American Standard Version
Genesis 4:20
20And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents and have cattle.
Genesis 4:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.
- New International Version (NIV)Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.
Context of Genesis 4:20
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. And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents and have cattle. 21And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and pipe. 22And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
Read all of Genesis 4Genesis 4:20 word by word
וַתֵּ֥לֶד עָדָ֖ה אֶת־יָבָ֑ל ה֣וּא הָיָ֔ה אֲבִ֕י יֹשֵׁ֥ב אֹ֖הֶל וּמִקְנֶֽה׃Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Genesis 4:20
- Genesis 4:21And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and pipe.
- 1 Chronicles 2:50These were the sons of Caleb, the son of Hur, the first-born of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim,
- 1 Chronicles 4:4and Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the first-born of Ephrathah, the father of Beth-lehem.
- John 8:44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.
- Romans 4:11and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them;
- 1 Samuel 10:12And one of the same place answered and said, And who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?
- Genesis 4:2And again she bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
- Genesis 25:27And the boys grew: and Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.
- Jeremiah 35:9nor to build houses for us to dwell in; neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed:
- Hebrews 11:9By faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
Commentaries on Genesis 4:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Jabal - was the father - The inventor or teacher, for so the word is understood, 1 Samuel 10:12. He was the first who invented tent-making, and the breeding and managing of cattle; or he was, in these respects, the most eminent in that time. Though Abel was a shepherd, it is not likely he was such on an extensive scale.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. 19-24Verses 19-24 One of Cain's wicked race is the first recorded, as having broken the law of marriage. Hitherto, one man had but one wife at a time; but Lamech took two. Wordly things, are the only things that carnal, wicked people set their hearts upon, and are most clever and industrious about. So it was with this race of Cain. Here was a father of shepherds, and a father of musicians, but not a father of the faithful. Here is one to teach about brass and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-22New tools and skills can hide a growing desire for people to rely on themselves instead of God. They can also show that people are moving farther away from God (see study note on 4:17–5:32).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 4:20
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