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The A.V. margin of Gen. 4: 17 draws the reader's attention to the fact that the
Hebrew is chanock and as there is no such note at Gen. 5: 18 he may suspect that the
names are not identical. The same spelling is employed in Gen. 4: 17 as in Gen. 5: 18,
and when the genealogy is repeated in I Chron. 1: 3, it is spelt henoch.
To Enoch in the line of Cain was born Irad which is similar, though not identical with
Jared, the son of Mahalaleel (Gen. 5: 15). The difference between these two names is
that of one letter, Irad employing one letter more than Jared in the original. Another pair
of names that suggest substitution is Methusael (Gen. 4: 18) & Methuselah (Gen. 5: 21),
which differs only in the conclusion of the word. At the close of Cain's line is Lamech,
whose boast introduces the words `sevenfold' and `seventy and seven fold' (Gen. 4: 24),
while Lamech the father of Noah, lived "seven hundred, seventy and seven years". There
is sufficient superficial likeness in these names to suggest intention, and that intention
coming through the line of Cain would be evil.
The record of Cain's descendants opens with a reference to the curse that had fallen
upon the earth (Gen. 4: 11) and Cain's attempt to palliate the effects of the curse is
CIVILIZATION, "He builded a city" (Gen. 4: 17). Lamech, the descendant of Seth also
speaks of the curse which rested upon the ground, but instead of attempting to minimize
the curse by human expedients, he looked for `rest' through the ministry of his son Noah,
whom he so named, because the word means `comfort' or `rest'. Lamech looked to
REDEMPTION where Cain looked to civilization.
The first cities of the Bible are associated with evil and rebellion.
(1)
Enoch, the city built by Cain after the curse (Gen. 4: 17).
(2)
Nineveh, the city built by Nimrod, the mighty Rebel (Gen. 10: 11).
(3)
Babel, the city and tower built in rebellion (Gen. 11: 4).
(4)
Sodom, the city which was destroyed by fire (Gen. 19: 24).
Meanwhile Abraham had left Ur of the Chaldees, and had become a pilgrim and a
stranger, dwelling in tents, having here `no continuing city' but seeking `one to come'
(Heb. 11: 10, 16; 13: 14).
Let us ponder the record of Lamech, his reference to Noah and his typical work of
deliverance. The primary significance of the Hebrew preposition min, translated
`because' in Gen. 5: 29, is that of `a part or portion', hence something arising out of, or
caused by, anything, as for example Israel who sighed `by reason of' the bondage they
endured (Exod. 2: 23). Lamech had no doubt but that the `work and toil' which life
imposed, was `because' of the curse that had fallen upon the ground.
The story of Gen. 1:-9:, from Adam to Noah, is bounded by references to the
"ground", Hebrew adamah.