What does Genesis 49:13 mean?
Jacob is pronouncing a prophetic, poetic oracle about each of his twelve sons. In the previous passage, description of Judah's people was lengthy. Zebulun (Genesis 30:19–20) gets a single short comment.The prophetic statement here points to a time when the people of Zebulun would be associated with sea trade. The border of his lands would be near the Phoenician city of Sidon. It is unclear what time, exactly, this refers to; Zebulun's actual settlement will not be on the seashore (Joshua 19:10–11). Some scholars suggest Zebulun may have settled along the seashore temporarily before making their permanent home elsewhere or that the people benefited from trade which was directly tied to sea traffic. Parts of Jacob's prophecy look far into the future, at the earthly reign of the Messiah (Revelation 20:4), which may see this fulfilled more directly and literally.
Genesis 49:13–21 records Jacob's deathbed predictions, this time regarding six of his sons: Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, and Naphtali. These are relatively brief, and not entirely positive. While Jacob addresses the first four (Genesis 49:3–12) and last two (Genesis 49:22–27) of his sons in birth order, there is no obvious ranking in his comments here. As compared to other tribes, these would play lesser roles in Israel's future.
Genesis 49 contains Jacob's dying prophetic remarks. In the form of poetry, Jacob pronounces positive and negative "blessings" about each of his 12 sons and the people who will come from them. Reuben, Simeon, and Levi are each held to account for their past sins. Judah is described as a lion; the kingly line will come from his people. Joseph and his descendants are lavished with blessings. Once the oracle is completed, Jacob commands his sons to bury him with his fathers in Canaan. Then, the man God named "Israel" (Genesis 35:10–11) dies.
