Genesis 4:23 kjv

And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.

Genesis 4:23 nkjv

Then Lamech said to his wives: "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, Even a young man for hurting me.

Genesis 4:23 niv

Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me.

Genesis 4:23 esv

Lamech said to his wives: "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.

Genesis 4:23 nlt

One day Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
listen to me, you wives of Lamech.
I have killed a man who attacked me,
a young man who wounded me.

Genesis 4 verses

Genesis 4 23 Meaning

Genesis 4:23 presents Lamech's boastful declaration to his two wives, Adah and Zillah, about his act of extreme retribution. In this poetic "Song of the Sword," Lamech asserts that he has killed a man for merely wounding him, and a young man for striking him. He then arrogantly proclaims that while Cain was protected by God with a sevenfold vengeance for anyone who might kill him, his own self-asserted vengeance will be seventy-sevenfold, indicating a far greater and utterly disproportionate retaliation. This verse reveals the accelerating degeneration of humanity's moral state and the escalation of violence within the line of Cain, highlighting human hubris and disregard for any limits on revenge.

Genesis 4 23 Context

Genesis chapter 4 details the first instances of human sin after the Fall. It begins with Cain's jealousy and murder of his brother Abel, God's subsequent confrontation, Cain's curse, and the mark God placed upon him for his protection (Gen 4:1-16). Cain then departs and founds a city, and his descendants are listed, showcasing both cultural advancements (agriculture, music, metallurgy in Gen 4:20-22) and moral decay.

Lamech appears as the seventh generation from Adam through the line of Cain (Adam > Cain > Enoch > Irad > Mehujael > Methushael > Lamech). The numerical significance of "seven" (fullness or completion) here ironically points to the completion of wickedness in this lineage. Unlike Seth's line, which would eventually call upon the name of the Lord (Gen 4:26), Lamech embodies the unbridled rebellion and violence that permeates Cain's descendants. This "Song of Lamech" serves as a grim example of human depravity and an early indication of the profound wickedness that would eventually lead God to decide upon the Great Flood (Gen 6:5, 11-13).

Genesis 4 23 Word Analysis

• Lamech (לֶמֶךְ - Lemek): Seventh in the line of Cain. This is significant because seven often denotes completion. Here, it signifies the culmination and complete degeneration of sin, lawlessness, and rebellion within the Cainite lineage, contrasted with Methuselah as the seventh in Seth's line (Gen 5:25), from whom Noah descended. Lamech is the first recorded polygamist in the Bible (Gen 4:19), a departure from God's design for marriage (Gen 2:24), further highlighting moral decline.
• said to his wives (אֶל-נָשָׁיו - el-nashav): A public declaration or boast, suggesting an audience is being addressed to validate his power or justify his actions. It reveals his desire for self-glorification and assertion of authority within his household and perhaps his community.
• Adah (עָדָה - Adah): Meaning "ornament" or "dawn."
• Zillah (צִלָּה - Tzillah): Meaning "shadow" or "tinkling" (perhaps of cymbals, linking to Tubal-Cain's metallic work through her).
• Hear my voice...listen to my speech (שְׁמַעְנָה קוֹלִי...הַאֲזֵנָּה אִמְרָתִי - shema'nah qoli...ha'azenah imrati): This is a poetic parallelism (synonymous parallelism), common in Hebrew poetry, emphasizing his demand for attention and the importance of his proclamation. It functions as an emphatic summons.
• For I have killed (כִּי הֶרַגְתִּי - ki haragti): The Hebrew verb is in the perfect tense. While it often implies a completed action ("I have killed" or "I did kill"), it can also denote a general truth or a boast about one's character/capacity ("I am one who kills," or a gnomic perfect, implying past experience informing a future boast/threat). Scholars debate if Lamech actually killed specific individuals or is merely boasting of his propensity for violence in response to minor affronts. The boast aspect is central, showcasing his lack of remorse and embrace of extreme vengeance.
• a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me (אִישׁ לְפִצְעִי וְיֶלֶד לְחַבֻּרָתִי - ish lefitz'i veyeled leḥabburati):
  • a man (אִישׁ - ish) vs. a young man (וְיֶלֶד - vyeled): The distinction between an "ish" (adult male) and a "yeled" (boy or young person) suggests Lamech's readiness to kill indiscriminately for even slight injuries, perhaps escalating the severity based on his target's perceived weakness or lack of threat.
  • wounding (לְפִצְעִי - lefitz'i, from פֶּצַע - petza meaning "wound, cut") vs. striking (לְחַבֻּרָתִי - leḥabburati, from חַבֻּרָה - ḥaburah meaning "blow, bruise, stripe"). These words imply relatively minor injuries, highlighting the extreme disproportionate nature of Lamech's violent reaction compared to the offense.
• If Cain's revenge is sevenfold (כִּי שִׁבְעָתַיִם יֻקַּם-קָיִן - ki shiv'atayim yuqam-Qayin): Refers to Gen 4:15, where God Himself pronounced a sevenfold protection upon Cain (meaning sevenfold vengeance on anyone who might kill Cain). Here, Lamech interprets this as a license for escalating vengeance, twisting divine protection into a justification for personal retribution. The term shiv'atayim literally means "seven times over," emphasizing totality.
• then Lamech's seventy-sevenfold (וְלֶמֶךְ שִׁבְעִים וְשִׁבְעָה - weLemech shiv'im veshiv'ah): The number seventy-seven (a multiple of seven) denotes an utterly overwhelming, excessive, or infinite degree of revenge. Lamech's statement is a bold usurpation of divine authority and a direct challenge to the idea of measured justice, boasting a vastly greater vengeance than even God promised for Cain. It highlights an extreme, unlimited retaliation, embodying unrestrained pride and brutality.

Genesis 4 23 Bonus section

• The First Recorded Poem: The "Song of Lamech" (Gen 4:23-24) is generally recognized as the first recorded poem in the Bible. Its rhythmic structure, parallelism, and poetic devices mark it as ancient verse.
• Culmination of the Cainite Line: Lamech, as the seventh in line from Cain, represents the complete manifestation of sin, self-exaltation, and lawlessness characteristic of Cain's descendants. This lineage's spiritual and moral degradation reaches a zenith with Lamech's defiant boast, directly contributing to the divine sorrow over humanity's wickedness (Gen 6:5-6).
• Antithesis to Divine Principles: Lamech's self-proclaimed right to excessive vengeance stands in direct opposition to later biblical principles of "eye for eye" (Lex Talionis), which, though seemingly harsh, were intended to limit revenge to strict equity, not escalate it. Most profoundly, Lamech's ethos is the direct antithesis to Christ's teachings on forgiveness, turning the seventy-sevenfold concept from infinite wrath into infinite grace.
• Proto-Totalitarianism: Lamech's unilateral declaration of absolute, disproportionate power over life and death can be seen as an early foreshadowing of human totalitarian tendencies and the dangers of human rule divorced from divine moral authority.

Genesis 4 23 Commentary

Lamech's boast in Genesis 4:23 is a stark illustration of the escalating grip of sin and violence in the early world, especially within the line separated from God's presence. Far from showing remorse or repentance, Lamech arrogantly proclaims his power to enact vengeance disproportionate to any perceived slight. Unlike Cain, who received a divine mark for protection from vengeance, Lamech asserts his own right to dispense unlimited vengeance. This poetic declaration, known as the "Song of Lamech," functions as a culminating statement of the unrighteousness pervading his generation, showcasing unchecked human pride and self-willed justice. This unrestrained vindictiveness contrasts sharply with God's limited retribution on Cain and profoundly sets the stage for God's ultimate judgment in the Great Flood, necessitated by the earth being "full of violence" (Gen 6:11). The ultimate antidote to this seventy-sevenfold vengeance is found in Christ's teaching on seventy-sevenfold forgiveness (Matt 18:21-22), shifting the paradigm from limitless retribution to limitless grace and reconciliation.