American Standard Version
Genesis 4:17
17And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
Genesis 4:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
- New International Version (NIV)Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Ē´noch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son—Ē´noch.
Context of Genesis 4:17
15And Jehovah said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And Jehovah appointed a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should smite him. 16And Cain went out from the presence of Jehovah, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. 18And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael; and Mehujael begat Methushael; and Methushael begat Lamech. 19And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
Read all of Genesis 4Genesis 4:17 word by word
וַיֵּ֤דַע קַ֙יִן֙ אֶת־אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וַתַּ֖הַר וַתֵּ֣לֶד אֶת־חֲנ֑וֹךְ וַֽיְהִי֙ בֹּ֣נֶה עִ֔יר וַיִּקְרָא֙ שֵׁ֣ם הָעִ֔יר כְּשֵׁ֖ם בְּנ֥וֹ חֲנֽוֹךְ׃Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Genesis 4:17
- Genesis 5:18And Jared lived a hundred sixty and two years, and begat Enoch:
- Genesis 11:4And they said, Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
- Ecclesiastes 2:4I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
- Daniel 4:30The king spake and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling-place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?
- Luke 17:28Likewise even as it came to pass in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
- 2 Samuel 18:18Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself the pillar, which is in the king’s dale; for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name; and it is called Absalom’s monument, unto this day.
- Psalms 49:11Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, Andtheir dwelling-places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names.
Commentaries on Genesis 4:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17She - bare Enoch - As חנוך Chanoch signifies instructed, dedicated, or initiated, and especially in sacred things, it may be considered some proof of Cain's repentance, that he appears to have dedicated this son to God, who, in his father's stead, might minister in the sacerdotal office, from which Cain, by his crime, was for ever excluded.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17-24Verses 17-24 - XIX. The Line of Cain 17. חניך chenôk Chanok, “initiation, instruction.” 18. עירד ‛ı̂yrād Irad, “fleet as the wild ass, citizen.” מחוּיאל mechûya'el Mechujael, “smitten of El, or life of El.” מתוּשׁאל metûshā'ēl Methushael, “man of El, or man asked.” למך lāmek Lemek, “man of prayer, youth.” 19. עדה 'ādâh Adah, “beauty.” צלה tsı̂lâh Tsillah, “shade or tinkling.” 20. יבל yābāl Jabal, “stream, leader of cattle, produce, the walker or…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-18Verses 16-18 Cain cast off all fear of God, and attended no more on God's ordinances. Hypocritical professors, who dissemble and trifle with God, are justly left to themselves to do something grossly scandalous. So they throw off that form of godliness to which they have been a reproach, and of which they deny the power. Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and we never find that he came into it again, to his comfort. The land Cain dwelt in was…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Cain’s wife was probably one of his sisters (5:4). Cain’s marriage to his sister would not have caused genetic problems so early in the development of the human gene pool. God condemned Cain to be a wanderer. He might have built a city to rebel against this punishment, using walls for protection. Naming the city after his son shows how people who rebel against God often make humanity and its achievements into idols.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2217-22. builded a city--It has been in cities that the human race has ever made the greatest social progress; and several of Cain's descendants distinguished themselves by their inventive genius in the arts.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 4:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries