Misplaced Pages

Lamech (descendant of Cain)

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by TimothyBlue (talk | contribs) at 21:30, 21 March 2023 (→Interpretation: unsourced OR, rm content with no citations, content should be restored only if properly referenced. See WP:V, WP:CS, WP:IS, WP:RS: Misplaced Pages's verifiability policy requires inline citations for any material challenged or likely to be challenged). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Revision as of 21:30, 21 March 2023 by TimothyBlue (talk | contribs) (→Interpretation: unsourced OR, rm content with no citations, content should be restored only if properly referenced. See WP:V, WP:CS, WP:IS, WP:RS: Misplaced Pages's verifiability policy requires inline citations for any material challenged or likely to be challenged)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Biblical figure, descendant of Cainan, Descendent of Seth, brother of Cain and Abel For the person in Genesis 5, see Lamech (father of Noah).
Lamech and Cain, 1524 engraving by Lucas van Leyden

Lamech (/ˈleɪmɪk/; Template:Lang-he Lémeḵ, in pausa לָמֶךְ‎ Lā́meḵ) is a person in Cain's genealogy in the fourth chapter of the Book of Genesis. His father was named Methushael. This Lamech is distinguished from the other Lamech mentioned subsequently in Genesis, who was a descendant of Adam's third son Seth.

Interpretation

When fully translated, the text resembles mythology concerning the origin of the various forms of civilization, the shepherds and musicians being products of the day, and pleasure being a product of the night. Blacksmiths, in carrying out their trade, are also associated with the darkness. Lamech could be interpreted as a culture hero.

The names are instead interpreted in the Midrash as an attack on polygamy. Adah is there interpreted as the deposed one, implying that Lamech spurned her in favour of Zillah, whose own name is understood to mean she shaded herself . The Midrash consequently regards Adah as having been treated as a slave, tyrannised by her husband, who was at the beck and call of his mistress, Zillah. It goes on to claim that part of the immorality, which had led God to flood the Earth, was the polygamy practised by Lamech and his generation.

The pedigree assigned to Lamech in the Genesis genealogies bears similarities to that given for Lamech, father of Noah, and it has been suggested that they represent different versions of the same original pedigree.

Family tree

Family tree
AdamEve
AbelSeth
Enos (Enosh)
CainCainan (Kenan)
EnochMahalalel
IradJared
MehujaelEnoch
MethushaelMethuselah
AdahLamechZillahLamech
JabalJubalTubal-CainNaamahNoah
ShemHamJapheth

See also

References

  1. "the definition of Lamech". Dictionary.com.
  2. Genesis 4:19–24
  3. Stuart, Kelly (2018). The Minister and the Murderer: A Book of Aftermaths. Granta Books. ISBN 978-1847089243.
  4. "Bereishit Rabbah 23:2". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  5. Bandstra, Barry L. (2009). Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Wadsworth. pp. 59-60. ISBN 9780495391050.
Adam to David according to the Hebrew Bible
Creation to Flood
Patriarchs after Flood
Tribe of Judah to Kingdom
Names in italics only appear in the Greek Septuagint version
Categories: