And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.
Parallel translations
- WEB His brother’s name was Jubal, who was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe.
- KJV And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.
- NKJV His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute.
- NASB His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and flute.
- NLT His brother’s name was Jubal, the first of all who play the harp and flute.
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
Jubal becomes the ancestor of those who play the harp and pipe. It records the origin of music among humanity.
Overview
Jubal is credited as the father of musicians who handle stringed and wind instruments, marking the beginnings of music and the arts. This shows the breadth of human culture emerging early in history. Music, a good gift reflecting God's creativity, arises here, though within a line living apart from God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- 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.
- Job 21:12singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute.
- Gen 31:27Why did you run away secretly and deceive me, without even telling me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and harps.
- Amos 6:5You improvise songs on the harp like David and invent your own musical instruments.
- Isa 5:12At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.
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 4:21 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.