And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.
What does Genesis 4:26 mean?
Our first parents were comforted in their affliction by the birth of a son, whom they called Seth, that is, set,' settled,' or placed;' in his seed mankind should continue to the end of time, and from him the Messiah should descend.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Genesis 4:25-26 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Genesis 4:26
A son is born to Sheth also, whom he calls Enosh. In this name there is probably an allusion to the meaning of sickliness and dependence which belongs to the root. These qualities were now found to be characteristic of man in his present state. The closing sentence signalizes a remarkable event, which took place at the birth of Enosh, about two hundred and forty years after the creation of Adam. "Then was it begun to call upon the name of the Lord.
Key words
- Seth
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And to Seth, to him also there was born a son,.
Context in Genesis 4
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Genesis 4 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as primeval history from creation to Babel. Genesis opens the whole Bible with creation, fall, flood, Babel, and the long patriarchal story that carries the reader from Eden to Egypt. Read this chapter with the wider themes of creation, fall, and covenant in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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Glossary
- Seth Person
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Appointed; a substitute, the third son of Adam and Eve ( Gen. 4:25 ; 5:3 ). His mother gave him this name, “for God,” said she, “hath appointed me [i. e., compensated me with] another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. ”.
- Enos Person
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Man the son of Seth, and grandson of Adam ( Gen. 5:6-11 ; Luke 3:38 ). He lived nine hundred and five years. In his time “men began to call upon the name of the Lord”.