Genesis 4:20
New International Version
Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock.

New Living Translation
Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the first of those who raise livestock and live in tents.

English Standard Version
Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.

Berean Standard Bible
Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock.

King James Bible
And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.

New King James Version
And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.

New American Standard Bible
Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and have livestock.

NASB 1995
Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.

NASB 1977
And Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and have livestock.

Amplified Bible
Adah gave birth to Jabal; he became the father of those [nomadic herdsmen] who live in tents and have cattle and raise livestock.

Christian Standard Bible
Adah bore Jabal; he was the first of the nomadic herdsmen.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of the nomadic herdsmen.

American Standard Version
And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents and have cattle.

English Revised Version
And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents and have cattle.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the first person to live in tents and have livestock.

Good News Translation
Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the ancestor of those who raise livestock and live in tents.

International Standard Version
Adah gave birth to Jabal, who became the ancestor of those who live in tents and herd livestock.

Majority Standard Bible
Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock.

NET Bible
Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the first of those who live in tents and keep livestock.

New Heart English Bible
Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Adah bore Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.

World English Bible
Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Adah bears Jabal, he has been father of those inhabiting tents and [having] purchased livestock;

Young's Literal Translation
And Adah beareth Jabal, he hath been father of those inhabiting tents and purchased possessions;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Adah will bear Jabal; he was the father of him remaining in the tent, and riches.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Ada brought forth Jabel: who was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of herdsmen.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Adah conceived Jabel, who was the father of those who live in tents and are shepherds.

New American Bible
Adah gave birth to Jabal, who became the ancestor of those who dwell in tents and keep livestock.

New Revised Standard Version
Adah bore Jabal; he was the ancestor of those who live in tents and have livestock.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Adah bore Jabal, who was the father of those who dwell in tents, and are owners of cattle.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Ada bore Yabal; he was the father to tent dwellers and cattle owners.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of such as dwell in tents and have cattle.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Ada bore Jobel; he was the father of those that dwell in tents, feeding cattle.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Descendants of Cain
19And Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock. 21And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.…

Cross References
Genesis 9:20
Now Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard.

Genesis 10:9
He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; so it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD.”

Genesis 25:27
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.

Genesis 36:24
These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. (This is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness as he was pasturing the donkeys of his father Zibeon.)

Exodus 2:19
“An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they replied. “He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”

1 Samuel 16:11
And Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied, “but he is tending the sheep.” “Send for him,” Samuel replied. “For we will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”

1 Samuel 17:34-36
David replied, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep, and whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, / I went after it, struck it down, and delivered the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. / Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”

2 Kings 3:4
Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he would render to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams.

Job 1:3
and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East.

Psalm 78:70-72
He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds; / from tending the ewes He brought him to be shepherd of His people Jacob, of Israel His inheritance. / So David shepherded them with integrity of heart and guided them with skillful hands.

Isaiah 7:21-22
On that day a man will raise a young cow and two sheep, / and from the abundance of milk they give, he will eat curds; for all who remain in the land will eat curds and honey.

Jeremiah 49:29
They will take their tents and flocks, their tent curtains and all their goods. They will take their camels for themselves. They will shout to them: ‘Terror is on every side!’

Ezekiel 25:4
therefore I will indeed give you as a possession to the people of the East. They will set up their camps and pitch their tents among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk.

Amos 1:1
These are the words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders of Tekoa—what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, in the days when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.

Luke 2:8
And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night.


Treasury of Scripture

And Adah bore Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.

the.

Genesis 4:21
And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

1 Chronicles 2:50-52
These were the sons of Caleb the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah; Shobal the father of Kirjathjearim, …

1 Chronicles 4:4,5
And Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah, the father of Bethlehem…

father.

1 Samuel 10:12
And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?

dwell.

Genesis 4:2
And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Genesis 25:27
And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

Jeremiah 35:9,10
Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed: …

Jump to Previous
Adah Bare Beareth Birth Bore Breed Cattle Dwell Inhabiting Livestock Possessions Purchased Raise Tents
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Adah Bare Beareth Birth Bore Breed Cattle Dwell Inhabiting Livestock Possessions Purchased Raise Tents
Genesis 4
1. The birth, occupation, and offerings of Cain and Abel.
8. Cain murders his brother Abel.
11. The curse of Cain.
17. Has a son called Enoch, and builds a city, which he calls after his name.
18. His descendants, with Lamech and his two wives.
25. The birth of Seth,
26. and Enos.














And Adah bore Jabal
The name "Adah" is of Hebrew origin, meaning "ornament" or "adornment." In the context of Genesis, Adah is one of the wives of Lamech, a descendant of Cain. Her role as a mother is significant in the genealogical line, as she gives birth to Jabal. The name "Jabal" is derived from the Hebrew root "yabal," which means "to bring" or "to lead." This etymology is fitting, as Jabal is described as a leader or pioneer in a particular lifestyle. The mention of Adah and Jabal highlights the importance of family lineage and the roles individuals play in the unfolding narrative of human civilization.

he was the father of those who dwell in tents
The phrase "father of those who dwell in tents" indicates that Jabal was a progenitor or originator of a nomadic lifestyle. The Hebrew word for "dwell" is "yashab," which implies a settled or established way of living, even within the context of mobility. The use of "tents" suggests a lifestyle that is adaptable and transient, yet organized and purposeful. This nomadic way of life was crucial for survival and prosperity in ancient times, allowing communities to move with their herds and find new pastures. Jabal's role as a "father" signifies his influence and leadership in establishing this way of life, which would have been essential for the development of early human societies.

and raise livestock
The phrase "raise livestock" refers to the practice of animal husbandry, which was a significant advancement in human civilization. The Hebrew word for "livestock" is "miqneh," which encompasses cattle, sheep, goats, and other domesticated animals. This practice not only provided food and clothing but also facilitated trade and economic stability. Jabal's association with livestock indicates his role in pioneering agricultural practices that would sustain and grow communities. The ability to raise and manage livestock represents a shift from mere survival to a more structured and prosperous way of life, reflecting God's provision and the unfolding of His plan for humanity to cultivate and steward the earth.

Verse 20. - And Adah bare Jabal. Either the Traveler or the Producer, from yabhal, to flow; poetically, to go to walk; hiphil, to produce; descriptive, in the one case, of his nomadic life, in the other of his occupation or his wealth. He was the father - av, father; used of the founder of a family or nation (Genesis 10:21), of the author or maker of anything, especially of the Creator'(Job 38:28), of the master or teacher of any art or science (Genesis 4:21) - of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. Mikneh, literally, possession, from kanah, to acquire, as in ver. 1; hence cattle, as that was the primitive form of wealth (cf. pecus, pecunia); by which may be meant that Jabal was the first nomad who introduced the custom of living in tents, and pasturing and breeding not sheep merely, but larger quadrupeds as well, for the sake of wealth.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And Adah
עָדָ֖ה (‘ā·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5711: Adah -- two non-Israelite women

gave birth to
וַתֵּ֥לֶד (wat·tê·leḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

Jabal;
יָבָ֑ל (yā·ḇāl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2989: Jabal -- a son of Lamech

he
ה֣וּא (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

was
הָיָ֔ה (hā·yāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

the father
אֲבִ֕י (’ă·ḇî)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1: Father

of those who dwell
יֹשֵׁ֥ב (yō·šêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

in tents
אֹ֖הֶל (’ō·hel)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 168: A tent

and [raise] livestock.
וּמִקְנֶֽה׃ (ū·miq·neh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4735: Something bought, property, livestock, acquisition


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OT Law: Genesis 4:20 Adah gave birth to Jabal who was (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 4:19
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