Chapter 4
Verses 16-25
16 So Cain went away from the [manifested] presence of the Lord, and lived in the land of Nod [wandering in exile], east of Eden.
17 Cain knew his [a]wife [one of Adam’s descendants] and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch; and Cain built a city and named it Enoch, after the name of his son. 18 Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael became the father of Methushael, and Methushael became the father of Lamech. 19 And Lamech took for himself two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he became the father of those [nomadic herdsmen] who live in tents and have cattle and raise livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he became the father of all those [musicians] who play the lyre and flute. 22 Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, the smith (craftsman) and teacher of every artisan in instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
23 Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah,
Hear my voice;
You wives of Lamech,
Listen to what I say;
For I have killed a man [merely] for wounding me,
And a boy [only] for striking (bruising) me.
24
“If Cain is avenged sevenfold [as the Lord said he would be],
Then Lamech [will be avenged] [b]seventy-sevenfold.”
25 Adam knew [Eve as] his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for [she said], “God has granted another child for me in place of Abel, because Cain killed him.”
Historical Context
The naming of children:
In biblical times, the naming children carried significant meaning. Traditionally the mother chose the name, and the name reflected circumstances of birth, hopes for the child’s future, or significant events. Names were believed to express the essence and character of a person. In the last lesson, Adam named his wife Eve, which meant Eve (life spring, life giver). And we see Seth’s son Enosh named mortal man or mankind.
Genealogy in the Bible
Focus on Key Figures: genesis typically focuses on key figures and their descendants who played significant roles. For example, it highlights the lineages of Adam through Seth, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as these individuals are central to the story of God’s covenant with humanity.
Genealogical Gaps: There are gaps in genealogies, and not every descendant is mentioned. This is partly because genealogies are often symbolic and structured to highlight notable bloodlines, rather than providing a complete historical record.
Cultural: genealogies often emphasized male descendants, and those who had significant roles. Many children, especially daughters, were not named.
Narrative Purpose: The genealogies serve to connect important events and figures through the passage of time. They are not intended to be exhaustive lists of every individual born.
Footnotes
- Genesis 4:17 The simplest explanation for the origin of Cain’s wife is that she was one of his sisters, whom Scripture does not mention specifically, but implies (5:4). It is also possible that she was a niece or more distant relative descended from the original family, but in any case it is evident that the unrecorded children of Adam and Eve married each other. This was possible because the human gene pool was at its purest with Adam and Eve, so at some point their children could begin families of their own.
- Genesis 4:24 Lamech arrogantly declares to his wives that if someone kills him, he will be entitled to far greater vengeance since he merely retaliated for harm suffered, while Cain’s murder of Abel was by comparison unprovoked.