Genesis 4:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

NIV: Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.

NASB: Lamech took two wives for himself: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah.

CSB: Lamech took two wives for himself, one named Adah and the other named Zillah.

NLT: Lamech married two women. The first was named Adah, and the second was Zillah.

KJV: And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

NKJV: Then Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah.

After tracing the generations from Cain to Lamech, the story slows down to give us a close look at Lamech and his family. The Bible gives no explicit reason for this, but it seems to be focused on the spiritual flaws in Lamech and his family.

For starters, Lamech took two wives, Adah and Zillah. Marrying multiple women was common throughout history, including the history of God's people Israel, but this is the first mention of it in Scripture. Many scholars see Lamech's choice to marry two women as a rebellion against God's design for marriage as described in Genesis 2:24.

In later verses, Lamech will brag about killing another man. This was not self-defense—the Hebrew word Lamech uses is the same used to describe Cain's killing of Abel. Not only will Lamech boast about his crime, he will claim even greater immunity than Cain. This blatantly evil, anti-God attitude sets the stage for the upcoming story of Noah, and God's judgment on a depraved society.

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.

Accessed 5/1/2024 6:30:31 PM