Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Dianne Burke <biblestudy.burke AT gmail.com>]

Hello everyone.

This passage has haunted me for a long long time.

>From the (NET)

Genesis 5
<http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Gen&chapter=5&verse=3>

5:3 <http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Gen&chapter=5&verse=3> When
<http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Gen&chapter=5#n6>Adam had lived
130 years he fathered a son in his own likeness, according to
his image, and he named him Seth.

5:4 <http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Gen&chapter=5&verse=4> The length
of time Adam lived
<http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Gen&chapter=5#n7> after he became
the father of Seth was 800 years;
* during this time he
had<http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Gen&chapter=5#n8>other<http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Gen&chapter=5#n9>sons
and daughters
*.
<http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Gen&chapter=5&verse=5>

5:5 <http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Gen&chapter=5&verse=5> The entire
lifetime <http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Gen&chapter=5#n10> of Adam was
930 years, and then he died.

<http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Gen&chapter=5#n11>
 <http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Gen&chapter=5&verse=6>
The orthodox view is that Cain, in the previous Chapter left the presence of
God and married one of his sisters.  However from the verse above, it seems
that only after Seth was born THEN Adam and Eve had other sons and
daughters, which means that there is a possibility that there were other
people who existed outside the primal family designated by God.

My question is:  Is the NET rendering of Genesis 5:4 correct?  Specifically,
what I underlined.  Because if this is the correct reading and Genesis is to
be taken somewhat literally then Cain could not have married his sister.

My apologies if this has been brought up recently.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Dianne "Deni" Burke