Genesis 4:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.

NIV: Lamech said to his wives, 'Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me.

NASB: Lamech said to his wives, 'Adah and Zillah, Listen to my voice, You wives of Lamech, Pay attention to my words, For I have killed a man for wounding me; And a boy for striking me!

CSB: Lamech said to his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, pay attention to my words. For I killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.

NLT: One day Lamech said to his wives, 'Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; listen to me, you wives of Lamech. I have killed a man who attacked me, a young man who wounded me.

KJV: And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.

NKJV: Then Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, Even a young man for hurting me.

Lamech, six generations removed from Cain, demonstrates that he shared Cain's anger, violence, and arrogance—and then some. In this speech, continuing into the following verse, he brags about his sin in an almost unbelievable way.

He announces to his two wives that he has killed a man in revenge for wounding and/or striking him. We obviously don't know the whole story. However, Lamech's response indicates that his action was out of proportion with what was done to him. The Hebrew word used for "kill" here is from the root word hā'rag, the same used to describe the murder of Abel in Genesis 4:8 and Moses' murder of the Egyptian in Exodus 2:14.

He sounds proud and arrogant, and even more so in light of the following verse. The fact that he specifically directs this confession of murder to his wives can be interpreted in several ways. One prominent possibility is that this is meant to be a threat: "look what happens to people who cross me."

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.