God has endowed me with a good dowry: in other words “God has given me a fine gift” (Good News Translation). The Hebrew verb zabad rendered endowed (given) and the related noun dowry (gift) is the first of two explanations for the name Zebulun.

Now my husband will honor me: honor (Hebrew zabal) is the second explanation of Zebulun’s name. In the Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation footnotes “honor me” and “accept me” express the same thought.

So she called his name Zebulun: “So she named him Zebulun” (Good News Translation).

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .