Genesis 4:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Just as it is stated about Cain that he knew his wife, yet without revealing where he obtained her, similarly, it is noted that Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah.

This text presents the following account: Methuselah fathered Lamech, who selected two wives for himself, named Adah and Zillah. Adah bore Jabal, the ancestor of those who dwell in tents and tend flocks. His brother's name was Jubal, the progenitor of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. Zillah also became the mother of Tubal-Cain, who crafted all implements of bronze and iron, and Tubal-Cain had a sister named Naamah. This concludes the genealogical record of Cain, which comprises eight generations from Adam, including Adam himself—seven generations leading to Lamech, who took two wives. The eighth generation consisted of his offspring, among whom a woman is notably mentioned.

The fact that Cain reached the seventh generation is clear for two reasons: it was God's judgement, and the lifespan of early humans supports this conclusion. Considering that Adam, Cain's father, lived through to the ninth generation, specifically until Lamech, passing away in Lamech's fifty-sixth year, it follows naturally that Cain would also live to see the seventh generation.

The descendants of Cain developed numerous skills and systems of measurement, yet they surrendered themselves to overwhelming sensual desires. Lamech, the great-grandson of Cain, was dissatisfied with a single wife and chose to marry two: Adah and Sella, becoming the world's first bigamist.

The household of Lamech is detailed by Moses as a notable lineage, serving as a standard to assess the descendants of Cain. Lamech took two wives, marking the inception of polygamy. His choice is denounced not only by the primordial institution of marriage (Gen. 2:24) and the lofty teachings of the gospel, but also by the laws given through Moses (Lev. 18:18). While it is acknowledged that such marital shortcomings were permitted among the Patriarchs, it was during a time when human lifespan was noticeably reduced, and the faith of the Patriarchs, along with the presence of God, necessitated the rapid growth of the chosen people. The polygamous practice of Lamech, devoid of any mitigating circumstances, can only be perceived as an expression of willfulness or unchecked desire.

In contrast to the divine institution of marriage found in Genesis 2:24, Lamech emerged as the inaugural figure in the practice of polygamy. He seemingly disregarded the sacred nature of the marital bond, viewing it merely as a mechanism for rapidly increasing the human population (as noted by Josephus Flavius, he fathered 77 sons with two wives) and pursuing physical pleasures. This flawed understanding of marriage was permitted among the patriarchs after the Flood; however, during a time when human lifespan had significantly diminished, the faith of these patriarchs and the very presence of God necessitated the swift proliferation of the chosen lineage.