LXX Gen 4:17–26: the names, Lamech’s song, and “this one hoped”

Says In 4:17–18 Swete has Ἑνώχ, Γαιδάδ, Μαιήλ, Μαθουσαλά, and Λάμεχ. Μαιήλ stands for both MT spellings, מְחוּיָאֵל and מְחִיּיָאֵל, and Μαθουσαλά for מְתוּשָׁאֵל (metusha'el). Swete’s apparatus records the spellings Μαουια and Μαουιηλ in other witnesses.

Says At 4:21 Ἰουβάλ is ὁ καταδείξας ψαλτήριον καὶ κιθάραν, where the MT has אֲבִי כָּל־תֹּפֵשׂ (avi kol-tofes); in order, ψαλτήριον stands for כִּנּוֹר (kinnor) and κιθάρα (kithara, “a lyre”) for עוּגָב (ugav). At 4:22 Θόβελ stands for תּוּבַל קַיִן (tuval qayin), without the “Cain” element, and he is χαλκεύς (chalkeus, “a worker in metal”).

Says Lamech’s song (4:23–24) is set as verse: ὅτι ἄνδρα ἀπέκτεινα εἰς τραῦμα ἐμοί, καὶ νεανίσκον εἰς μώλωπα ἐμοί. τραῦμα (trauma, “a wound”) renders לְפִצְעִי (lefits'i), and μώλωψ (mōlōps, “a bruise”) לְחַבֻּרָתִי (lehabburati). 4:24 ends ἐκ δὲ Λάμεχ ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά; ἑβδομηκοντάκις (hebdomēkontakis, “seventy times”) renders שִׁבְעִים (shiv'im).

Implies The song turns God’s protective “sevenfold” (ἑπτὰ ἐκδικούμενα, 4:15) into Lamech’s own claim: 4:24 restates it as ἑπτάκις ἐκδεδίκηται ἐκ Κάιν and raises it for Lamech.

Says 4:25 adds Εὕαν, which the MT lacks, and has σπέρμα ἕτερον for זֶרַע אַחֵר. At 4:26 οὗτος ἤλπισεν ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ stands for אָז הוּחַל לִקְרֹא בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה; ἐλπίζω (elpizō) is “look for, expect, hope”.

Uncertain No lean is taken on the two lines and the Gen 5 names, on the tense or tone of the song, on 4:26b, or on any link between “another seed” and 3:15. See the textual note on 4:26.