The number of registered men in the tribe of Zebulun at the first census
The number 57,400 is given in Numbers 1:31 as the count of men able to serve in the army from twenty years old and upward in the tribe of Zebulun, recorded during the first census in the wilderness of Sinai. This census was carried out at God's command, led by Moses and Aaron, with one leader appointed from each tribe. For Zebulun, this was Eliab, son of Helon. The census served a dual purpose: it was both a military muster of Israel's army before entering the promised land, and a confirmation of God's fulfillment of His promise to Abraham of a numerous people. Zebulun was the youngest of Leah's six sons with Jacob, and the tribe's position in the camp was on the east side of the tabernacle, together with Judah and Issachar. In the second census in Numbers 26:27, Zebulun's number had risen to 60,500, an increase of 3,100 men, which testifies to God's continued blessing upon this tribe throughout their journey through the wilderness. The name Zebulun (Hebrew: זְבוּלוּן, Zevulun) is linked to the verb זָבַל (zaval), which means "to honor" or "to dwell with". In Genesis 30:20, Leah says: "God has given me a good gift; now my husband will live with me, for I have borne him six sons." Jacob's blessing in Genesis 49:13 connects Zebulun to the sea and seafaring: "Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea, where ships dock; his border shall reach to Sidon." This prophecy was partially fulfilled by the tribe's territory in Galilee. In rabbinic tradition, Zebulun was regarded as a merchant tribe engaged in maritime trade and financially supporting the tribe of Issachar, so that Issachar could devote themselves to Torah study. This partnership is known as the "Issachar-Zebulun covenant". The census in Numbers 1 was the first of two major counts. The second took place 38 years later on the plains of Moab (Num 26), after the generation that wandered in the wilderness had died out. Zebulun's increase from 57,400 to 60,500 was one of the moderate growth rates among the tribes.*