Gen 4:17-5:32

Genesis 4:17–26 (ESV) —
17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19 And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.


• We have to apply our principles of hermeneutics here. First what is the genre?
• It is prose since is contains no metrical form, but it is also narrative. It is telling a story
• There is no commentary, although it is left to the reader to infer
• We need to be careful with scripture. Just because something is in the bible, does not mean it is teaching. For teaching, we would go to didactic parts of the scripture, usually when God speaks or a prophet speaks for him
• Has God limited marriage to one person?
• Yes, from the very beginning
• The definition of marriage is a union of one man and one women becoming one
• So, in the sixth generation from Adam, we have advanced to bigamy (the first instance)
• Also, what has Cain done since God sent him away?
• He built a city
• This is the first named city in scripture, Enoch (best guess on meaning is xxxxxxxxx)


20 Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. 22 Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.


• In Cain's line, we see architects (building cities), ranchers, musicians and scientists (specializations). In contrast will be the godly line of Seth. While one line is achieving technological progress and worldly success, it is also the line going further into sin
• I am not saying that there is any correlation between technology and godlessness
• I am saying that Cain's line is substituting success in worldly things for a relationship with God. This is a danger we all face
• Cain’s family is a microcosm: its pattern of technical prowess and moral failure is that of humanity. (Kidner: Constable, T. (2003). Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Ge 4:17). Galaxie Software.)


23 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.
24 If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold,
then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”


• Do you understand what Lamech is saying? What is associated with the production of bronze and iron?
• Weapons
• Lamech is using weapons to kill people
• Some refer to this passage as the "Song of the Sword"
• He seems to be boasting that he will kill 70 times compared to the protection God gave Cain, only seven time


• In contrast, to all of this, we have the next passage:
25 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.” 26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.


• Obviously Adam and Eve had many children, but the scripture focuses on this new line
• Seth means to set, stand, place, ordain
• It is not clear what Enosh means. One suggestion was "to be intimate"
• In contrast to Cain's great accomplishments, Seth's line has one accomplishment. What is it?
• People begin to call on the Lord
• Some commentators suggests that this is the first mention of prayer
• Cain's descendants were seeking worldly fulfillment through sin and accomplishments
• Seth's descendants were seeking God for their fulfillment


Genesis 5:1–32 (ESV) —
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4 The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. 5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.
6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh. 7 Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died.
9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. 10 Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died.
12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. 13 Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died.
15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared. 16 Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died.
18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he fathered Enoch. 19 Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died.
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech. 26 Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.
28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son 29 and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” 30 Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died.
32 After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.



Name	Age when Fathered	Lived	Notes
Adam	130	930	Seth was not the firstborn so this is not a firstborn chart
Seth	105	912
Enosh	90	905
Kenan	70	910
Mahalalel	65	895
Jared	162	962
Enoch	65	365**	Enoch walked with God and was no more
Methuselah	187	969
Lamech	182	777	Believed his son would bring relief from toil of work
Noah	500		Fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth



• If Seth's birth come after Abel's death, we see that a lot both Cain and Abel were much older, and probably many children had come from Adam and Eve's union
• Also, you wonder if these were first born, or rather the godly line
• Enoch is unusual
• The emphasis on Seth's line is always the relationship
• Enoch walked with God. We actually haven't seen "walking with God" since Eden when God walked in the garden
• Amazingly, Noah lived a long time before fathering his children (although it could be the last of the children at 500)