes represent the S. of Israel in the procession of the ark to Zion after Ammon's overthrow (2Sa 11:11; 12:26-31). Zebulun shall share in the final restoration (Eze 48:26-27,33; Re 7:8). Its strongholds long withstood the Romans in the last Jewish war. It shared with Issachar in the possession of Tabor.
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Hastings
According to OT tradition, Zebulun was the tenth son of Jacob, and the sixth of Leah (Ge 30:20 Elohist).
The original form of the name is uncertain, there being some evidence in favour of Zebulon, and even Zebul. The meaning of the name is likewise doubtful. Ge 30:20 presents a double explanation. One of these (apparently Elohist's) connects it with the verb z
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Morish
Zebulun. Zeb'ulun
Border city of Asher. Jos 19:27. Identified by some with Neby Sebelan, 33 1' N, 35 20' E.
Zebulun. Zeb'ulun
The tenth son of Jacob and the youngest son of Leah: father of the tribe bearing his name. He entered Egypt with his three sons, but of himself personally nothing is recorded. At the Exodus those numbered of the tribe were 57,400, and at the entrance into the land there were 60,500. Jacob, when he foretold what should befall his sons in the last days, said, "Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea, and he shall be for an haven of ships, and his border shall be unto Zidon," Ge 49:13; Zebulun is thus representative of Israel having intercourse with the Gentiles for profit. Moses blessed the tribes thus, "Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out"; and then, classing him with Issachar, said, "They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifice's of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand." De 33:18-19.
This tribe, like others, did not drive out all the old inhabitants from their possession, but made them tributary. Jg 1:30. In Barak's conflict with Sisera they fought bravely and 'jeoparded their lives.' Elon the judge was of this tribe. Jg 4:6; 5:18; 12:11-12. Of those who rallied round David on the death of Saul were 50,000 of this tribe, expert in war, who could keep rank, not of double heart. 1Ch 12:33. And when Hezekiah invited all the tribes to come to Jerusalem to keep the Passover, 'divers' of Zebulun humbled themselves and responded to the call. 2Ch 30:11.
Their lot fell towards the north, its centre being about 32 45' N.; and though it did not extend either to the Mediterranean or the Sea of Galilee, they may have pushed forward to both seas. Jacob spoke of their reaching unto Zidon, and the Evangelist says, "Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast Sea of Galilee, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim." Called ZABULON in Mt 4:13,15; Re 7:8.
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Smith
Zeb'ulun
(a habitation), the tenth of the sons of Jacob, according to the order in which their births are enumerated, the sixth and last of Leah.
Ge 30:20; 35:23; 46:14; 1Ch 2:1
His birth is mentioned in
Of the individual Zebulun nothing is recorded. The list of Gene 46 ascribes to him three sons, founders of the chief families of the tribe (comp.)
at the time of the migration to Egypt. The tribe is not recorded to have taken part, for evil or good, in any of the events of the wandering or the conquest. The statement of Josephus is probably in the main correct, that it reached on the one side to the Lake of Gennesareth and on the other to Carmel and the Mediterranean. On the south it was bounded by Issachar, who lay in the great plain or valley of the Kishon; on the north it had Naphtali and Asher. Thus remote from the centre of government, Zebulun remains throughout the history with one exception, in the obscurity which envelops the whole of the northern tribes. That exception, however, is a remarkable one. The conduct of the tribe during the struggle with Sisera, when they fought with desperate valor side by side with their brethren of Naphtali, was such as to draw down the special praise of Deborah, who singles them out from cell the other tribes.
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Watsons
ZEBULUN, the sixth son of Jacob and Leah, Ge 30:20. He was born in Mesopotamia, about A.M. 2256. His sons were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel, Ge 46:14. Moses acquaints us with no particulars of his life; but Jacob, in his last blessing, said of Zebulun, "Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for a haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon," Ge 49:13. His portion extended along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, one end of it bordering on this sea, and the other on the sea of Tiberias, Jos 19:10, &c. In the last words of Moses, he joins Zebulun and Issachar together, saying, "Rejoice Zebulun, in thy going out, and Issachar in thy tents. They shall call the people unto the mountain, there shall they offer sacrifices of righteousness. For they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand," De 33:18; meaning, that these two tribes being at the greatest distance north, should come together to the temple at Jerusalem, to the holy mountain, and should bring with them such of the other tribes as dwelt in their way; and that being situated on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, they should apply themselves to trade and navigation, and to the melting of metals and glass, denoted by those words, "treasures hid in the sand." The river Belus, whose sand was very fit for making glass, was in this tribe. When the tribe of Zebulun left Egypt, it had for its chief Eliab the son of Elon, and comprehended fifty-seven thousand four hundred men able to bear arms, Nu 1:9-30. In another review thirty-nine years afterward, this tribe amounted to sixty thousand five hundred men of age to bear arms, Nu 26:26-27. The tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali distinguished themselves in the war of Barak and Deborah against Sisera, the general of the armies of Jabin, Jg 4:5-6,10; 5:14,18. It is thought these tribes were the first carried into captivity beyond the Euphrates by Pul and Tiglath Pileser, kings of Assyria, 1Ch 5:26. They had also the advantage of hearing and seeing Jesus Christ in their country, oftener and longer than any other of the twelve tribes, Isa 9:1; Mt 4:13,15.