Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and have 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.
- BSB Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock.
- ESV Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.
- NKJV And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell 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 quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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 4:11–12He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they might be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might also be accounted to them.
- Jer 35:9–10and not to build houses for ourselves to dwell in. We have no vineyard, field, or seed;
- Gen 25:27The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents.
- 1 Chr 2:50–52These were the sons of Caleb, the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath Jearim,
- Heb 11:9By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.
- Gen 4:2Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
- Gen 4:21His brother’s name was Jubal, who was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe.
- 1 Chr 4:4–5Penuel was the father of Gedor and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem.
- John 8:44You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and its father.
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.