Tubal-cain תּוּבַל־קַ֫יִן
Descendant of Cain, first metalworker
Who is Tubal-cain in the Bible?
Tubal-cain was a descendant of Cain and the son of Lamech and Zillah, mentioned in Genesis 4:22 as the first metalworker in the Bible. He is described as a forger of bronze and iron instruments, with his name itself meaning "producer" and "smith," emphasizing his role as a craftsman. Tubal-cain represents the development of technology and civilization among Cain's descendants before the flood, demonstrating God's grace in allowing cultural advancement even among those who had turned away from Him. His story illustrates how human innovation and skill emerged early in biblical history alongside the spiritual decline of humanity in that era.
Biography
Tubal-cain is mentioned in Gen.4.22 as a descendant of Cain, the son of Lamech and Zillah. He is described as a forger of all instruments of bronze and iron, making him the first metalworker mentioned in the Bible. The name Tubal-cain consists of two elements meaning "producer" and "smith," emphasizing his role as a craftsman. No other details are provided about his life or specific works. Tubal-cain's skills in metalworking represent the development of civilization and technology among the descendants of Cain before the flood. His story illustrates God's grace in allowing cultural advancements even among those who had turned away from Him.
Family
Parents
Siblings
- Jabal Early PatriarchSon of LamechSon of Lamech; father of nomadic herdsmen.View full profile →
- Jubal Early PatriarchSon of LamechFather of musicians who play the lyre and pipeView full profile →
- Naamah Early PatriarchSister of JabalDaughter of Lamech and Zillah, sister of Tubal-cain.View full profile →
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentGenesis 1 verse
- Genesis 4:22
"And Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, a forger of every implement of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | תּוּבַל־קַ֫יִן |
Tubal-cain
ext (loTesh kol choresh nechosheth u-bharzel) has been the cause of endless dispute. Holzinger and Gunkel hold that laTash was a marginal gloss to charash, and that, as in Ge 4:20 and 21, there stood before kal originally hu hayah 'abhi. This would make Tubal-cain the founder of the metal industry, and place him in a class similar to that of his brothers. The Septuagint, however, has no equivalent of qayin. This omission leads Dillmann, Wellhausen, and others to the position that "Tubal" originally stood alone, and qayin, being a later addition, was translated "smith." Many commentators identify Tubal with the Assyrian Tubal, a people living Southwest of the Black Sea; in later times they were called "Tibareni" (Eze 27:13). Tubal may be the eponymous ancestor of these people, whose principal industry seems to have been the manufacture of vessels of bronze and iron.
Horace J. Wolf
tu'-bi-as (en tois Tobiou; the King James Version "in the places of Tobie," the Revised Version (British and American) "in the land of Tubias"): A place in Gilead where 1,000 men of the Jews were slaughtered by the Gen