Genesis 4:24 kjv

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

Genesis 4:24 nkjv

If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold."

Genesis 4:24 niv

If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times."

Genesis 4:24 esv

If Cain's revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech's is seventy-sevenfold."

Genesis 4:24 nlt

If someone who kills Cain is punished seven times,
then the one who kills me will be punished seventy-seven times!"

Genesis 4 verses

Genesis 4 24 Meaning

Genesis 4:24 signifies a dramatic escalation of sin and human self-assertion against God's order. It records Lamech's boastful declaration of disproportionate revenge, far exceeding the divinely appointed protection granted to Cain. This verse showcases humanity's rapid descent into extreme violence and an unchecked spirit of retribution, setting a dark precedent for the escalating depravity that precedes the Great Flood.

Genesis 4 24 Context

Genesis 4:24 occurs within the narrative of humanity's rapid moral degradation following the Fall and Cain's murder of Abel. This specific verse concludes a poetic boast by Lamech, a direct descendant of Cain. In the preceding verses (Gen 4:17-23), Lamech is presented as the first polygamist (taking two wives) and his family line boasts significant cultural advancements: Jabal the father of nomadic herdsmen, Jubal the father of musicians, and Tubal-Cain the father of metalworkers (likely including weapon makers). Amidst these cultural 'achievements,' Lamech admits to committing a murder (the exact circumstances are unclear, whether it was defensive or not, Lamech's boast suggests it was an act he took pride in) and then declares his magnified vengeful intent, revealing a profound and defiant disconnect from God's established justice and the value of human life. His boast thus highlights the extreme violence and self-glorification rampant in the pre-Flood world.

Genesis 4 24 Word analysis

• If: This particle does not express doubt, but sets up a comparison or premise. It means "Just as," or "Since."
• Cain: הֶקָּיִן (heqqayin) – Refers to Cain, the first murderer, upon whom God had placed a protective mark.
• be avenged: יֻקַּם (yuqqam) – Derived from נָקַם (naqam), meaning "to avenge" or "to take vengeance." Here, it's in the Niphal (passive) stem, implying an external, often divine, agency inflicting the vengeance. It points back to God's specific decree in Gen 4:15.
• sevenfold: שִׁבְעָתָיִם (shib'atayim) – This refers to the severity or completeness of the punishment or protection. In Cain's case (Gen 4:15), it implied that if someone killed Cain, God would ensure the murderer's retribution would be seven times more severe. It represented divine judgment, often signifying a complete or intense measure.
• truly: Literally "For" or "Indeed," emphasizing the certainty and strength of Lamech's ensuing statement. It is a word of affirmation for his boast.
• Lamech: לָמֶךְ (lamekh) – A descendant of Cain (Gen 4:19), embodying the increasingly wicked character of that line. He is a foil to Seth's godly line.
• seventy and sevenfold: שִׁבְעִים וְשִׁבְעָה (shiv'im veshiv'ah) – This is not 7x7 (49) but literally "seventy and seven," meaning 77. This number represents an extreme, exorbitant, and completely disproportional level of revenge. Lamech's boast of seventy-seven-fold vengeance drastically escalates beyond the sevenfold divine protection given to Cain.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "If Cain be avenged sevenfold,": This phrase recalls God's pronouncement over Cain. God’s declaration in Genesis 4:15 established a divine, comprehensive system of justice and protection for Cain. This sets a baseline for God's severe but controlled judgment. It indicates God's justice is perfect and balanced, even in judgment.
• "truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.": This clause starkly contrasts human depravity with divine order. Lamech, taking justice into his own hands, amplifies vengeance not by God's decree, but by his own arrogant, murderous will. It's a boast of unrestrained, magnified retaliation that underscores humanity's rapid moral degeneration from Cain's sin to Lamech's compounded sin and boastful defiance. It marks a critical step towards the full violence that characterizes the earth before the Flood. The extreme numerical boast ("seventy and seven") signifies not just an escalation, but an arrogant surpassing of divine limits and a celebration of violent self-empowerment. This concept is notably echoed in reverse by Jesus' command for forgiveness (Matt 18:22), highlighting the contrast between human depravity and divine grace.

Genesis 4 24 Bonus section

• Antithesis to Forgiveness: The "seventy and sevenfold" in Lamech's boast is a dramatic theological inverse of Jesus' command to Peter to forgive "seventy times seven" (Matt 18:22). Lamech declares a boundless multiplication of revenge, while Jesus commands a boundless multiplication of forgiveness. This highlights the radical difference between humanity's fallen nature and the new nature offered through Christ.
• Paradox of Progress: The immediate context shows Lamech's family making significant cultural advances (herdsmen, musicians, metalworkers). This juxtaposition implies that human technological and cultural progress can exist concurrently with, or even be exploited by, profound moral and spiritual decline. The ability to create advanced tools (like Tubal-Cain's metalworking) could equally apply to making sophisticated weaponry, used for Lamech's declared, intensified violence.
• Divine Vengeance vs. Human Revenge: The verse sharply differentiates between God's justice (as seen in Cain's protection, seven-fold) and unrighteous human revenge (Lamech's seventy-seven-fold boast). God's vengeance is rooted in His perfect justice and wisdom, serving ultimate redemption or righteous judgment. Human revenge, however, is typically driven by anger, pride, and disproportionate retaliation, leading only to further violence and corruption.
• Foreboding Sign: Lamech’s boast serves as a critical signpost, marking the increasing gravity of sin in the human lineage before the Flood. It points to a world so thoroughly permeated by sin, rebellion, and unchecked violence that a divine reset (the Flood) became inevitable.

Genesis 4 24 Commentary

Genesis 4:24 serves as a stark commentary on humanity's accelerating descent into sin post-Fall, showcasing the amplification of violence and self-righteousness. Lamech, a direct descendant of Cain, embodies this amplified depravity. While God had promised a seven-fold avenging for anyone who might kill Cain (indicating divine protection and judgment), Lamech, without any divine mandate, boasts of taking a seventy-seven-fold vengeance. This reveals a chilling sense of pride in excessive retaliation, portraying him as a self-proclaimed avenger far exceeding any notion of just or proportional retribution. His words illustrate the progression from singular acts of sin (Cain's murder of Abel) to systemic, unbridled violence and arrogance. This moral decay, culminating in humanity's self-glorification of revenge and a complete disregard for life, ultimately led to God's severe judgment of the Flood, as described in Genesis 6, where the earth became "full of violence." Lamech's boast is thus a crucial indicator of the escalating depravity that necessitated divine intervention.