Lamech has been slandered by many so-called Bible scholars who have called him a murderer. Apparently they’re not aware of the difference between murder and self defense. The fact is, Lamech’s description of the assault upon his person that led to his use of deadly force, was the first delineation in law between self defense and murder. The text is open to two interpretations, both make clear that Lamech was innocent of any wrong doing. And as Lamech recited those words found in Genesis 4:23 to his two wives, he became the first poet in recorded history.
- The first interpretation of Genesis 4:23 is that two men assaulted him:
One injured him with fists or whips; in other words, with something that does not necessarily draw blood, but leaves bruises, welts, or marks. The word used here for hurt is the same Hebrew word that is translated as stripes in Isaiah 53:5 Most Christians know this verse off the top of their heads, “and with His stripes we are healed.” This hurt that Lamech received may have been every bit as brutal as the stripes that our Lord Jesus received from the Roman soldiers. If we make a right judgement, as Jesus commanded us to do, then we must give Lamech the benefit of the doubt in his belief that his use of deadly force was justified. On top of that we have the fact that Lamech was a prince, the 7th generation of men descended directly from Adam and “…rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” Romans 13:4 Lamech, prince that he was, would have had the safety of his entire kingdom resting on his reaction to evil doers. It would have been a shameful thing if the ruler of a realm did not defend himself, the very embodiment of that realm! And Lamech was a prince. Seth was not even mentioned till after Lamech’s entire family was described, and the matrilineal line of the three sons of Noah revealed, for Jubal is the ancestor of all such as play stringed or wind instruments (they are found among all races) Genesis 4:21 and Jabal is the father of those who dwell in tents and care for livestock, the Shemites, the matrilineal ancestors of the Good Shepherd, our Lord Jesus. Genesis 4:20
The other attacker against Lamech, used a weapon against him that actually did draw blood, for the word used there is translated as wound, a cut or tear where the skin is broken. Long before antibiotics, such injuries could be deadly. Lamech’s response is a text book case of deadly force against deadly force with Lamech writing in poetic form, the first doctrine of the law on self-defense when he preached it to his wives. - The second interpretation of Genesis 4:23 is that it was just one man who attacked Lamech, and that Lamech’s turn of the phrase, “I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt” simply is a poetic way of referring to the same man. Some say it can even imply that the man who assaulted Lamech was known for such behavior. Genesis 4:23
To describe what I believe happened in the altercation and in keeping with making a right judgement, I have penned the following poem, and yes, I take some poetic license, I added a spear. Few men walked without weapons before the modern era.
The Ballad of Lamech the Prophet
by Pastor Don Milton
I walked with spear
No man to kill
The two came near
As I stood still
I never thought
My blood they’d spill
One lunged, the other
Swung with skill
I stood my ground
No man to kill
I never thought
My blood would spill
Chorus x 2
Seventy and seven times
I’ll be avenged by God
If I defend my right to life
And men say I did not
Then looking down
Upon the dirt
The ground cried out
That I was hurt
My blood flowed red
Upon the earth
God’s warning rang
inside my head
Whoso sheds blood
Theirs Must Be shed
I must act now
Or I was dead
Chorus x 2
Seventy and seven times
I’ll be avenged by God
If I defend my right to life
And men say I did not
I thrust at once
Two men I killed
In self defense
As is God’s will
It Was My Time
To Act With Skill
No innocents
Did die that day
No guiltless men
Had lain there slain
The ground cried not
Their death ordained
Chorus x 2
Seventy and seven times
I’ll be avenged by God
If I defend my right to life
And men say I did not
And slander now
The liars spew
They know not lies
From what is true
God shall avenge
For what they do
For Jesus says
What we think crimes
Yes, seventy
and seven times
We must forgive
Till we judge true
Chorus x 1
Seventy and seven times
I’ll be avenged by God
If I defend my right to life
And men say I did not
Copyright © 2024 Don Milton All Rights Reserved
And the warning of what happens to slanderers was given clearly by Lamech for Cain was guilty and Lamech was innocent. “If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.” And Jesus said it too when He said, “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” Matthew 5:22
Be careful in your judgements. Is this not why Jesus said we must forgive our brother seventy and sevenfold, exactly as Lamech said he would be avenged by God if someone dared claim he was a murderer, like his and our shared ancestor Cain? For we all are descendants of Cain matrilineally (Jubal was the ancestor to all musicians and every race has musicians, just not everyone in every race has musicians. Nonetheless, that doesn’t change the fact that order for hi to be referred that way, one o Jubal’s female descendants would had to have married into the patrilineal line of Noah) and we all are all descendants of Adam patrilineally. And who was this Adam? He was the man who brought death into the world as we also would have for as Adam hearkened unto the voice of his wife, today’s men, all of us, have too often done the same. And it was that sin, to hearken unto the voice of the wife, that brought sin and death.
“Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.” Romans 5:14
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
But you and I need not pay for our own sins. Jesus has already died for our sins on the cross.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
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385 footnotes. That’s got to be a record for a novel.