Charles Ellicott Commentary Genesis 49:13

"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." — Genesis 49:13 (ASV)

Zebulun ... —“Sea” is plural in the Hebrew, and is correctly rendered in the Syriac. The territory of the tribe lay on the inland sea of Gennesaret, but did not extend to the shore of the Mediterranean. We do not know of any literal fulfillment of the prediction, but Moses also speaks of Zebulun and Issachar as tribes that would suck of the abundance of the seas. It is very possible that, living in the neighborhood of the Phoenicians, they took part in maritime pursuits; and thus the general meaning of the blessing may be that Zebulun would be a tribe, not of agriculturists, but of traders. It is also remarkable that Tyre, which was much nearer the tribe of Zebulun, and was the leading city in David’s time, is not mentioned, but only the more ancient town of Sidon.