Genesis 49 · Verse 13

Genesis 49:13

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.

Genesis 49:13, King James Version

Genesis 49:13 in other translations

BSB	Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore and become a harbor for ships; his border shall extend to Sidon.
WEB	“Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon.
ASV	Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; And he shall be for a haven of ships; And his border shall be upon Sidon.
YLT	Zebulun at a haven of the seas doth dwell, And he is for a haven of ships; And his side is unto Zidon.
DARBY	Zebulun will dwell at the shore of the seas; Yea, he will be at the shore of the ships, And his side toucheth upon Sidon.
BBE	The resting-place of Zebulun will be by the sea, and he will be a harbour for ships; the edge of his land will be by Zidon.
Webster	Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for a haven of ships; and his border shall be to Zidon.

What does Genesis 49:13 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 13 Zebulun's lot or portion in the division of the Promised Land extended from the Mediterranean Sea on the west, to the lake of Gennesareth on the east; see his division, Jos 19:10, etc. The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel paraphrases the passage thus: "Zebulun shall be on the coasts of the sea, and he shall rule over the havens; he shall subdue the provinces of the sea with his, ships, and his border shall extend unto Sidon. 14. Issachar is a strong ass Couching between two burdens. 15. And he saw the resting place that it was good, And the land that it was pleasant; And he inclined his shoulder to the load, And he became a servant unto tribute.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 49:13-18

Concerning Zebulun: if prophecy says, Zebulun shall be a haven of ships, be sure Providence will so plant him. God appoints the bounds of our habitation. It is our wisdom and duty to accommodate ourselves to our lot, and to improve it; if Zebulun dwell at the heaven of the sea, let him be for a haven of ships. Concerning Issachar: he saw that the land was pleasant, yielding not only pleasant prospects, but pleasant fruits to recompense his toils. Let us, with an eye of faith, see the heavenly rest to be good, and that land of promise to be pleasant; this will make our present services easy. Dan should, by art, and policy, and surprise, gain advantages against his enemies, like a serpent biting the heel of the traveller. Jacob, almost spent, and ready to faint, relieves himself with those words, "I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord!" The salvation he waited for was Christ, the promised Seed; now that he was going to be gathered to his people, he breathes after Him to whom the gathering of the people shall be. He declared plainly that he sought heaven, the better country, He 11:13, 14. Now he is going to enjoy the salvation, he comforts himself that he had waited for the salvation. Christ, as our way to heaven, is to be waited on; and heaven, as our rest in Christ, is to be waited for. It is the comfort of a dying saint thus to have waited for the salvation of the Lord; for then he shall have what he has been waiting for.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Genesis 49:13 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

זְבוּלֻ֕ןze.vu.LunZebulunH2074

לְח֥וֹףle.Chofto [the] coast ofH2348

יַמִּ֖יםya.Mim[the] seasH3220

יִשְׁכֹּ֑ןyish.Konhe will dwellH7931

וְהוּא֙ve.Hu'and heH1931

לְח֣וֹףle.Chofto a harbor ofH2348

אֳנִיּ֔וֹת'o.ni.YotshipsH591

וְיַרְכָת֖וֹve.yar.kha.Toand side hisH3411

עַל\־'al-[will be] atH5921

צִידֹֽן\׃\ \סtzi.DonSidonH6721

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 49:13

Deuteronomy 33:18-19
And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents. They 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.
Joshua 19:10-16
And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid: And their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that is before Jokneam; And turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrising unto the border of Chisloth–tabor, and then goeth out to Daberath, and goeth up to Japhia, And from thence passeth on along on the east to Gittah–hepher, to Ittah–kazin, and goeth out to Remmon–methoar to Neah; …
Genesis 30:20
And 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.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

30:20; De 33:18,19; Jos 19:10-16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Genesis 49:12
His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
Genesis 49:13
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.
Genesis 49:14
Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:

Read all of Genesis 49

Genesis 49:13 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Zabulón en puertos de mar habitará, y será para puerto de navíos; y su término hasta Sidón.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Zabulon logera sur la côte des mers, et sera sur la côte des navires; et son côté sera près de Sidon.
German Elberfelder 1871	Sebulon, am Gestade der Meere wird er wohnen, und am Gestade der Schiffe wird er sein und seine Seite gegen Sidon hin.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Zabulon in littore maris habitabit, et in statione navium pertingens usque ad Sidonem.