Genesis 4:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, "God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him."

NIV: Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him."

NASB: Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, 'God has appointed me another child in place of Abel, because Cain killed him.'

CSB: Adam was intimate with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, for she said, "God has given me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him."

NLT: Adam had sexual relations with his wife again, and she gave birth to another son. She named him Seth, for she said, 'God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.'

KJV: And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

NKJV: And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.”

After detailing Cain's descendants through Lamech and his offspring in the previous verses, the narrative now jumps back in time to the birth of Seth. It is very likely Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters besides Cain, Abel, and Seth. Cain's concern over vengeance strongly suggests that there were many other people alive when he murdered his brother (Genesis 4:14). Those three were special, though, in that the Bible chooses to focus on their stories and successors. This focus only on more notable figures is a common feature of ancient writings.

It's helpful to notice that Eve is still a woman of faith, expressing her trust in God as the provider of sons even after Cain killed Abel. She saw Seth as God's direct replacement for her lost Abel.

We're told in the next chapter that Adam was 130 years old at the birth of Seth. Eve would have been about the same age. Scripture reports that these first generations after the garden lived hundreds of years, with a reproductive window far beyond what would be considered normal today.

Genesis 4:17–26 describes Cain's family line after his murder of Abel. While the details are limited, Scripture does mention a few points of concern. Lamech, Cain's great-great-great-grandson not only took two wives, he also bragged about murdering a younger man. This attitude of blatant defiance sets the stage for God's judgment of a depraved earth in the story of the flood in Genesis chapter 6. This passage also describes Adam and Eve's son Seth, born after Cain, who becomes the ancestor of Noah.

The consequences of sin become apparent in chapter 4: envy, arrogance, rebellion, murder, punishment, separation from family, and separation from God. Adam and Eve's firstborn son, Cain, jealously murders his brother Abel and loses everything. Adam and Eve lose them both. Cain's descendants amplify his sinfulness. Still, God provides help for Eve in childbirth and even provides protection for Cain in his wandering. Eve remains a woman of faith, even in her loss. And the sons of Seth, born after the murder of Abel, become a people who proclaim the name of the Lord.

The first three chapters of Genesis explain the creation and loss of paradise, as Adam and Eve are separated from God both physically and spiritually. Their relationship with Him does not end, however. Eve recognizes His help in bearing her son Cain and later Seth. Cain and Abel both worship God until Cain kills Abel. God provides protection for Cain, whose descendants become innovative, artful, arrogant, and violent. The descendants of Seth, however, begin to call on the Lord's name. This chapter bridges the story of Genesis from our ultimate origins to the story of Noah, introduced in the next chapter.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.