What is the meaning of the statement in Genesis 4:26 stating then began men to call upon the name of YHWH?

score:4

Accepted answer

There are some Bible commentaries available on this verse. Read them here at BibleHub.com for commentaries on Genesis 4:26. There are three available - Matthew Henry, Gill and Jamieson-Fausset.

The best one I find is Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible. It says (excerpt) -

then began men to call upon the name of the Lord; not but that Adam and Abel, and all good men, had called upon the name of the Lord, and prayed to him, or worshipped him before this time personally, and in their families; but now the families of good men being larger, and more numerous, they joined together in social and public worship: or since it may be thought there were public assemblies for religious worship before this time, though it may be they had been neglected, and now were revived with more zeal and vigour; seeing the Cainites incorporating themselves, and joining families together, and building cities, and carrying on their civil and religious affairs among themselves, they also formed themselves into distinct bodies; and not only separated from them, but called themselves by a different name; for so the words may be rendered: "then began men to call themselves", or "to be called by the name of the Lord" ; the sons of God, as distinct from the sons of men; which distinction may be observed in Genesis 6:2 and has been retained more or less ever since: some choose to translate the words, "then began men to call in the name of the Lord" ; that is, to call upon God in the name of the Messiah, the Mediator between God and man; having now, since the birth of Seth, and especially of Enos, clearer notions of the promised seed, and of the use of him, and his name, in their addresses to God; see John 14:13

In short, Gill is saying that, from the time of Enosh, the descendants of Adam are now worshiping God together and called themselves "sons of God"; while the descendants of Cain are called "sons of men", who lived separately and busy around building cities. Read the same verse in New Living Translation -

When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. At that time people first began to worship the LORD by name. (Genesis 6:2, NLV)

More post

Search Posts

Related post