Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Vadim Cherny" <VadimCherny AT mail.ru>]

This is a very curious piece. I argue for years that Torah commends Cain's
act, a farmer slaying a Bedouin.
Cain killed one enemy, and was afforded protection. A fortiori, Lamech, who
killed two enemies, is afforded more protection. We would say, twice, but
ancients doubled the digit (77 instead of 14).

Vadim Cherny


> I don't understand Gen.4.24:
> "If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech
> seventy and sevenfold." Who is the avenge applied to -
> Lamech, or those who offended him. Is it Lamech who
> the venegance is taken to for killing two men, or is
> Lamech saying here that he killed those people because
> everyone who try to kill him shall receive venegance.
> Of course, this is a paraphrase of Gen.4.15 "Therefore
> whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on
> him sevenfold", but is it possible that Lamech is
> saying to his wives: "Cain himself received venegance
> sevenfold from God for killing Avel, so now I will
> receive venegance 77-fold for killing two men"?
>
> What do you think?
>
> Shalom,
> Evgeny
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Mail
> Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour:
> http://tour.mail.yahoo.com/mailtour.html
>
>
>