Summary Genesis 4:17-26:
Cain got married and had sons who got married and had sons of their own. Lamech, one of the descendents of Cain, committed murder as well. Eve gave birth to another son named Seth.
BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 4, Day 5: Genesis 4:17-26
14) They lived in tents and raised livestock. They invented musical instruments, such as the harp and flute, and learned to play them. They learned to work bronze and form tools. They built cities.
15) Seems like the murder tendency runs in the family and that revenge is acceptable. Inferring from Cain’s relationship, it is probably not a close relationship and their activities make it seem more man-centered than God-centered. Lamech boasts and claims a greater retribution than God could deliver — a clear sign of self-centeredness rather than God-centeredness. From the murder, we can infer that they were okay with committing crimes.
16) Seth replaced Abel and the hope is that he will be closer to the Lord than Cain, God-fearing, and loving of God. God will answer those who call on His name.
17) Personal Question. My answer: God offers us grace no matter what we do or how much we turn from Him. Faith is what matters more than what you bring to Him. He wants your heart more than a token gift.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 4, Day 5: Genesis 4:17-26
The Bible is moving on, quickly running through many generations here so that we have a record of Adam’s line (and Jesus’s) before we move on to Noah in Genesis Chapter 5, our next lesson.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 4, Day 5: Genesis 4:17-26
Cain married his sister, which was not against God’s law until Moses (Leviticus 18:9, 18:11, 20:17, and Deuteronomy 27:22.
Necessity demanded that Adam’s sons marry his daughters. The gene pool of humanity was pure at this point. However, as time went on, God decreed there no longer be marriage between close relatives because of the danger of inbreeding.
Other examples of sibling marriages: Abraham married his half-sister Sarah (Genesis 20:12).
Advancement of Man Amidst Spiritual Decline
We see humanity’s rapid advancement here. Cities were founded (Genesis 4:17), homes were built, music and the arts were innovated, and metalworking began.
The name Lamech may mean conqueror. He was the seventh from Adam on Cain’s side. Lamech’s arrogance (Genesis 4:23-24) is a contrast to Enoch, who was the seventh from Adam on Seth’s line (Jude 14).
Biblical first: Lamech was the first bigamist in history, going against God’s original plan for one man and one woman to become one flesh (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-8). The names of his wives and daughter show the emphasis in his heart: Adah means, “pleasure, ornament, or beauty.” Zillah means, “shade” probably referring to a luxurious covering of hair. His daughter’s name was Naamah, which means, “loveliness.” Lamech’s culture was committed to physical and outward beauty.
Lamech boasted about his murder, believing he could deliver a greater retribution than God. This shows just how far man has fallen and how far they have pulled away from God in a short amount of time.
The Devolvement of Humanity
The city was Cain’s city; the focus of Lamech was his beautiful wives and his own perceived strength. But for all of Lamech’s boasting, neither he nor his descendants are ever heard of again in the Bible. He came to nothing.
Adam and Eve had many children who were not specifically named in the Biblical record, but Seth replaced Abel in some sense and was the one to whom the promise of a deliverer from the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15) would be passed.
Some have called Genesis 4:26 the first revival, because it was the first indication of a spiritual resurgence after a clear decline.
Credit to enduring word for commentary