.
• Gen 4:23-24 . . And Lamech said to his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice! O
wives of Lamech, give ear to my speech! I have slain a man for wounding me, and
a lad for bruising me. If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.
Brag, Brag, Brag-- boy, I tell you some men sure love to show off and glorify
themselves in front of women; no doubt about it.
Apparently ol' Lamech figured the homicide he committed wasn't nearly as severe
as Cain's because he killed in retribution; whereas Cain killed in a rage. Also, Cain
killed his kid brother, whereas Lamech killed his relative a little more distant. So to
Lamech's way of thinking, Cain's killing was a much more serious crime; and if a
dirty rotten scoundrel like gramps was under divine protections, then, in Lamech's
mind, he certainly deserved to be under them even more so.
It almost appears that Lamech killed two people, but really it was only one; and in
fact a person younger than himself. Two words describe Lamech's opponent. The
first word is from 'enowsh (en-oshe') and simply means a mortal; viz: a human
being (of either gender), in general (singly or collectively); viz: someone and/or
somebody. The second word reveals the person's age. The word for "lad" is yeled
(yeh'-led) and means something born, i.e. a lad or offspring-- boy, child, fruit, son,
young one and/or young man.
Apparently Lamech got in a disagreement with somebody and they settled their
differences in a fight. The injury Lamech received in the ensuing scuffle could have
been something as simple as the man biting his ear or kicking him in the groin. It's
my guess Lamech over-reacted and stabbed the man to death with a spiffy hunting
knife that his son Tubal-cain made for him over in the blacksmith shop.
Lamech's sense of right and wrong reflects the humanistic conscience of a man void
of God's mentoring. In his earthly mind, revenge was an okay thing; which is a
common attitude in many primitive cultures.
But his opponent only wounded him. In return, Lamech took his life. The scales of
justice don't balance in a situation like that-- they tip. Pure law says eye for eye,
tooth for tooth, burning for burning, stripe for stripe, life for life, and no more. If
the lad's intent was obviously upon great bodily harm; Lamech would probably be
justified to kill in self defense since his opponent was a younger man and had the
advantage in age. However, according to Lamech's own testimony, he killed the
man in revenge; not self defense.
Cain's side of the Adams family is characterized by technology, invention, boasting,
achievement, commerce, and violence. But not one word is recorded concerning its
association with, nor its interest in, their maker. Cain's entire community was
impious and went on to be completely destroyed right down to the last man,
woman, and child in Noah's flood. No one survives him today.
The Bible doesn't record even one single incident of a Cainite blessing God for His
goodness; nor for His mercy, nor for His providence. There is no record that any of
them ever said even one single prayer-- not even a simple lay-me-down-to-sleep
kind of prayer. Every one of the little kids in Enochville went to bed each night
without the slightest assurance that humanity's creator cared at all for the well
being of their little souls.
How many homes right here today in modern America reflect that very same
Cainish culture? The parents and the children are unthankful, unholy, and
irreligious; caring little or nothing for things of eternal value: moving towards an
inevitable head-on rendezvous with death and the hereafter, and totally unprepared
to meet their maker.
• Gen 4:25 . . And 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 offspring
in place of Abel; for Cain killed him."
Seth's name in Hebrew basically means a substitute, defined by Webster's as a
person or thing that takes the place or function of another; e.g. substitute teachers,
generic medications, pinch hitters, and/or after-market car parts.
Apparently Eve was still anticipating that she herself would be the woman to give
birth to the man promised by God to defeat the Serpent's wiles. (Gen 3:15)
• Gen 4:26a . . And to Seth, in turn, a son was born, and he named him Enosh.
Sometimes the record shows the mother naming a child, and sometimes the father;
which suggests that in all cases there was very likely mutual consultation between
husband and wife on this important decision. But it's always important for the
father to take a hand in naming the children because the act testifies that he's
legally, and officially, accepted them as his own (e.g. Gen 16:15, Gen 21:3, Luke
1:13, Luke 1:63).
NOTE: God instructed both Joseph and Mary to give her baby the name Jesus (Matt
1:21, Luke 1:31). By doing so, Jesus went on record as both their son rather than
only Mary's. (Luke 1:32, (Matt 17:5)
God also selected Ishmael's name (Gen 16:11) Isaac's (Gen 17:19) and Solomon's
too (1Chron 22:9) changed Abraham's name (Gen 17:5) changed Sarah's name
(Gen 17:15) and changed Jacob's name (Gen 32:28).
Christ changed Peter's name (Mark 3:16). Way out in the future, Christ will be
changing quite a few names. (Rev 2:17)
"Enosh" is from 'enowsh (en-oshe') and means: a mortal; hence a man in general,
singly or collectively-- thus differing from the more dignified 'adam (aw-dawm')
which is the proper name of the human race (Gen 5:2). There's really nothing
special about an 'enowsh-- just a feller. Sometimes boys are named Guy, or Buddy,
so 'enowsh would be a common enough name.
• Gen 4:26b . .Then men began to call on the name of The Lord.
The Hebrew word for "Lord" in this case is Jehovah (a.k.a. Yahweh); which always,
and without exception, refers to the one true god.
Apparently up to this point in time, people addressed God in a sort of general way
instead of a personal way, and some still do. For example; during the Native
American funeral service held for my No.1 nephew, a tribal elder prayed to God as
"Grandfather" rather than by a personal moniker like Shiva or some such.
_