Lamech
Who he was
Lamech was a descendant of Cain, the son of Adam and Eve (Genesis 4:18). He was the father of Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal-cain (Genesis 4:20–22). Lamech is notable for being the first polygamist mentioned in the Bible, having married two women, Adah and Zillah (Genesis 4:19). He is also known for his speech to his wives, in which he boasted about killing a man for wounding him and claimed that he would be avenged seventy-sevenfold, in contrast to the sevenfold vengeance promised to Cain (Genesis 4:23–24). This speech suggests a progression of violence and a disregard for the sanctity of human life among Cain's descendants.
Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
Family
Family relations: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
Every mention
4 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)
Genesis 4 mentions
Genesis 4:18Irad was born to Enoch. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.Genesis 4:19Lamech took two wives: the name of the first one was Adah, and the name of the second one was Zillah.Genesis 4:23Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice. You wives of Lamech, listen to my speech, for I have slain a man for wounding me, a young man for bruising me.Genesis 4:24If Cain will be avenged seven times, truly Lamech seventy-seven times.”
What the dictionary says
The strikerdown; the wild man.
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Read the article →Sources
- STEPBible TIPNR · Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References · CC BY 4.0 · github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data
- Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869) · Public domain