Genesis 4:21
WEB
His brother’s name was Jubal, who was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe.
BSB
And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.
KJV
And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H8034
n-m — appellation, honor, authority, character
Derivation: a primitive word [perhaps rather from 7760 through the idea of definite and conspicuous position; compare 8064];
an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character
KJV: base, (in-) fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.
n.m — name
שֵׁם 864 n.m. name (√ unknown)
1. of river, beasts, city, i.e. exact designation of it
2.
a. usu. of pers.
b. = reputation
c. esp. as giving a man a kind of posthumous life, esp. in his sons
3. name, as designation of God
4. of false gods, use forbidden
5. = memorial, monument
H251
n-m — brother
Derivation: a primitive word;
a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance [like 1])
KJV: another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'.
n.m — brother
אָח 630 n.m. brother
1. brother, born of same mother (& father)
2. indef. = relative
3. fig. of resemblance
4. in phr. one … another
H3106
n-pr-m — Jubal
Derivation: from 2986; stream;
Jubal, an antediluvian
KJV: Jubal.
n.pr.m — Jubal
יוּבָ֑ל n.pr.m. son of Lamech by Adah, and inventor of musical instr. Gn 4:21 (J)
H1931
p — he, she, it, self, same, this, that, as, are
Derivation: of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is הִיא; he a primitive word, the third person pronoun singular;
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are
KJV: he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.
m — he
הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it
1. an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)
2. It resumes the subj. with emph.
3. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible
4. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject
5. As an emph. predicate, of God
6. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)
7. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.
H1961
v — exist, be, become, come to pass
Derivation: a primitive root (compare 1933);
to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
KJV: beacon, × altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, follow, happen, × have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, × use.
vb — fall out
הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be
Qal
I.
1.
a. Fall out, happen
b. occur, take place, come about, come to pass
2. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass
a.
(1). וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
(2). rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
b. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
II. Come into being, become
1.
a. abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
b. sq. prep.
2. become
a. sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
b. sq. pred. adj.
c. become like
d. sq. pred. לְ pers.
e. sq. לְ pred.
f. oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.
g. with עַל and לְ
h. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
III. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)
1. exist, be in existence
2. abide, remain, continue
3. with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie
4. as copula, joining subj. & pred.
5. periphrastic conjug.
Niph.
1. either be done, be brought about, or occur, come to pass
2. be done, finished, gone
H1
n-m — father
Derivation: a primitive word;
father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application
KJV: chief, (fore-) father(-less), × patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.
n.m — father
אָב 1101 n.m. father
1. father of individual
2. of God as father of his people
3. head of household, family or clan
4. ancestor
5. originator or patron of a class, profession, or art
6. fig. of producer, generator
7. fig. of benevolence & protection
8. term of respect & honor
9. specif., ruler, chief (late)
H3605
n-m — whole, all, any, every
Derivation: or (Jeremiah 33:8) כּוֹל; from 3634;
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).
n.m — the whole
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
1. with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
2. Absolutely:
a. without the art., all things, all
b. with the art. הַכֹּל
(a). where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
(b). in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
H8610
v — manipulate, seize, capture, wield, overlay, use unwarrantably
Derivation: a primitive root;
to manipulate, i.e. seize; chiefly to capture, wield, specifically, to overlay; figuratively, to use unwarrantably
KJV: catch, handle, (lay, take) hold (on, over), stop, × surely, surprise, take.
vb — lay hold of
תָּפַשׂ vb. lay hold of, wield
Qal
1. lay hold of, seize
2. grasp in order to wield, wield, use skilfully
Niph. be seized, arrested, caught
Pi. a lizard thou mayest grasp with the hands
H3658
n-m — harp
Derivation: from a unused root meaning to twang;
a harp
KJV: harp.
n.m — lyre
כִּנּוֹר n.m. lyre
H5748
n-m — reed-instrument
Derivation: or עֻגָּב; from 5689 in the original sense of breathing;
a reed-instrument of music
KJV: organ.
n.m — reed-instrument
עוּגָב n.m. a musical instr.
Bible49 app
Get translation compare, commentary, and interlinear study — offline, on iPhone and Mac.
See Bible49
Verses 19–22
Genesis 4:19–22
We have here some particulars concerning Lamech, the seventh from Adam in the line of Cain. Observe,
I. His marrying two wives. It was one of the degenerate race of Cain who first transgressed that original law of marriage that two only should be one flesh. Hitherto one man had but one wife at a time; but Lamech took two. From the beginning it was not so. Mal 2:15; Mat 19:5. See here, 1. Those who desert God's church and ordinances lay themselves open to all manner of temptation. 2. When a bad custom is begun by bad men sometimes men of better characters are, through unwariness, drawn in to follow them. Jacob, David, and many others, who were otherwise good men, were afterwards ensnared in this sin which Lamech begun.
II. His happiness in his children, notwithstanding this. Though he sinned, in marrying two wives, yet he was blessed with children by both, and those such as lived to be famous in their generation, not for their piety, no mention is made of this (for aught that appears they were the heathen of that age), but for their ingenuity. They were not only themselves men of business, but men that were serviceable to the world, and eminent for the invention, or at least the improvement, of some useful arts. 1. Jabal was a famous shepherd; he delighted much in keeping cattle himself, and was so happy in devising methods of doing it to the best advantage, and instructing others in them, that the shepherds of those times, nay, the shepherds of after-times, called him father; or perhaps, his children after him being brought up to the same employment, the family was a family of shepherds. 2. Jubal was a famous musician, and particularly an organist, and the first that gave rules for the noble art or science of music. When Jabal had set them in a way to be rich, Jubal put them in a way to be merry. Those that spend their days in wealth will not be without the timbrel and harp, Job 21:12, Job 21:13. From his name, Jubal, probably the jubilee-trumpet was so called; for the best music was that which proclaimed liberty and redemption. Jabal was their Pan and Jubal their Apollo. 3. Tubal Cain was a famous smith, who greatly improved the art of working in brass and iron, for the service both of war and husbandry. He was their Vulcan. See here, (1.) That worldly things are the only things that carnal wicked people set their hearts upon and are most ingenious and industrious about. So it was with this impious race of cursed Cain. Here were a father of shepherds and a father of musicians, but not a father of the faithful. Here was one to teach in brass and iron, but none to teach the good knowledge of the Lord. Here were devices how to be rich, and how to be mighty, and how to be merry, but nothing of God, nor of his fear and service, among them. Present things fill the heads of most people. (2.) That even those who are destitute of the knowledge and grace of God may be endued with many excellent and useful accomplishments, which may make them famous and serviceable in their generation. Common gifts are given to bad men, while God chooses to himself the foolish things of the world.
Cross-references: Mal 2:15 · Matt 19:5 · Job 21:12 · Job 21:13