One of Jacob’s 12 sons (Genesis 35:23; 1 Chronicles 2:1). He was the sixth and last son of Jacob and Leah. She named him Zebulun, meaning "abode, dwelling." She said, "This time my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons" (Genesis 30:20). Later, he settled his family in Egypt with Jacob and his brothers (Exodus 1:3).
Jacob prophesied that Zebulun's descendants would live on the coast, with their border touching Sidon (Genesis 49:13). Zebulun's tribe was between Asher's and Naphtali's tribes. Asher's was by the Mediterranean, and Naphtali's was by the Sea of Galilee. Despite this, Zebulun prospered in trade with the Canaanite coastal cities. Zebulun fathered three sons (Genesis 46:14) and founded one of Israel’s 12 tribes (Numbers 1:30–31).