Lamech

Technical Profile

  • Name Meaning: Hebrew Lemeḵ (uncertain meaning; used as a personal name in Genesis genealogies)
  • Period/Era: Primeval History
  • Main References: Genesis 4:19–24; Genesis 5:28–31
  • Key Connections: Descendant of Cain (son of Methushael); husband of Adah and Zillah; father of Jabal, Jubal, Tubal-cain, and Naamah

Who was Lamech?

Lamech is a seventh-generation descendant of Cain listed in the genealogy of Genesis 4.
He is portrayed as taking two wives and speaking a poem of personal vengeance to them.
Genesis links his children with early forms of herding, music, and metalworking.

Key Events & Achievements

  • Polygamy: He took two wives, Adah and Zillah, marking the first explicit polygamy in Scripture (Genesis 4:19).
  • Father of notable descendants: His sons are associated with pastoral life, music, and bronze and iron tools (Genesis 4:20–22).
  • Vengeance speech: He declared a retaliatory killing and escalated vengeance beyond Cain’s protection (Genesis 4:23–24).

Life Lesson & Legacy

Lamech’s portrayal highlights the intensification of violence and self-asserted vengeance within the Cainite line in Primeval History.

Key Verse

"If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold." — Genesis 4:24, NIV

Quizzes

Answer the questions below. When you choose an option, you will see the result and an explanation.

1. What is described as the first explicit act of polygamy involving Lamech?

2. According to the description of Lamech’s descendants, what were his children linked with?