Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch; and he built a city, and named it Enoch after his son Enoch.
To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and mehujael the father of Lamech.
Lamech took two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
Adah bore Jabal; he was the ancestor of those who live in tents and have livestock. His brother's name was Jubal; he was the ancestor of all those who play the lyre and pipe.
Zillah bore Tubalcain, who made all kinds of bronze and iron tools. The sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.
Lamech said to his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
you wives of Lamech, listen to me:
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for striking me.
If Cain is avenged sevenfold,
truly Lamech-- seventy-sevenfold.
1 comment:
Civilisation... the power to create beauty, to make tools... and the development of wholesale violence!
Notice that this takes the form of "retaliation". Someone else may strike or wound, and therefore is to be killed.
Doesn't this also happen outside of civilisation? Not so much, in that nomadic people can more easily go their separate ways. Build a city--You have something to keep, something to be attacked, something to 'defend'. Some people are going to be outside the walls. And some people confined inside.
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