Focused Passage

Genesis 4:17-26

Sin Spreads Through Worship, Jealousy, Violence, and the Preservation of a Worshiping Line

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

17 And Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch.

18 Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methusael, and Methusael was the father of Lamech.

19 And Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.

20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock.

21 And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.

22 And Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, a forger of every implement of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

23 Then Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, listen to my speech. For I have slain a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.

24 If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”

25 And Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another seed in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”

26 And to Seth also a son was born, and he called him Enosh. At that time men began to call upon the name of the LORD.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 17

Original words

And Cain קַ֙יִן֙ H7014 Noun - proper - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker had relations with וַיֵּ֤דַע H3045 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular his wife אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ H802 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular and she conceived וַתַּ֖הַר H2029 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular and gave birth to וַתֵּ֣לֶד H3205 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker Enoch חֲנ֑וֹךְ H2585 Noun - proper - masculine singular Then וַֽיְהִי֙ H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular [Cain] built בֹּ֣נֶה H1129 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular a city עִ֔יר H5892 Noun - feminine singular and named וַיִּקְרָא֙ H7121 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . שֵׁ֣ם H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct [it] הָעִ֔יר H5892 Article | Noun - feminine singular after כְּשֵׁ֖ם H8034 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct his son בְּנ֥וֹ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Enoch חֲנֽוֹךְ׃ H2585 Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 18

Original words

Now to Enoch לַֽחֲנוֹךְ֙ H2585 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker was born וַיִּוָּלֵ֤ד H3205 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Irad עִירָ֔ד H5897 Noun - proper - masculine singular and Irad וְעִירָ֕ד H5897 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular was the father of יָלַ֖ד H3205 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker Mehujael מְחֽוּיָאֵ֑ל H4232 Noun - proper - masculine singular and Mehujael וּמְחִיּיָאֵ֗ל H4232 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular was the father of יָלַד֙ H3205 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker Methusael מְת֣וּשָׁאֵ֔ל H4967 Noun - proper - masculine singular and Methusael וּמְתוּשָׁאֵ֖ל H4967 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular was the father of יָלַ֥ד H3205 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker Lamech לָֽמֶךְ׃ H3929 Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 19

Original words

And Lamech לֶ֖מֶךְ H3929 Noun - proper - masculine singular married וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ H3947 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . ל֥וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular two שְׁתֵּ֣י H8147 Number - feminine dual construct women נָשִׁ֑ים H802 Noun - feminine plural one הָֽאַחַת֙ H259 Article | Number - feminine singular named שֵׁ֤ם H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct Adah עָדָ֔ה H5711 Noun - proper - feminine singular and וְשֵׁ֥ם H8034 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct the other הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית H8145 Article | Number - ordinal feminine singular Zillah צִלָּֽה׃ H6741 Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 20

Original words

Adah עָדָ֖ה H5711 Noun - proper - feminine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker gave birth to וַתֵּ֥לֶד H3205 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular Jabal יָבָ֑ל H2989 Noun - proper - masculine singular he ה֣וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular was הָיָ֔ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular the father אֲבִ֕י H1 Noun - masculine singular construct of those who dwell יֹשֵׁ֥ב H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct in tents אֹ֖הֶל H168 Noun - masculine singular and [raise] livestock וּמִקְנֶֽה׃ H4735 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 21

Original words

And his brother’s אָחִ֖יו H251 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular name וְשֵׁ֥ם H8034 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct [was] Jubal יוּבָ֑ל H3106 Noun - proper - masculine singular he ה֣וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular was הָיָ֔ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular the father אֲבִ֕י H1 Noun - masculine singular construct of all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct who play תֹּפֵ֥שׂ H8610 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct the harp כִּנּ֖וֹר H3658 Noun - masculine singular and flute וְעוּגָֽב׃ H5748 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 22

Original words

And Zillah וְצִלָּ֣ה H6741 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular . . . הִ֗וא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular . . . גַם־ H1571 Conjunction gave birth to יָֽלְדָה֙ H3205 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker vvv תּ֣וּבַל H8423 Tubal-cain קַ֔יִן H8423 Noun - proper - masculine singular a forger לֹטֵ֕שׁ H3913 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct of every כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct implement חֹרֵ֥שׁ H2794 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct of bronze נְחֹ֖שֶׁת H5178 Noun - feminine singular and iron וּבַרְזֶ֑ל H1270 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular And the sister וַֽאֲח֥וֹת H269 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct vvv תּֽוּבַל־ H8423 of Tubal-cain קַ֖יִן H8423 Noun - proper - masculine singular [was] Naamah נַֽעֲמָֽה׃ H5279 Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 23

Original words

Then Lamech לֶ֜מֶךְ H3929 Noun - proper - masculine singular said וַיֹּ֨אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to his wives לְנָשָׁ֗יו H802 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular Adah עָדָ֤ה H5711 Noun - proper - feminine singular and Zillah וְצִלָּה֙ H6741 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular hear שְׁמַ֣עַן H8085 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine plural my voice קוֹלִ֔י H6963 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular wives נְשֵׁ֣י H802 Noun - feminine plural construct of Lamech לֶ֔מֶךְ H3929 Noun - proper - masculine singular listen הַאְזֵ֖נָּה H238 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - feminine plural to my speech אִמְרָתִ֑י H565 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular For כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction I אִ֤ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular have slain [a man] הָרַ֙גְתִּי֙ H2026 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular for wounding me לְפִצְעִ֔י H6482 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular a young man וְיֶ֖לֶד H3206 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular for striking me לְחַבֻּרָתִֽי׃ H2250 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Verse 24

Original words

If כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction Cain קָ֑יִן H7014 Noun - proper - masculine singular is avenged יֻקַּם־ H5358 Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular sevenfold שִׁבְעָתַ֖יִם H7659 Number - fd then Lamech וְלֶ֖מֶךְ H3929 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular vvv שִׁבְעִ֥ים H7657 Number - common plural seventy-sevenfold וְשִׁבְעָֽה׃ H7651 Conjunctive waw | Number - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Hebrew; LXX can be translated as either seventy times seven or seventy-sevenfold; see also Matthew 18:22.
Verse 25

Original words

And Adam אָדָ֥ם H121 Noun - proper - masculine singular again עוֹד֙ H5750 Adverb had relations with וַיֵּ֨דַע H3045 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular his wife אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ H802 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker and she gave birth to וַתֵּ֣לֶד H3205 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular a son בֵּ֔ן H1121 Noun - masculine singular and named וַתִּקְרָ֥א H7121 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker him שְׁמ֖וֹ H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Seth שֵׁ֑ת H8352 Noun - proper - masculine singular saying כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction God אֱלֹהִים֙ H430 Noun - masculine plural has granted שָֽׁת־ H7896 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular me לִ֤י Preposition | first person common singular another אַחֵ֔ר H312 Adjective - masculine singular seed זֶ֣רַע H2233 Noun - masculine singular in place תַּ֣חַת H8478 Preposition of Abel הֶ֔בֶל H1893 Noun - proper - masculine singular since כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction Cain קָֽיִן׃ H7014 Noun - proper - masculine singular killed him הֲרָג֖וֹ H2026 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Seth probably means granted or appointed.
Verse 26

Original words

And to Seth וּלְשֵׁ֤ת H8352 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular . . . הוּא֙ H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular also גַּם־ H1571 Conjunction a son בֵּ֔ן H1121 Noun - masculine singular was born יֻלַּד־ H3205 Verb - QalPass - Perfect - third person masculine singular and he called וַיִּקְרָ֥א H7121 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker him שְׁמ֖וֹ H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Enosh אֱנ֑וֹשׁ H583 Noun - proper - masculine singular At that time אָ֣ז H227 Adverb [men] began הוּחַ֔ל H2490 Verb - Hofal - Perfect - third person masculine singular to call upon לִקְרֹ֖א H7121 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct the name בְּשֵׁ֥ם H8034 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָֽה׃פ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Or to proclaim; some translators to invoke or to call themselves by or to profane

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.