Commentary on Genesis Part 9

c. Who were his wives 265.

d. His sons, Jabal, Jubal, Tubal-cain, and his daughter Naamah 266-268.

* Why Moses mentions the various arts of Cain's descendants 269.

* Whether poverty drove Cain's descendants to the arts 269-270.

* As the false church was before the flood so is she still, and will remain so to the end of the world 271.

* How the Cainites increased and oppressed the true Church 272.

* Why the Scriptures do not mention that some of the Cainites were saved 272.

e. Of his haughty speech, "I have slain a man etc."

(1) This is difficult to understand, and has been poorly treated by interpreters 273.

(2) The fable explanation of these words by the Jews refuted 274-275.

(3) How others explained them 275.

(4) Luther's understanding of them 276-277.

f. Whether Lamech slew Cain, and thereby made himself famous 278.

g. How he attempted to be ruler upon Adam's death 279.

* How the Church is oppressed from both sides 279.

* Why Moses mentions the blood descendants of Cain with such care 280.

h. Cain is not sorry for his deed, but even boasts of it 281.

* The nature of the Cain church 281.

i. How he seeks to avoid being slain by others 282.

* The pope has the conscience of Cain and Lamech 282.

j. He is a type of all the children of this world 283.

* How the devil drives the Cainites to rage against the Church under the guise of being holy 284.

* The true Church from the very beginning had to shed her blood 285.

* The tyranny of Popes Julius II and Clement VII 285.

* G.o.d at all times severely punished the persecutors of his Church 286.

k. How Lamech still wished to defend his deed 287.

l. He had no Word of G.o.d, but was filled with pride 288.

B. THE POSTERITY OF CAIN IN DETAIL.

255. As regards the names of Cain's offspring, I believe that, in common with those of the holy patriarchs, they indicate not an absence of purpose or a random selection, but a definite purpose and a prophecy. Thus "Adam" signifies a man of, or taken out of, the red earth. "Eve" signifies the mother of life, or of the living. "Cain"

signifies possession. "Abel" signifies vanity. And we find that also among the Gentiles many names have such a significance; not seldom names are found which are truly prophetic. "Enoch" is a prophetic name, expressive of hope in the future as a relief to Cain's mind, or rather to his wife's, for it was the latter who called the son she bore Enoch, from the Hebrew _Hanach_, which signifies, "she dedicated," or "she devoted."

256. This is a word frequently used by Moses. As when he says, "What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it?

let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it," Deut 20, 5. The verb in this pa.s.sage, which signifies originally to dedicate, here signifies to possess, or to enjoy; and when this possession or enjoyment begins, it is attended with happy signs and auspicious invocations. So when the wife of Cain brought forth her first son, she said to her husband, Enoch; that is, "Dedicate him, devote him:" for the verb is in the imperative mood. As if Cain had said himself, May this our beginning be happy and prosperous. My father Adam cursed me on account of my sin. I am cast out of his sight. I live alone in the world. The earth does not yield me her strength; she would be more fruitful to me, had I not thus sinned. And yet G.o.d now shows me uncovenanted mercy in giving me this son. It is a good and happy beginning.

As in the generation of Cain the corporal blessings begin with Enoch, so it is another Enoch in the generation of the righteous under whom religion and spiritual blessings begin to flourish.

257. That which is added by Moses concerning the city Cain thus built belongs to history. But I have before observed that Cain, when separated from the true church and driven into banishment, hated the true church. When, therefore, Cain thus first built a city, that very act tended to show that he not only disregarded and hated the true Church, but wished also to oppose and oppress it. For he reflects thus: Behold I am cast out by my father and I am cursed by him, but my marriage is not a barren one; therefore I have in this the hope of a great posterity. What, therefore, is it to me that I am driven by my father from beneath his roof? I will build a city, in which I will gather a church for myself. Farewell, therefore, to my father and his church. I regard them not.

258. Accordingly, it is not through fear, or for defense, that Cain "built a city," but from the sure hope of prosperity and success, and from pride and the l.u.s.t of dominion. For he had no need whatever to fear his father and mother, who at the divine command had thrust him out to go into some foreign land. Nor had he any more ground of fear from their children than from themselves. But Cain was inflated with pride through this uncovenanted mercy of G.o.d, as I have termed it; and, as the world ever does, he sought by means of his "city" an opportunity of emerging from his present state into future greatness.

The sons of G.o.d, on the contrary, are only anxious about another city, "which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is G.o.d," as we have it described in the Epistles to the Hebrews 11, 10.

V. 18a. _And unto Enoch was born Irad._

259. What opinion to form concerning this name, I really know not, for its origin is very obscure; and yet I believe the name is not accidental but prophetic. In the book of Joshua we have a city called Ai; and this same term is used elsewhere as an appellative. Now, the proper name Ai signifies, "a heap," as a heap of fallen buildings. And if with this name you compound the verb _Irad_, the word thus compounded will signify increase. Although the posterity of Cain, on account of their excommunication, were at that time like a great heap of ruins, it was his prayer that they might not altogether perish, but be preserved and greatly increased by means of this son Irad. If anyone can offer a better interpretation, I will by no means despise it; for on obscure points like the present, conjecture is quite allowable.

V. 18b. _And Irad begat Mehujael._

260. This name is formed from the verb _mahah_, which signifies "to destroy," and from _jaal_, "he began," or "he attempted or dared."

Accordingly this name signifies that the posterity of Cain should now enter upon so mighty an increase as to dare to set itself in array against the true Church and to despise it and persecute it; so mightily should it prevail by its wealth, wisdom, glory and numbers.

These, indeed, are for the most part the influences through which the true Church is always overcome by the world and the false church.

V. 18c. _And Mehujael begat Methushael._

261. _Meth_ signifies "death," and _schaal_ means "to ask," or "to demand." Hence we have the name Saul; that is, demanded. This name indicates a spirit haughtier than any of the others. I understand it to signify that Methushael threatens that he will avenge his parents, who are dead, whom the other church--that is the true Church--has punished with excommunication and exile.

V. 18d. _And Methushael begat Lamech._

262. Hitherto the Cainites seem to have insulted the true Church with impunity and to have triumphed over them. But the name "Lamech"

signifies that G.o.d, at the time in which Lamech was born, inflicted on the posterity of Cain their due punishment. The name Lamech is derived from the verb _makak_, which signifies to humble, to diminish, to suppress. Or, it may be understood actively, to mean that in the time of Lamech the posterity of Cain so greatly increased that the true Church was quite overwhelmed by them.

263. Such was the posterity of Cain; men, no doubt, renowned for their wisdom and greatness. And I also believe that some of them were saved by the uncovenanted mercy of G.o.d, as I have above explained. But far the greater part of them most bitterly hated and persecuted the true Church. They could not brook inferiority to the sons of Adam, the true Church; therefore they set up their own forms of worship, and introduced many other new things for the sake of suppressing the church of Adam. And because the false church was thus kept separate from the true Church, I believe that Cain married to each other his sons and daughters. Accordingly, about the time of Lamech, Cain's posterity began to multiply exceedingly. And it is for this reason, I believe, that Moses here terminates the list.

V. 19. _And Lamech took unto him two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah._

264. Here again a twofold question arises. In the first place divines dispute whether Lamech married these two wives on account of l.u.s.tful pa.s.sion or for some other cause. My belief is that polygamy was not entered into for the sake of l.u.s.t, but with the object of increasing his family, and from the l.u.s.t of dominion, and especially so if, as his name imports, the Lord at that time had been punishing the Cainites, or the posterity of Cain, by pestilence, or by some other calamity. In this case, Lamech probably thought by such expedient to retrieve his greatness. Thus barbarous nations retain polygamy to strengthen and establish both home and State.

265. As regards the names of these two wives, the name of one is Adah; that is, adorned, or, having chains on the neck. _Adi_ signifies a neat, or elegant woman, and _adah_, the verb, signifies to adorn, or, to put on. And perhaps this name was given to her, not only because she was the mistress of the house, elegantly adorned or clothed, but because she was also beautiful. The name of the other wife, Zillah, signifies, his shade.

V. 20. _And Adah bare Jabal; he was the father of such as dwell in tents and have cattle._