Lamech

Lamech is the name of two figures in the Hebrew Bible, both appearing in the Book of Genesis. The first Lamech is a descendant of Cain in Genesis 4. He is described as married to Adah and Zillah and the father of three sons: Jabal, the ancestor of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock; Jubal, the forefather of musicians; and Tubal-Cain, a forger of bronze and iron implements. The sister of Tubal-Cain is named Naamah. In the Cain lineage, Lamech is depicted as a boastful figure who proclaims that if Cain’s vengeance is sevenfold, Lamech’s vengeance will be seventy-sevenfold, a statement that has been widely discussed in studies of early Genesis and violence.

The second Lamech appears in Genesis 5 as the father of Noah, in the line of Seth. He is said to have lived 777 years in total. At Noah’s birth, Lamech names him, saying that this son will bring rest or comfort to his family in the face of the toil and the curse laid upon the earth. Lamech dies before the Flood, and Noah becomes the next major patriarch in the biblical narrative leading up to the deluge.

In biblical tradition, these two individuals illustrate different threads within Genesis: one a member of the murderous line of Cain, the other the patriarch who begets Noah. The name Lamech itself appears only in these two notable genealogical passages, contributing to discussions about early human violence and pre-Flood hope.