Origins of Lamech
Lamech was actually the name of two different individuals in the Bible, one more notorious than the other, naturally. Many scholars believe rather critically that there is actually reason to believe that they are the same individual altogether. Meanwhile, other scholars are wondering why there is any need to confuse them at all, and have put their foot down on the subject of Lamech being two separate people. The first Lamech, is a sixth generation descendant of Cain, whose father was Methusalae, and this Lamech was also responsible for The Song of the Sword. The other Lamech is instead an eight generation descendant of Seth, who was also the son of Methuselah, and the father of Noah. Two very different people, one would think, but no, others still insist on them being the same, simply because they have the same name. It is a personal belief of yours truly that if we went around assuming that just because people with the same name were all the same person, or were all one person, than the world would be populated by a very small number of people indeed.
The descendant of Cain is also known as being the first man to ever by polygamous in the Bible. Lamech, the descendant of Cain, had taken two wives, as described in the following paraphrased passage of Genesis 4:19-24:
“Lamech had two wives: Adah, and Tsilah. Adah gave birth to Yaval, the father of tent-dwellers, and cattle owners. His brother was Yuval, the father of harpists, and pipers. Tsilah, on the other hand, gave birth to Tuval-Cain, who instructed the artificers of brass and iron. Tuval-Cain’s sister was Naamah. And Lamech said to Adah and Tsilah, his wives:
‘ Hear my voice: ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech:
For I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.
If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy-sevenfold.’”
The last line is relative to the “Curse Of Cain.” All of Lamech’s children, and relatives were born to be a nomadic race, or in a profession or career that would cause them to be nomadic. The curse that God laid on Cain was that he would be unable to plow the ground or farm, which was his main expertise; this consequences in Cain having to be a nomad. Also, Cain said to God that surely he would be killed, and God’s reply was to lay upon him a mark, or a curse that if any man should kill him, he’d be avenged seven-fold.