Commentary - Genesis 4:25-26

Bird's-eye view

After the disastrous events of Cain's rebellion and the subsequent descent into godless culture-building through his line, the sacred historian here brings us back to the central storyline. This is the story of redemption, the story of the covenant. God does not abandon His promise made in the Garden (Gen. 3:15). The murder of Abel was a satanic assault on the line of promise, a direct attempt by the seed of the serpent to stamp out the seed of the woman. But God is sovereign, and His purposes cannot be thwarted by the murderous rage of sinful men. These two verses show us the reestablishment of the godly line through Seth and the formal establishment of public, corporate worship. This is the beginning of the visible church, standing in stark contrast to the city of man being built by Cain's descendants.

The central conflict of all history, the antithesis between the City of God and the City of Man, is now firmly established on the earth. One line, Cain's, builds for its own name and glory, characterized by violence and pride. The other line, Seth's, is characterized by a recognition of human frailty and a dependent turning toward God. They begin to call upon the name of Yahweh. This is where the hope of the world lies, not in the technological and cultural advancements of the godless, but in the gathered, covenantal worship of God's people.

Outline

Context In Genesis

Genesis 4 has thus far detailed the downward spiral of sin. It began with an improper sacrifice, moved to jealousy, then to murder, then to a lying cover-up, and then to a curse and exile. Following this, we saw the fruit of Cain's line in the city of Enoch and the proud, polygamous, vengeful tyrant Lamech. It would be easy to despair, thinking that God's promise of a serpent-crushing seed had been extinguished before it even had a chance. But the narrative deliberately pivots here. The sacred historian, having shown us the bankruptcy of the line of Cain, now returns to Adam and Eve. These closing verses of chapter 4 serve as a vital bridge. They close out the initial history of the two lines and prepare us for the genealogy of the godly line in chapter 5, which will trace the path from Adam, through Seth, all the way to Noah. This is the line of grace, the line through which Messiah will come.

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 25 Then Adam knew his wife again; and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, for she said, “God has set for me another seed in place of Abel, for Cain killed him.”

Then Adam knew his wife again; and she gave birth to a son... The language here is simple and foundational. "Knowing" is the biblical euphemism for the intimate union of marriage, the one-flesh reality that God ordained in the Garden. This is not just a biological note. After the trauma of seeing one son murder the other, this act of coming together is an act of faith, a refusal to give up on God's command to be fruitful and multiply. It is a continuation of the creation mandate in a world now wracked by sin and death. God's purpose for humanity is to be worked out through the family, through husbands and wives, and through the children they bear.

...and named him Seth, for she said, “God has set for me another seed in place of Abel...” Here we have Eve's confession of faith. Notice, she does not say, "I have gotten a man," as she did with Cain, perhaps with a triumphalist misunderstanding that he was the promised one. Her words here are seasoned with sorrow and humility, but also with a profound trust in God's sovereignty. The name Seth means "appointed" or "placed." Eve recognizes that this child is not her own achievement, but a direct, gracious provision from God. He is a substitute, an appointment from the heavenly court. God Himself has intervened to ensure the promise does not fail. Abel, the righteous one, is dead. Cain, the firstborn, is a cursed exile. From a human point of view, the plan is in ruins. But Eve looks past the grim circumstances and acknowledges God's hand. He has set another seed for her. This is faith. She is looking to God to provide the promised seed who would one day crush the serpent's head.

...in place of Abel, for Cain killed him. The wound is still fresh. The reality of sin's consequence is stated plainly. The antithesis has resulted in bloodshed. The seed of the serpent bruised the heel of the seed of the woman, a lethal blow in this case. But Eve's faith is that this is not the last word. God is a God who brings life from death. He appoints a substitute for the righteous one who was slain. This is a pattern we see throughout Scripture, culminating in the ultimate substitute, Jesus Christ, who was slain for the sins of His people and raised to life, securing the covenant line forever.

v. 26 And to Seth, to him also, a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of Yahweh.

And to Seth, to him also, a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. The covenant line continues. God's grace is generational. Seth follows in the faithful footsteps of his parents and raises up a seed for the Lord. He names his son Enosh. This name is theologically significant, as it means "man" but with the connotation of frailty, weakness, or mortality. After the arrogant boasting of Lamech in the line of Cain, we have here in the godly line a recognition of the true human condition after the fall. We are mortal. We are frail. We are not the captains of our own fate. This humility is the necessary prerequisite for what comes next. You cannot truly call upon the name of the Lord until you recognize your desperate need for Him. The line of Cain is marked by self-sufficient pride; the line of Seth is marked by a humble recognition of need.

Then men began to call upon the name of Yahweh. This is one of the most important statements in the book of Genesis. This does not mean that no one had ever prayed before. Adam and Eve spoke with God, and Abel offered an acceptable sacrifice. Rather, this marks the beginning of something new: formal, public, corporate worship. The verb "began" suggests a formal institution. To "call upon the name" is a technical term for invoking God in worship, proclaiming His character, and seeking His aid as a gathered community. This is the establishment of the visible church. While Cain's descendants were building the secular city, marked by humanistic achievement and glory, Seth's descendants were building the city of God, marked by the public worship of Yahweh. They were distinguishing themselves as a covenant people. The battle lines are drawn not just by lineage, but by liturgy. One line calls upon the name of Lamech, so to speak, while the other calls upon the name of Yahweh. This is how God's people have always distinguished themselves from the world: by how and whom they worship.

Application

The story of the world is the story of two lines, two cities, two seeds. Every person who has ever lived is in either the line of Cain or the line of Seth. There is no third way. The line of Cain trusts in human strength, builds for its own glory, and ends in judgment. The line of Seth recognizes its own frailty (Enosh), trusts in God's gracious provision (Seth), and gathers for public worship.

This passage reminds us that God's purposes are never defeated by sin. Satan may win a battle, as he did when Cain killed Abel, but God wins the war. He always provides for the continuation of His covenant people. When things look bleakest in our own lives, our families, or our culture, we must have the faith of Eve, who looked at the wreckage of her family and still confessed that God had appointed a seed for her.

Finally, we see the absolute centrality of corporate worship. The first thing the godly line did when it was established was to begin calling upon the name of the Lord together. This is how we declare our allegiance. This is how we are strengthened. This is how we stand against the spirit of the age. The world builds its cities, its music, its technology, all for the glory of man. The church gathers, week in and week out, to call upon the name of Yahweh, proclaiming that salvation and hope are found in Him alone, through the ultimate Seed, the Lord Jesus Christ.