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Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Genesis 4:21

‘His brother's name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.'

The wandering life of the family would encourage the need for diversions. Perhaps he invented these musical instruments, or perhaps he was the first one to introduce them to the tribe. Either way he was remembered for it.

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See also Genesis 4:21 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Genesis 4:21. _JUBAL - THE FATHER_] i.e. The inventor of musical instruments, such as the כנור _kinnor_, which we translate _harp_, and the עוגב _ugab_, which we render _organ_; it is very likel...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    - XIX. The Line of Cain 17. חניך _ch__e__nôk_, Chanok, “initiation, instruction.” 18. עירד _‛__ı̂yrād_, ‘Irad, “fleet as the wild ass, citizen.” מחוּיאל _m__e_

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 4 After the Fall and the Two Seeds _ 1. Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1)_ 2. Their offerings (Genesis 4:3) 3. The divine remonstrance (Genesis 4:6) 4. Abel slain by his brother ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    Cainite and Sethite Genealogies. Genesis 4:17 probably belongs to the earliest stratum of J, in which the progress of civilisation is not interrupted by the Flood, and the human race is derived from A...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    JUBAL. joyful sound. ORGAN. Hebrew. _'ugab._ The well-known "Pan's pipe"....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The Descendants of Cain: The Genealogy of the Cainites. (J.) See the Special Note on "the Antediluvian Patriarchs," see below. The traditions preserved in this section probably belong to a different...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Jubal_ The originator of musical instruments. Music is thus regarded as the most ancient art. For the name, compare the word "Jubilee"; _yôbêl_is "the ram's horn." _harp and pipe_ i.e. the simplest...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PART EIGHTEEN THE BEGINNINGS OF HUMAN CULTURE (Genesis 4:16-24) 1. _The Patriarchal Age_ The story of Cain and Abel introduces the Patriarchal form of government and worship. Family government is th...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND HIS BROTHER'S NAME WAS JUBAL: HE WAS THE FATHER OF ALL SUCH AS HANDLE THE HARP AND ORGAN._ Jubal the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. Jubal means "sound" or "music". [Hebrew, _ K...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    ORGAN] RV 'pipe.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    CAIN AND ABEL. THE DESCENDANTS OF CAIN The narrative, which forms part of the Primitive document, impressively shows how sin, having once appeared, became hereditary in the human race, and speedily de...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Harps and flutes are musical instruments. A harp has many strings. It produces sound when somebody touches the strings. A flute is a tube with holes. It produces sound when somebody blows air across o...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    We do not know whether this list of names is complete. Perhaps it leaves out some names. The word ‘son’ in the Bible sometimes means ‘grandson’ and it sometimes means ‘*descendant’. (For example, Jesu...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 4 CAIN KILLS ABEL V1 Adam had sex with his wife Eve and she became *pregnant. Her son Cain was born. She said, ‘I have gained a man by the *Lord’...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    (19-22) LAMECH TOOK UNTO HIM TWO WIVES. — Whether polygamy began with Lamech is uncertain, but it is in keeping with the insolent character of the man. The names of his wives bear testimony to the exi...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ שֵׁ֥ם אָחִ֖יו יוּבָ֑ל ה֣וּא הָיָ֔ה אֲבִ֕י

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

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  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CAIN'S LINE, AND ENOCH Genesis 4:12 "MY punishment is greater than I can bear," so felt Cain as soon as his passion had spent itself and the consequences of his wickedness became apparent-and so feel...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    CAIN'S CAREER Genesis 4:9 God's first question to the soul is, “Adam, where art thou?” The next, “Where is thy brother?” We _are_ our brother's keepers. All related to us, within our reach, or needin...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The degeneration of the first man and woman was transmitted, the firstborn being manifestly an inheritor of the fallen nature of his parents. His mother named him Cain, intimating a hope that the seed...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    SIN GROWS WORSE Cain went to live in the land of Nod with his wife. Many have wondered where he found a wife. While the text does not tell us specifically, we do know Adam named the woman Eve because...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    There is one characteristic of divine revelation to which attention may be profitably called as a starting point. We have to do with facts. The Bible alone is a revelation of facts, and, we can add (n...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _AN EARLY CHAUVINIST_ ‘And Lamech took unto him two wives,’ etc. Genesis 4:19 Here we have I. A VIOLATOR OF THE DIVINE LAW OF MARRIAGE.—Monogamy was the Divine law of marriage, and in all likelihoo...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    But grace could work. The grace of a God above the evil of man, and Abel approaches Him by faith. Hereon follows the separation of the families of God and of the enemy, of the world and of faith. Abel...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND HIS BROTHER'S NAME WAS JUBAL,.... This was another son of Lamech by Adah, and his name differs only in one letter from his brother's; HE WAS THE FATHER OF ALL SUCH THAT HANDLE THE HARP AND ORGAN:...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    _And his brother's name [was] Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ._ Ver. 21. _As handle the harp and organ._] He invented _Musicam, mentis medicinam maestae_. The word h...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _The harp and organ_ The word rendered _organ_ here means a _lovely instrument;_ but what kind of an instrument this was, the Jews themselves do not know. This _Jubal_ was the inventor of such musical...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The birth, trade, and religion of Cain and Abel. 8 The murder of Abel. 9 The curse of Cain. 17 Enoch the first citie. 19 Lamech and his two wiues. 25 The birth of Seth, 26 and Enos. 1 AND Ada...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. This was the second son of Lamech and Adah whose name has been preserved, the inventor of the zither, a ki...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE PASSOVER AND THE OFFERING WHICH FOLLOWED IT These are the feasts of the Lord, in the narrower sense, EVEN HOLY CONVOCATIONS, WHICH YE SHALL PROCLAIM IN THEIR SEASONS. This instruction was carried...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

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  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

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  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

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  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    Or, _the lovely instrument; _ but what kind of instrument this was, even the Jews do not understand. The meaning is, he was the inventor of music and musical instruments....

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    & Genesis 5:1-32 As each section of the Book of Genesis opens before us, we are furnished with fresh evidence of the fact that we are travelling over, what a recent writer has well termed, "the seed-...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Genesis 4:21 brothers H251 name H8034 Jubal H3106 father H1 play H8610 (H8802) harp H3658 flute H5748 father -...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Genesis 4 I. From the story of Cain we gather the following thoughts: I. Eve's disappointment at the birth of Cain should be a warning to all mothers. Over-estimate of children may be traced somet...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

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  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Genesis 4:1. _I have gotten._ קניתי _kaniti,_ from the root _kana,_ he possessed. The LXX have betrayed their ignorance of the Eternal Word, or Wisdom, by frequently rendering this word _created._ God...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Built a city_ THE FIRST CITY It was a very decided step towards civilization, when the idea of building a city was first conceived and realized. The roaming life of the homeless savage was abandone...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 4:18 LAMECH’s immediate descendants are associated with animal breeding, music, and metalwork. Whereas Abel is linked to sheep (v. Genesis 4:2),...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Genesis 4:23. Adah and Zillah.] Probably the oldest fragment of poetry extant. With a slight freedom of translation, we may perhaps thus approach the metrical cast of the original:—...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION GENESIS 4:17 Domiciled in Nod, whither, impelled by woman's love, his wife had accompanied him, the unhappy fugitive began to seek, if not to find, relief from the gnawing agonies of remor...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Lets turn to Genesis Chapter four. Adam and Eve have been expelled from the Garden of Eden because of their disobedience to God. And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    A.M. cir. 500. B.C. cir. 3504. father. Romans 4:11 Romans 4:12 the harp. Genesis 31:27 Job 21:12...

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