Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock.
Parallel translations
- WEB Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.
- KJV And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.
- NKJV And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.
- NASB Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and have livestock.
- NLT Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the first of those who raise livestock and live in tents.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Adah's son Jabal becomes the ancestor of nomadic herdsmen who live in tents. It records the rise of one of humanity's early ways of life.
Overview
Jabal is named as the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock, an early form of nomadic culture. The verse highlights humanity's developing skills and modes of living after the fall. Such cultural advances reflect the creativity God gave humanity, even as this lineage remains outside the godly line.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Rom 4:11–12And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
- Jer 35:9–10Nor have we built houses in which to live, and we have not owned any vineyards or fields or crops.
- Gen 25:27When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.
- 1 Chr 2:50–52These were the descendants of Caleb. The sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim,
- Heb 11:9By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
- Gen 4:2Later she gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil.
- Gen 4:21And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.
- 1 Chr 4:4–5Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah. These were the descendants of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah and the father of Bethlehem.
- John 8:44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 4:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.