And Lemech said to his wives Adah and Zillah, hear my voice, Ye wives of Lemech, listen to my speech. For I have slain a man for my wound, and a youth for my bruise.
Genesis 4 has already shown the world's first murder. Now it records the first song, and the singer is a killer telling his two wives what he did. Is he confessing, defending himself, or boasting?
Notice who this song is about, and who it is not about.
This is the first poetry recorded in the Bible. God is in no way its object; self, for this life, is. That is one more weighty addition to the picture of the world. Whatever the actual events were, his aim was to reassure his wives, who dreaded what his violence would bring. Lamech seems to plead that the blood he shed was shed in self-defence, not in murder as Cain's was. So he claims for himself the shelter God gave his own forefather, as the surest pledge that God will step in for him.
His song has an audience, and it is not God.
In Lamech's day polygamy came in. The first verse of poetry we hear of was not addressed to God in praise or in repentance. He addressed it to his wives. A little song goes out to Adah and Zillah, to excuse himself, to exalt himself, and to quiet their fears. The tone is defiant enough, and it even makes an irreverent claim to God's approval.
The older English wording of the verse can puzzle a reader. The phrase is not saying Lamech was hurt by killing; it is saying why he killed.
Lamech's speech to his wives may seem a little obscure, but the rendering of the New Translation, "for my wounding," and "for my hurt," makes it clearer. Some unfortunate young man had wounded and hurt Lamech, and in revenge Lamech rose up and killed him.
Because of that wording, some read the act as self-protection rather than cold murder.
The first death was caused by murder when Cain killed his brother Abel, and the second recorded is when Lamech said, "I have slain a man to my wounding," or "for my wound"; which may mean that he did it in self-defence.
Two evils meet in one man, and they are the two that later brought the flood.
Lamech's "self-will in lust" shows in his deliberate break with the marriage God set up in Eden. (Genesis 2:24.) He pleased himself by taking two wives. He also took revenge, and it cost his enemy his life. Later God sent the flood because of two forms of evil: corruption and violence (see chapter 6:12-13). Both of them meet in Lamech.
These are not ancient problems only. They grow up alongside the prosperity described just before.
From the very first, two principles of evil are linked with this prosperity, and they are bound to undermine the whole society. Verse 23 shows them: corruption and violence... These two degrading evils have spread through the whole world. The media advertises them all the time, while government tries and fails to control the wild, beastly character of men.
Compare the two killers of this chapter, and the direction of the human heart becomes visible.
When Cain had murdered centuries before, he showed some sense of wrongdoing. Lamech was different. He came home to brag to his wives about what he had done, and to sneer at God's word that forbade revenge against Cain. If Cain was to be avenged sevenfold, why, he would be seventy and sevenfold. He felt himself to be eleven times more important than Cain. Here was the pride of life in high degree!
Several writers see more here than one man's history, and they say so with caution.
Chapter 4:23 may be taken as history, and it is true; but as a picture it points to the Jews at the end. There is self-will in it every way. As a picture it is the remnant of Israel in the last day; but we must not be dogmatic about that. Cain is a figure of Israel having killed Christ, and made a wanderer on the earth. At the end the remnant of Israel will own, like Lamech, that they have killed this man to their wounding.
That reading fits how God has treated this people ever since.
The fact is certain that God watches over His ancient people, far guiltier than Cain, but guilty of blood that speaks better than Abel's... There they are — wanderers, yet preserved as no people ever was, kept for everlasting mercy when their heart turns to God and to Him Whom they cast out.
- First song, wrong subject. The Bible's first poem is not praise and not repentance. Self is its theme. Two frightened wives are its audience.
- First excuse. He killed a man for wounding him. Some read that as provocation, even self-defence.
- First boast. Cain showed some sense of guilt. Lamech brags, and rates himself eleven times more important than Cain.
- Two seeds of the flood. Corruption in his marriage and violence with his hands meet in one man. These are the two evils God judged in Genesis 6.
- First echo of a last-day confession. Read as a picture, Lamech owning the blood he shed points ahead to a preserved people who will confess the death of Christ. The writers hold this as likely, not certain.
If Cain shall be avenged seven-fold; Lemech seventy and seven fold.
Lamech's words to his wives close the line of Cain, and they are the first piece of poetry recorded in the Bible. He seizes the protection God once gave Cain and multiplies it for himself, leaving us to ask whether he is boasting or confessing.
Lamech sings to his own household, and the subject of the song is his own safety.
This is the first poetry recorded in the Bible. God is in no way its subject; the subject is self, and self for this life. That adds one more weighty stroke to the picture of the world. Whatever the exact history, he wanted to calm his wives, who dreaded what his violent deeds would bring. Lamech seems to plead that he shed blood in self-defence, and not as a murderer like Cain. So he takes hold of the shelter God gave his own forefather, as the surest guarantee that God will step in for him too.
One writer works out what Lamech claimed for himself, and how a clearer wording of the previous verse brings it out.
Lamech's speech to his wives may seem a little unclear, but another translation's wording — "for my wounding" and "for my hurt" — makes it plainer. Some unfortunate young man had wounded and hurt Lamech, and in revenge Lamech got up and killed him. When Cain murdered centuries before, he showed some sense of having done wrong. Not so Lamech. He came home to brag to his wives about what he had done, and to sneer at God's word that forbade anyone to take revenge on Cain. If Cain would be avenged sevenfold, then he would be avenged seventy-sevenfold. He felt he was eleven times more important than Cain. Here was the pride of life at full height!
Lamech sinned in two directions at once: in his marriage, and against his enemy.
He pleased himself by taking two wives. He also took revenge, and at the cost of his enemy's life. The two kinds of evil that later made God send the flood — corruption and violence (see chapter 6:12-13) — are both combined in Lamech.
Lamech is the last man named in Cain's family tree, and his song is the family's final word.
With Lamech and his sons the line of Cain ends. In him self-will, and the abuse of God's patience without repentance, reach their height. He took more than one wife and was ready to kill. His own name speaks of the human "strength" he glories in. His wives' names speak of the desires of eye and ear that he chases. His sons' names and their inventions show how, then as now, a soul away from God will use His creatures so that he can do without Him.
Counting the generations from Adam places Lamech beside another man.
It is interesting that we read of two men who were "the seventh from Adam" (Jude v.14) in the sense of the seventh generation. The first one was Lamech, and we read of him in Genesis 4:19-24. He was the first bigamist and his song shows a remarkable degree of arrogance. He is the seventh — the full display — of man in the line of Cain, in the line of the flesh.
Commentators differ over the tone of Lamech's words. Some hear defiance:
I can only think that Lamech's words were a threat — "Have I done as Cain? I will be seventy-seven times avenged" (though I admit it is true of the Jewish remnant at the end, as slayers of Christ).
Others hear a confession. In this reading Lamech owns his sin and counts on grace to go further than his sin.
Then, with true gospel understanding, he makes much of his sin, and admits that it was his ruin. But then again, with true gospel simplicity, he makes far more of grace… In his thoughts, "where sin increased, grace abounded all the more."
Two killers, and only one of them confesses. Some writers see a picture of Israel here.
Cain is a picture of Israel having killed the Lord Jesus and not confessing their crime. Lamech seems to be a type of Israel too, in a coming day confessing their guilt in having killed the Messiah. Then God will pour out overwhelming vengeance on those nations that are set on wiping Israel out (Zechariah 12:9-14).
- Seven — God's own number of protection over Cain, spoken by God to restrain other men's hands.
- Seventy-seven — that same number seized by a man and multiplied for himself, making him "eleven times more important than Cain."
- Two evils — corruption and violence, the pair that later brought the flood, meet in this one singer.
- Seventh from Adam — Lamech stands seventh in Cain's line: man in the flesh on full display.
- Two readings — is the song a killer's threat, or a guilty man's confession that grace outweighs sin? Commentators differ. Some also hear in it Israel's later confession of the Messiah they rejected.