.
†. 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 a relative a little more distant.
So in Lamech's estimation, Cain's killing was a much more serious crime;
and if a dirty rotten scoundrel like gramps was under God's divine
protections, then, in Lamech's mind, he certainly deserved to be under them
even more so; or so that's the way it was in his judicious estimation.
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). 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 bowie 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 him 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 Godless 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 the
God of creation 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 . . Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and
named him Seth, meaning: God has provided me with another
offspring in place of Abel-- for Cain had 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 (and thus differing from the more dignified
'adam (aw-dawm') which means: a human being) 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.
†. Gen 5:1a . .This is the record of Adam's line.
I suspect that Adam's genealogy would be better defined as "a" record
rather than "the" record because the Bible's version isn't exhaustive.
Adam's genealogy doesn't include every natural-born human being who ever
lived and/or will live; rather, it's primarily concerned with the branch leading
to Jesus of Nazareth: the Bible's central figure.
†. Gen 5:1b-2 . .When God created man, He made him in the likeness of
God; male and female He created them. And when they were created, He
blessed them and called them Man.
As a preamble to Seth's line, Genesis reminds the reader that Man's origin
was by intelligent design and special creation, and that he was made in the
likeness of his creator, and that he's been an h.sapiens right from the get
go. Man didn't begin his existence as some sort of pre-human hominid
named Ardi who lived in Ethiopia's Afar Rift some 4.4 million years ago.
Some people take issue with Genesis because it seems to them so
unscientific and contrary to the (known) fossil record. But they need to be
cautious because science doesn't have perfect understanding of everything
yet, nor has it discovered everything there is to discover, and it often has to
be revised to reflect new discoveries, and to correct outdated theories and
opinions.
But to be fair, Bible students don't know everything yet either so I would
advise watching the sciences for new discoveries that help fill in some of the
Bible's blanks.
†. Gen 5:3a . .When Adam had lived 130 years, he begot a son
Bible genealogies often have very large gaps in them, omitting insignificant
male siblings; and typically all of the girls. In one instance (1Chrn 1:1) the
record skips Abel and jumps right to Seth.
Taking advantage of this rather strange Bible practice; critics are quick to
point out generational gaps in Christ's genealogy with the intent of
invalidating the entire New Testament. But gaps are to be expected or
otherwise the list would be cumbersome and require a book all its own. For
example; a sizeable quantity of time passed between Noah's ark and the
arrival of Abraham on the scene; and probably a couple of ice ages too.
We're talking about a lot of generations there, and naming them all to a man
would be just as useless as it would be impractical.
†. Gen 5:3b . . in his likeness after his image, and he named him Seth.
When human life was first created, it was in the image and likeness of God;
viz: human life was immortal. Well; when Adam tasted the forbidden
fruit, he lost immortality and became mortal, so any and all human life that
passed on from himself was mortal life, i.e. Seth wasn't born immune to
death. He was born with his dad's mortality, viz: Seth came from the womb
as a dead man walking because he was born in the image and likeness of
Adam rather than the image and likeness of God.
Cont.
/[/size][/font]
†. 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 a relative a little more distant.
So in Lamech's estimation, Cain's killing was a much more serious crime;
and if a dirty rotten scoundrel like gramps was under God's divine
protections, then, in Lamech's mind, he certainly deserved to be under them
even more so; or so that's the way it was in his judicious estimation.
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). 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 bowie 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 him 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 Godless 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 the
God of creation 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 . . Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and
named him Seth, meaning: God has provided me with another
offspring in place of Abel-- for Cain had 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 (and thus differing from the more dignified
'adam (aw-dawm') which means: a human being) 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.
†. Gen 5:1a . .This is the record of Adam's line.
I suspect that Adam's genealogy would be better defined as "a" record
rather than "the" record because the Bible's version isn't exhaustive.
Adam's genealogy doesn't include every natural-born human being who ever
lived and/or will live; rather, it's primarily concerned with the branch leading
to Jesus of Nazareth: the Bible's central figure.
†. Gen 5:1b-2 . .When God created man, He made him in the likeness of
God; male and female He created them. And when they were created, He
blessed them and called them Man.
As a preamble to Seth's line, Genesis reminds the reader that Man's origin
was by intelligent design and special creation, and that he was made in the
likeness of his creator, and that he's been an h.sapiens right from the get
go. Man didn't begin his existence as some sort of pre-human hominid
named Ardi who lived in Ethiopia's Afar Rift some 4.4 million years ago.
Some people take issue with Genesis because it seems to them so
unscientific and contrary to the (known) fossil record. But they need to be
cautious because science doesn't have perfect understanding of everything
yet, nor has it discovered everything there is to discover, and it often has to
be revised to reflect new discoveries, and to correct outdated theories and
opinions.
But to be fair, Bible students don't know everything yet either so I would
advise watching the sciences for new discoveries that help fill in some of the
Bible's blanks.
†. Gen 5:3a . .When Adam had lived 130 years, he begot a son
Bible genealogies often have very large gaps in them, omitting insignificant
male siblings; and typically all of the girls. In one instance (1Chrn 1:1) the
record skips Abel and jumps right to Seth.
Taking advantage of this rather strange Bible practice; critics are quick to
point out generational gaps in Christ's genealogy with the intent of
invalidating the entire New Testament. But gaps are to be expected or
otherwise the list would be cumbersome and require a book all its own. For
example; a sizeable quantity of time passed between Noah's ark and the
arrival of Abraham on the scene; and probably a couple of ice ages too.
We're talking about a lot of generations there, and naming them all to a man
would be just as useless as it would be impractical.
†. Gen 5:3b . . in his likeness after his image, and he named him Seth.
When human life was first created, it was in the image and likeness of God;
viz: human life was immortal. Well; when Adam tasted the forbidden
fruit, he lost immortality and became mortal, so any and all human life that
passed on from himself was mortal life, i.e. Seth wasn't born immune to
death. He was born with his dad's mortality, viz: Seth came from the womb
as a dead man walking because he was born in the image and likeness of
Adam rather than the image and likeness of God.
Cont.
/[/size][/font]
