Zebulun, the Tribe of.

• 1 min. read • grade level: 11

Descended from Jacob's tenth son. Gen. 30:19, 20¹⁹And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. ²⁰And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. (Genesis 30:19‑20).

Predictions respecting. Gen. 49:13¹³Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon. (Genesis 49:13). Deut. 33:18, 19¹⁸And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents. ¹⁹They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand. (Deuteronomy 33:18‑19).

PERSONS SELECTED FROM

To number the people. Num. 1:9⁹Of Zebulun; Eliab the son of Helon. (Numbers 1:9).

To spy out the land. Num. 13:10¹⁰Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi. (Numbers 13:10).

To divide the land. Num. 34:25²⁵And the prince of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. (Numbers 34:25).

Strength of, on leaving Egypt. Num. 1:30, 31³⁰Of the children of Zebulun, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; ³¹Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred. (Numbers 1:30‑31).

Formed the rear of the first division of the army of Israel in its journeys. Num. 10:14, 16¹⁴In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies: and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab. (Numbers 10:14)
¹⁶And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon. (Numbers 10:16).

Encamped under the standard of Judah, east of the tabernacle. Num. 2:3, 7³And on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies: and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the children of Judah. (Numbers 2:3)
⁷Then the tribe of Zebulun: and Eliab the son of Helon shall be captain of the children of Zebulun. (Numbers 2:7).

Offering of, at the dedication. Num. 7:24-29²⁴On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun, did offer: ²⁵His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering: ²⁶One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense: ²⁷One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering: ²⁸One kid of the goats for a sin offering: ²⁹And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon. (Numbers 7:24‑29).

Families of. Num. 26:26, 27²⁶Of the sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Sardites: of Elon, the family of the Elonites: of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. ²⁷These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those that were numbered of them, threescore thousand and five hundred. (Numbers 26:26‑27).

Strength of, on entering Canaan. Num. 26:27²⁷These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those that were numbered of them, threescore thousand and five hundred. (Numbers 26:27).

On Ebal said amen to the curses. Deut. 27:13¹³And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. (Deuteronomy 27:13).

A naval and commercial people. Gen. 49:13¹³Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon. (Genesis 49:13).

Furnished scribes or writers to Israel. Judg. 5:14¹⁴Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer. (Judges 5:14).

Bounds of their inheritance. Josh. 19:10-16¹⁰And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid: ¹¹And their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that is before Jokneam; ¹²And turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrising unto the border of Chisloth-tabor, and then goeth out to Daberath, and goeth up to Japhia, ¹³And from thence passeth on along on the east to Gittah-hepher, to Ittah-kazin, and goeth out to Remmon-methoar to Neah; ¹⁴And the border compasseth it on the north side to Hannathon: and the outgoings thereof are in the valley of Jiphthah-el: ¹⁵And Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages. ¹⁶This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages. (Joshua 19:10‑16).

Unable to drive out the Canaanites from their cities, but made them tributary. Judg. 1:30³⁰Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries. (Judges 1:30).

Praised for assisting Deborah and Barak in opposing Sisera. Judg. 5:14, 18¹⁴Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer. (Judges 5:14)
¹⁸Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. (Judges 5:18), with Judg. 4:10¹⁰And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him. (Judges 4:10).

Aided Gideon against the army of the Midianites. Judg. 6:35³⁵And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them. (Judges 6:35).

Furnished a judge to Israel. Judg. 12:11, 12¹¹And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years. ¹²And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun. (Judges 12:11‑12).

Some of, at David's coronation. 1 Chron. 12:33³³Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: they were not of double heart. (1 Chronicles 12:33).

Officer appointed over by David. 1 Chron. 27:19¹⁹Of Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah: of Naphtali, Jerimoth the son of Azriel: (1 Chronicles 27:19).

Only some of, assisted in Hezekiah's reformation. 2 Chr. 30:10, 11, 18¹⁰So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them. ¹¹Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 30:10‑11)
¹⁸For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good Lord pardon every one (2 Chronicles 30:18).

Country of, blessed with the presence and instruction of Christ. Isa. 9:1¹Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. (Isaiah 9:1). Matt. 4:13-15¹³And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: ¹⁴That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, ¹⁵The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; (Matthew 4:13‑15).

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