Genesis 4:24

Genesis 4:24

If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

a. NLT: If someone who kills Cain is punished seven times, then the one who kills me will be punished seventy-seven times!”

b. NIV: If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.”

c. YLT: For sevenfold is required for Cain, And for Lamech seventy and sevenfold.'

d. Amplified Bible Classic: If Cain is avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech [will be avenged] seventy-sevenfold.

e. Septuagint: Because vengeance has been exacted seven times on Cain's behalf, on Lamech's [it shall be] seventy times seven.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: If Cain suffered vengeance at seven generations, then Lamech at seventy-seven!”

1. “If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold…”

a. If [Strong: 3588 kiy kee a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]

b. Cain [Strong: 7014 Qayin kah'-yin the same as 7013 (with a play upon the affinity to 7069); Kajin, the name of the first child, also of a place in Palestine, and of an Oriental tribe:--Cain, Kenite(-s).]

c. shall be avenged [Strong: 5358 naqam naw-kam' a primitive root; to grudge, i.e. avenge or punish:--avenge(-r, self), punish, revenge (self), X surely, take vengeance.]

d. sevenfold [Strong: 7659 shib`athayim shib-aw-thah'-yim dual (adverbially) of 7651; seven- times:--seven(-fold, times).]

2. “…truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.”

a. [truly] Lamech [Strong: Lemek leh'-mek from an unused root of uncertain meaning; Lemek, the 

name of two antediluvian patriarchs:--Lamech.]

b. seventy [Strong: shib`iym. shib-eem' multiple of 7651; seventy:--seventy, threescore and ten (+ -teen).]

c. and sevenfold [Strong: 7651 sheba` sheh'-bah or (masculine) shibrah {shib-aw'}; from a primitive cardinal number; seven (as the sacred full one); also (adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by extension, an indefinite number:--(+ by) seven(-fold),-s, (-teen, -teenth), -th, times).]

1). Pulpit Commentary: The words have an archaic simplicity which bespeak a high antiquity (vide Havernick's 'Introd.,' p. 105), naturally fall into that peculiar form of parallelism which is a well-known characteristic of Hebrew poetry, and on this account, as well as from the subject, have been aptly denominated The Song of the Sword (Ewald, p. 267).

2). Unger’s Bible Dictionary: Many views have been entertained as to the meaning of these words. Keil (Com., in loc.) says that “in the form of pride and arrogance Lamech celebrates the inventions of Tubalcain;” and the idea of the song is, “Whoever inflicts a wound on me, whether man or youth, I will put to death; and for every injury done to my person I will take ten times more vengeance that that with which God promised to avenge the murder of my anscestor Cain.” Turner (Companion to Genesis, p. 209) says “that he had slain a young man, not in cold blood, but in consequence of a would or bruise he had himself received; and on the ground, apparently, of a difference between his case and that of Cain’s—viz., that he had done under provocation what Cain had done without it—he assures himself of an interest in the divine guardianship greater than that granted to Cain.”

3). This is the first secular song recorded in Scripture. It is a song about taking another life and Lemech is singing it to his wives about killing a man. The song is prideful rebellion celebrating what he has done. In the next verse he laments that he will be avenged 70 fold. The birth of the blues is rooted in the fall of man, one good reason I don’t listen to that stuff anymore. After I studied this out the first song lyrics that came to mind was “Hey Joe.”