Genesis 4:17

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

15So the Lord said to him, “Not so! Anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” The Lord gave Cain a sign so that anyone meeting him would not kill him. 16Then Cain left the Lord’s presence and lived in Nod [The Land of Wandering], east of Eden. Cain made love to his wife. She became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was building a city, and he named it Enoch after his son. 18To Enoch was born Irad. Irad was the father of Mehujael. Mehujael was the father of Methushael. And Methushael was the father of Lamech. 19Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.

Genesis 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Cainקַ֫יִןqayin · CainH7014
• knewיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• his wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• and she conceivedהָרָהhârâh · to conceiveH2029
• and bareיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• Enochחֲנוֹךְchănôk · EnochH2585
• and he buildedבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• a cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• and calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call byH7121
• the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• of his sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121

Cross-references for Genesis 4:17

• Genesis 5:18When Jared was 162 years old, he became the father of Enoch.
• Genesis 11:4Then they said, “Let’s build a city for ourselves and a tower with its top in the sky. Let’s make a name for ourselves so that we won’t become scattered all over the face of the earth.”
• Ecclesiastes 2:4I accomplished some great things: I built houses for myself. I planted vineyards for myself.
• Daniel 4:30The king thought, “Look how great Babylon is! I built the royal palace by my own impressive power and for my glorious honor.”
• Luke 17:28“The situation will also be like the time of Lot. People were eating, drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.
• 2 Samuel 18:18(⌞While he was still living,⌟ Absalom had taken a rock and set it up for himself in the king’s valley. He said, “I have no son to keep the memory of my name alive.” He called the rock by his name, and it is still called Absalom’s Monument today.)
• Psalms 49:11Although they named their lands after themselves, their graves have become their homes for ages to come, their dwelling places throughout every generation.

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

• Cain
• Cities
• Enoch
• Genealogy

In the dictionaries

• Cain
• Enoch
• Enoch; the Book of the Secrets of
• Adam
• Blood
• Call
• City
• Cursed
• Fall
• Fat

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