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16 Descendants of the Murderer.[a] Cain left the presence of the Lord and lived in the land of Nod,[b] which lies to the east of Eden.

17 Cain was intimate with his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. He became the founder of a city, which he named after his son, Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad. Irad was the father of Mehujael. Mehujael was the father of Methusael. Methusael was the father of Lamech.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 4:16 A very ancient tribal document. The tribe of Cain is connected with the origin of an inhabited area and with the legendary first practitioners of three trades associated with nomads. Moreover, Lamech, their father, is supposed to have begun the practice of polygamy and to have been noted for his savage and unbridled vendettas. In the eyes of the sacred writer, the passage shows that the progress of civilization cannot prevent a frightening moral regression.
  2. Genesis 4:16 Land of Nod or region of foreigners; Nôd, nad, is the fugitive and foreigner. Its geographical location has not been determined.