זְבוּלֹנִי (ze.vu.lo.ni)
ze.vu.lo.ni
Zebulunite
N:N--PGQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--PG
Word Overview
The term zebuloni identifies a person belonging to the tribe of Zebulun, one of the twelve tribes of Israel descended from the son of Jacob and Leah. As a gentilic adjective, it functions as a collective noun for the entire group, distinguishing these individuals by their ancestral lineage rather than personal name or occupation. The sources note that this specific form appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, limited to just three verses.
Its occurrences are concentrated in the books of Numbers and Judges, where tribal identities were crucial for census data, military organization, and territorial allocation. In these contexts, the word serves a straightforward administrative or historical purpose, marking members of this specific clan within the larger community of Israel. It does not carry metaphorical weight but anchors the reader in the concrete reality of tribal structure during the patriarchal and early judge periods.
The rarity of its usage highlights how tribal designations often shifted to broader terms or personal names as the narrative moved forward. By appearing only in these specific texts, zebuloni preserves a snapshot of Israel’s organization before the monarchy, reminding readers that identity was primarily rooted in family lineage and geographic inheritance during this era.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word zebuloni simply marks someone as belonging to the tribe of Zebulun, one of Jacob’s twelve sons. In the ancient world, your family line was your identity. It told you who you were, where you lived, and who stood with you in battle or prayer.
We see this name in census lists and judge records. It reminds us that God knew each person by name and tribe. He did not treat Israel as a faceless crowd but as families with specific roles and inheritances.
This heritage matters for us today too. We are part of God’s family, united by faith in Christ rather than bloodline. Yet the Old Testament shows how much God values community and lineage. It encourages us to honor our own roots while finding our true home in the people of God.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ Zebulunite2×
- the/ Zebulunite[s]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/זְּבֽוּלֹנִ֑י2×
- הַ/זְּבוּלֹנִ֖י1×
Key Verses
-
Numbers 26:27
These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were counted of them, sixty thousand five hundred.
This verse uses the term in a census context, showing how tribal identity was essential for counting and organizing the community during the wilderness wanderings.
-
Judges 12:11
After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.
Here it identifies Elon as a judge from this tribe, linking leadership authority directly to specific tribal heritage within the period of the judges.
-
Judges 12:12
Elon the Zebulunite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
The burial location in Aijalon within the land of Zebulun reinforces the connection between the individual’s identity and their ancestral territory.