Gen 4:16–17: Nod, Cain's wife, and the city

Says Cain goes out מִלִּפְנֵי יְהוָה, "from the presence of the Lord," and settles בְּאֶרֶץ־נוֹד קִדְמַת־עֵדֶן, "in the land of Nod, east of Eden." BDB has Nod as the "region into which Cain wandered." קִדְמַת־עֵדֶן recalls 3:24, מִקֶּדֶם לְגַן־עֵדֶן (note.language.Gen.3.21-Gen.3.24.garments-cherubim-expulsion). Swete has Ναὶδ κατέναντι Ἔδεμ. Then וַיֵּדַע קַיִן אֶת־אִשְׁתּוֹ, "Cain knew his wife." Gen 4 names Cain, Abel and Seth as Adam's sons; 5:4 says Adam had "other sons and daughters," and 4:14 assumes other people. וַיְהִי בֹּנֶה עִיר, "and he was building a city," uses a participle (OSHB), and he named the city כְּשֵׁם בְּנוֹ חֲנוֹךְ, "after the name of his son Enoch."

Implies The narrative draws the name-play: Nod, נוֹד, sounds like וָנָד, "wanderer" (4:12, 14).

Uncertain Cain's wife, by the grounds only. (1) A sister or other near relative among Adam's "other sons and daughters" (5:4); the later law of Lev 18:9 is not yet given in the narrative. (2) The order is topical, so 4:14–17 need not follow 4:8 closely in time. (3) People outside Adam's line; this does not fit the Gen 2 note on Adam or Acts 17:26, "From one man He made every nation of men." The text says no more, and no lean is taken here.

Uncertain Who built the city: Cain, the subject of the verse; or Enoch, the nearest subject, with the city named for his own son. Objection to the second: the verse names the son Enoch. No lean is taken here.