Cain's line, the arts, and Lamech's song (Genesis 4:17–24)
Says Cain goes out from the Lord's presence and settles in Nod, east of Eden, recalling 3:24. He knows his wife, and she bears Enoch. He was building a city, a participle, and named it after his son Enoch. The line runs Enoch, Irad, Mehujael (written two ways), Methushael and Lamech. Jabal is father of those who dwell in tents and keep livestock; Jubal, of all who handle lyre and pipe — the BSB has harp and flute; Tubal-cain is a forger of every implement of bronze and iron, a difficult phrase; their sister is Naamah. Lamech took two wives, the first such taking named. His song pairs its lines, and 4:24 raises sevenfold vengeance to seventy-seven. See the Hebrew notes.
Implies The song turns the Lord's protective sevenfold of 4:15 into Lamech's own claim of vengeance: 4:24 restates it and raises it to seventy-seven.
Uncertain Who built the city, Cain or Enoch, is open. Whether the arts are fruit of rebellion, common grace, or neither is open. Ancient comparisons are treated in the historical note; no dependence is claimed, and they do not fix the meaning. The tone of the song — a boast of a past killing, a threat, one victim or two — is open; no lean is taken here. How this line stands beside Genesis 5 — two distinct lines, two forms of one list, or a deliberate contrast — is treated in the Hebrew and historical notes. No lean is taken among them.
Claims
- SaysCain settles in Nod, east of Eden, and a line runs through Enoch to Lamech, with a city, tents, music and metalwork; Lamech takes two wives and sings of sevenfold and seventy-sevenfold vengeance.
- ImpliesThe song turns the Lord's protective sevenfold of 4:15 into Lamech's own claim of vengeance: 4:24 restates it and raises it to seventy-seven.
- UncertainWho built the city, what the arts show, the tone of the song (boast or threat), and how the line stands beside Genesis 5 are open. Ancient comparisons and the Kenite question are treated in the historical notes. No lean is taken here.
Citations
- BSB public domain Gen 4:1–26
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 4:1–26 (WLC/OSHB), cantillation removed
- LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 4:1–26, vol. 1, pp. 6–7 (oldtestamentingr01swetuoft, viewer leaves n37–n38); read on the page images
- Driver, Genesis (Westminster) public domain Driver, Genesis (Westminster, 4th ed. 1905): on Gen 4:17–24, p. 73 (n174); read on the page image; paraphrased, not quoted
- Driver, Genesis (Westminster) public domain Driver, Genesis (Westminster, 4th ed. 1905): on Gen 4:1, p. 63 (n164); note “On the narrative of Cain and Abel” (begins p. 71, n172), p. 72 (n173); read on the page images; paraphrased
- Skinner, Genesis (ICC) public domain Skinner, Genesis (ICC, 1910): on Gen 4:17–24, pp. 123–124 (n224–n225); read on the page images; paraphrased, not quoted
- Skinner, Genesis (ICC) public domain Skinner, Genesis (ICC, 1910): on Gen 5, p. 138 (n239); read on the page image; paraphrased, not quoted
- Keil–Delitzsch, Pentateuch 1 public domain Keil, Pentateuch vol. 1 (Clark, Martin trans., 1868), on Gen 4:17, p. 116 (n119); on Gen 4:17–24 and ch. 5, p. 117 (n120); read on the page images; “different forms of one primary legend” quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Keil–Delitzsch, Pentateuch 1 public domain Keil, Pentateuch vol. 1 (Clark, Martin trans., 1868), on Gen 4:19–24, p. 119 (n122); read on the page image; “in an ungodly spirit” quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- King, Legends of Babylon and Egypt public domain King, Legends of Babylon and Egypt in Relation to Hebrew Tradition (Schweich Lectures 1916, 1918), pp. 38–39 (n53–n54); read on the page images; paraphrased, not quoted
Quotations from LXX (Swete) are used under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits
2026-11-10
Open in Reader All notes on this passage