Genesis 4:22

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

And, as for Zillah, she also, bare Tubal-Cain, a sharpener of every cutting instrument of bronze and iron, - and, the sister of Tubal-Cain, was Naamah.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Tzillah also gave birth to Tuval-Kayin, the forger of every cutting instrument of brass and iron. Tuval-Kayin's sister was Na`amah.

King James Version
And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.

Lexham English Bible
Then Zillah also gave birth to Tubal-Cain who forged all kinds of tools of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.

New Century Version
Zillah gave birth to Tubal-Cain, who made tools out of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.

New English Translation
Now Zillah also gave birth to Tubal-Cain, who heated metal and shaped all kinds of tools made of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.

Amplified Bible
Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, the smith (craftsman) and teacher of every artisan in instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

New American Standard Bible
As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Zillah also bare Tubal-kain, who wrought cunningly euery craft of brasse and of yron: and the sister of Tubal-kain was Naamah.

Legacy Standard Bible
As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

Contemporary English Version
Lamech and Zillah had a son named Tubal Cain who made tools out of bronze and iron. They also had a daughter, whose name was Naamah.

Complete Jewish Bible
Tzilah gave birth to Tuval-Kayin, who forged all kinds of tools from brass and iron; the sister of Tuval-Kayin was Na‘amah.

Darby Translation
And Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, the forger of every kind of tool of brass and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.

Easy-to-Read Version
Zillah gave birth to Tubal-Cain. Tubal-Cain was the father of people who work with bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-Cain was named Naamah.

English Standard Version
Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

George Lamsa Translation
And Zillah also bore Tubal-cain, a craftsman in every work of brass and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

Good News Translation
Zillah gave birth to Tubal Cain, who made all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal Cain was Naamah.

Christian Standard Bible®
Zillah bore Tubal-cain, who made all kinds of bronze and iron tools. Tubal-cain’s sister was Naamah.

Literal Translation
And Zillah also bore Tubalcain, the hammerer of every engraving tool of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Zilla she also bare Tubalcain, a worker in all connynge poyntes of metall & yron. And Tubalcains sister was called Naema.

American Standard Version
And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

Bible in Basic English
And Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, who is the father of every maker of cutting instruments of brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Sella also bare Thubalcain, which wrought cunnyngly euery craft of brasse and of iron, the sister of Thubalcain was Noema.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Zillah, she also bore Tubal-cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of brass and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

King James Version (1611)
And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-Cain, an instructer of euery artificer in brasse and iron: and the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Sella also bore Thobel; he was a smith, a manufacturer both of brass and iron; and the sister of Thobel was Noema.

English Revised Version
And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

Berean Standard Bible
Zillah also gave birth to Tubal-cain, a forger of every implement of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Sella gendride Tubalcayn, that was an hamerbetere, and smyyt on alle werkis of bras and of yrun; forsothe the sistir of Tubalcayn was Neoma.

Young's Literal Translation
And Zillah she also bare Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron; and a sister of Tubal-Cain [is] Naamah.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Zillah, she also bore Tubalcain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain [was] Naamah.

World English Bible
Zillah also gave birth to Tubal-Cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of brass and iron. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah.

New King James Version
And as for Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.

New Living Translation
Lamech's other wife, Zillah, gave birth to a son named Tubal-cain. He became an expert in forging tools of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain had a sister named Naamah.

New Life Bible
Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain who made things from brass and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

New Revised Standard
Zillah bore Tubal-cain, who made all kinds of bronze and iron tools. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Sella also brought forth Tubalcain, who was a hammerer and artificer in every work of brass and iron. And the sister of Tubalcain was Noema.

Revised Standard Version
Zillah bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Na'amah.

Update Bible Version
And Zillah, she also bore Tubal-cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of bronze and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

Contextual Overview

¹⁹ And Lamech took to himself two wives, - the name of the one, was Adah, and, the name of the second Zillah. ²⁰ And Adah bare Jabal, - he, was father of such as dwell in tents, and have cattle; ²¹ and, the name of his brother, was Jubal, - he, was father of everyone handling lyre and flute, ²² And, as for Zillah, she also, bare Tubal-Cain, a sharpener of every cutting instrument of bronze and iron, - and, the sister of Tubal-Cain, was Naamah.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

instructor: Heb. whetter

brass: Exodus 25:3, Numbers 31:22, Deuteronomy 8:9, Deuteronomy 33:25, 2 Chronicles 2:7

Reciprocal: Job 28:2 - Iron

Cross-References

Exodus 25:3
And, this is the heave-offering which ye shall take of them, - gold and silver and bronze;

Numbers 31:22
Surely the gold and the silver, - the bronze the iron, the tin and the lead,

Deuteronomy 8:9
a land wherein not in scarcity, shalt thou eat food, thou shalt lack nothing therein, - a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest hew copper.

Deuteronomy 33:25
Iron and bronze, be thy sandals, And, as thy days, be thy strength.

2 Chronicles 2:7
Now, therefore, send me a wise man, to work in gold and in silver and in bronze and in iron, and in purple and crimson and blue, and skilful to execute gravings, - with the wise men who are with me, in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom my father David did provide.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain,.... Thought by many to be the same with Vulcan, his name and business agreeing; for the names are near in sound, Tubalcain may easily pass into Vulcan; and who, with the Heathens, was the god of the smiths, and the maker of Jupiter's thunderbolts, as this was an artificer in iron and brass, as follows: his name is compounded of two words, the latter of which was no doubt put into his name in memory of Cain his great ancestor; the former Josephus u reads Thobel, and says of him, that he exceeded all in strength, and had great skill in military affairs:

an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron; he taught men the way of melting metals, and of making armour and weapons of war, and other instruments, for various uses, out of them; and he seems to be the same with the Chrysor of Sanchoniatho; for he says w of them (Agreus and Halieus) were begotten two brothers, the inventors of iron, and of working of it: one of these, called Chrysor, is said to be Hephaestus or Vulcan; and Chrysor, as Bochartus x seems rightly to conjecture, is חרש-אור, "Choresh-Ur, a worker in fire"; that, by means of fire, melted metals, and cast them into different forms, and for different uses; and one of these words is used in the text of Tubalcain; and so, according to Diodorus Siculus y, Vulcan signifies fire, and was not only the inventor of fire, but he says he was the inventor of all works in iron, brass, gold, and silver, and of all other things wrought by fire, and of all other uses of fire, both by artificers and all other men, and therefore he was called by all

πυρ, "fire". Clemens of Alexandria z ascribes the invention of brass and iron to the Idaeans or priests of Cybele in Cyprus; and so Sophocles in Strabo a:

and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah; whose name signifies "pleasant", fair and beautiful; and is thought by some to be the Venus of the Heathens; the Arabic writers b say she was a most beautiful woman, and found out colours and painting; and by others Minerva; and Josephus c says she excelled in the knowledge of divine things; and Minerva is by the Greeks called Nemanoum d. The Jews say e she was the wife of Noah; and some of them say f she was the wife of one Shimron, and the mother of the evil spirit Asmodeus, mentioned in Tobit, and of whom other demons were begotten: the Targuru of Jonathan adds,

"she was the mistress of lamentation and songs;''

but our Bishop Cumberland g conjectures, that she was the wife of Ham, was with him in the ark, and after the flood was the means of leading him into idolatry: what led him to this conjecture was, that he observed in Plutarch, that the wife of Cronus, the same with Ham, is by some called Nemaus, which brought Naamah to his mind. Josephus h makes the number of children Lamech had by his two wives to be seventy seven.

u Antiqu. l. 1. c. 2. sect. 2. w Ut supra. (Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 1. p. 35.) x Canaan, l. 2. c. 2. col. 706. y Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 11, 13. & l. 5. p. 341. z Stromat. l. 1. p. 307. Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 34. c. 1, 2. a Geograph. l. 10. p. 326. b Elmacinus, p. 8. apud Hottinger. Smegma Oriental. l. 1. C. 8. p. 232. c Antiqu. l. 1. c. 2. sect. 2. d Plutarch. de Jide. e Bereshit Rabba, sect. 23. fol. 20. 3. Jarchi in loc. Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 1. 2. f R. Elias Levita in Tishbi, fol. 19, 21. g History of Sanchoniatho, p. 107. h Antiqu. l. 1. c. 2. sect. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

- XIX. The Line of Cain

17. חניך ch^enôk, Chanok, “initiation, instruction.”

18. עירד ‛ı̂yrād, ‘Irad, “fleet as the wild ass, citizen.” מחוּיאל m^echûya'el, Mechujael, “smitten of ‘El, or life of ‘El.” מתוּשׁאל m^etûshā'ēl, Methushael, “man of ‘El, or man asked.” למך lāmek, Lemek, “man of prayer, youth.”

19. עדה 'ādâh, ‘Adah, “beauty.” צלה tsı̂lâh, Tsillah, “shade or tinkling.”

20. יבל yābāl, Jabal, “stream, leader of cattle, produce, the walker or wanderer.” אהל 'ohel plural: אהלים 'ohālı̂ym for אהלים 'ăhālı̂ym “tent, awning, covering” of goats’ hair over the poles or timbers which constituted the original booth,” סכה sŭkâh.

21. יוּבל yûbāl, Jubal, “player on an instrument?”

22. תוּבל־קין tûbal-qayı̂n, Tubal-qain, “brass-smith?” The scion or son of the lance. <נעמה na‛ămâh, Na’amah, “pleasant, lovely.”

Mankind is now formally divided into two branches - those who still abide in the presence of God, and those who have fled to a distance from him. Distinguishing names will soon be given to these according to their outward profession and practice Genesis 6:1. The awful distinction according to the inward state of the feelings has been already given in the terms, the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent.

Genesis 4:17

Cain is not unaccompanied in his banishment. A wife, at least, is the partner of his exile. And soon a son is born to him. He was building a city at the time of this birth. The city is a keep or fort, enclosed with a wall for the defense of all who dwell within. The building of the city is the erection of this wall or barricade. Here we find the motive of fear and self-defense still ruling Cain. His hand has been imbrued in a brother’s blood, and he expects every man’s hand will be against him.

He calls his son Henok (Enoch), and his city after the name of his son. The same word is employed as a name in the lines of Seth Genesis 5:18, of Midian Genesis 25:4, and of Reuben Genesis 46:9. It signifies dedication or initiation, and, in the present case, seems to indicate a new beginning of social existence, or a consciousness of initiative or inventive power, which necessity and self-reliance called forth particularly in himself and his family. It appears, from the flocks kept by Habel, the fear of persons meeting and slaying the murderer, the marriage and family of Cain, and the beginning of a city, that a considerble time had elapsed since the fall. The wife of Cain was of necessity his sister, though this was forbidden in after times, for wise and holy reasons, when the necessity no longer existed.

Genesis 4:18

The names in this verse seem to denote, respectively, fleet as a wild ass, stricken by God, man of prayer, and youth. They indicate a mingling of thoughts and motives in men’s minds, in which the word אל 'el “mighty” as a name of God occurs. This name is a common noun, signifying hero or potentate, and also power or might, and is transferred to God as “the Potentate,” or “Almighty One.” It is distinguished from אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym “God,” since they are put in apposition Joshua 22:22; and seems to be properly an epithet applied to God by way of pre-eminence. The denomination, “stricken of the Mighty,” is a recognition of the divine power. “The man of prayer,” or “asking,” may also have reference to an act of worship. Among these higher thoughts we also find a value put upon youth and physical superiority, as the fleetness of the wild ass. This is all we can learn from these imperfectly understood names.

Genesis 4:19

This is the first record and probably the first instance of polygamy. The names of the two wives, Adah, “beauty,” and Zillah, “shade or tinkling,” seem to refer to the charms which attracted Lamek. Superabundance of wealth and power perhaps led Lamek to multiply wives.

Genesis 4:20 is the first notice of the tent and of cattle. The tent was the thin shining and shading canvas of goats’ hair, which was placed over the poles or timbers that constituted the original booth. In process of time it would supplant the branches and foliage of the booth as a covering from the sun or the wind. The cattle are designated by a word denoting property, as being chattels personal, and consisting chiefly of sheep and oxen. The idea of property had now been practically realized. The Cainites were now prosperous and numerous, and therefore released from that suspicious fear which originated the fortified keep of their progenitor. The sons of Jabal rove over the common with their tents and cattle, undismayed by imaginary terrors.

Genesis 4:21

Here is the invention of musical instruments in their two leading varieties, the harp and the pipe. This implies the previous taste for music and song. It seems not unlikely that Zillah, the mother of Jubal, was a daughter of song. The fine arts follow in the train of the useful. All this indicates the easy circumstances in which the Cainites now found themselves.

Genesis 4:22

The three names Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal are formed from root signifying to “flow, run, go forth,” perhaps “blow,” from which comes יובל yôbēl the “blast” or trumpet-note of joy and release. Accordingly, all sorts of going forth, that were suitable to the life of a nomad, seem to have distinguished this family. The addition of Cain to the name of Tubal may have been a memorial of his ancestor, or an indication of his pursuit. Tubal of the spear or lance may have been his familiar designation. The making of tents implies some skill in carpentry, and also in spinning and weaving. The working in brass and iron furnishes implements for war, hunting, or husbandry. The construction of musical instruments shows considerable refinement in carving and moulding wood. Naamah, the lovely, seems to be mentioned on account of her personal charms.

Genesis 4:23-24

In this fragment of ancient song, we have Lamek, under the strong excitement of having slain a man in self-defense, reciting to his wives the deed, and at the same time comforting them and himself with the assurance that if Cain the murderer would be avenegd sevenfold, he the manslayer in self-defense would be avenged seventy and seven-fold. This short ode has all the characteristics of the most perfect Hebrew poetry. Every pair of lines is a specimen of the Hebrew parallelism or rhythm of sentiment and style. They all belong to the synthetic, synonymous, or cognate parallel, the second member reiterating with emphasis the first. Here we observe that Lamek was a poet; one of his wives was probably a songstress, and the other had a taste for ornament. One daughter was the lovely, and three sons were the inventors of most of the arts which sustain and embellish life. This completes the picture of this remarkable family.

It has been noticed that the inventive powers were more largely developed in the line of Cain than in that of Sheth. And it has been suggested that the worldly character of the Cainites accounts for this. The Shethites contemplated the higher things of God, and therefore paid less attention to the practical arts of life. The Cainites, on the other hand, had not God in their thoughts, and therefore gave the more heed to the requisites and comforts of the present life.

But besides this the Cainites, penetrating into the unknown tracts of this vast common, were compelled by circumstances to turn their thoughts to the invention of the arts by which the hardships of their condition might be abated. And as soon as they had conquered the chief difficulties of their new situation, the habits of industry and mental activity which they had acquired were turned to the embellishments of life.

We have no grounds, however, for concluding that the descendants of Cain were as yet entirely and exclusively ungodly on the one hand, or on the other that the descendants of Sheth were altogether destitute of inventive genius or inattentive to its cultivation. With the exception of the assault that seemed to have provoked the homicidal act of Lamek, and the bigamy of Lamek himself, we find not much to condemn in the recorded conduct of the race of Cain; and in the names of some of them we discover the remembrance and recognition of God. Habel had a keeper of cattle before Jabal. The Cainites were also an older race than the Shethites. And when Noah was commissioned to build the ark, we have no reason to doubt that he was qualified in some measure by natural ability and previous training for such a task.

The line of Cain is traced no further than the seventh generation from Adam. We cannot tell whether there were any more in that line before the flood. The design of tracing it thus far, is to point out the origin of the arts of life, and the first instances of bigamy and homicide in self-defense.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Genesis 4:22. Tubal-cain — The first smith on record, who taught how to make warlike instruments and domestic utensils out of brass and iron. Agricultural instruments must have been in use long before, for Cain was a tiller of the ground, and so was Adam, and they could not have cultivated the ground without spades, hooks, c. Some of these arts were useless to man while innocent and upright, but after his fall they became necessary. Thus is the saying verified: God made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions. As the power to get wealth is from God, so also is the invention of useful arts.

M. De Lavaur, in his Conference de la Fable avec l'Histoire Sainte, supposes that the Greeks and Romans took their smith-god Vulcan from Tubal-cain, the son of Lamech. The probability of this will appear,

1. From the name, which, by the omission of the Tu and turning the b into v, a change frequently made among the Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans, makes Vulcain or Vulcan.

2. From his occupation he was an artificer, a master smith in brass and iron.

3. He thinks this farther probable from the names and sounds in this verse. The melting metals in the fire, and hammering them, bears a near resemblance to the hissing sound of צלה tsillah, the mother of Tubal-cain and צלל tsalal signifies to tinkle or make a sound like a bell, 1 Samuel 3:11; 2 Kings 21:12.

4. Vulcan is said to have been lame; M. De Lavaur thinks that this notion was taken from the noun צלא tsela, which signifies a halting or lameness.

5. Vulcan had to wife Venus, the goddess of beauty; Naamah, the sister of Tubal-cain, he thinks, may have given rise to this part of the fable, as her name in Hebrew signifies beautiful or gracious.

6. Vulcan is reported to have been jealous of his wife, and to have forged nets in which he took Mars and her, and exposed them to the view of the whole celestial court: this idea he thinks was derived from the literal import of the name Tubal-cain; תבל tebel signifies an incestuous mixture of relatives, Leviticus 20:12; and קנא kana, to burn with jealousy; from these and concomitant circumstances the case of the detected adultery of Mars and Venus might be easily deduced. He is of opinion that a tradition of this kind might have readily found its way from the Egyptians to the Greeks, as the former had frequent intercourse with the Hebrews.

Of Naamah nothing more is spoken in the Scriptures; but the Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel makes her the inventress of funeral songs and lamentations. R. S. Jarchi says she was the wife of Noah, and quotes Bereshith Rabba in support of the opinion. Some of the Jewish doctors say her name is recorded in Scripture because she was an upright and chaste woman; but others affirm that the whole world wandered after her, and that of her evil spirits were born into the world. This latter opinion gives some countenance to that of M. De Lavaur.