Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“Adam knew his wife again. She gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, saying, “for God has given me another child instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.”  A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on Yahweh’s name.“
(Genesis 4:25-26)

We return to Adam’s line here, Cain and his descendants never again taking a leading role in the narrative. Presumably they perish in the Flood.

Adam and Eve didn’t lose themselves in grief. They stayed intimate and close. Depending on each other to get through the hard time of losing two sons (which they did when Cain abandoned them). Eve gave birth to another son at a hundred and thirty years old, this one she named ‘Seth’. It means ‘substitution’. But it can also mean ‘set’, ‘appointed’, and ‘foundation’ because it is from the verb שית (shyt); which means ‘to set’ or to ‘place firm’. Eve wasn’t REPLACING Abel, she was re-establishing the line of succession. She was setting firm the line from which the Child of Promise would come (Genesis 3:15).

Eve takes a significant role here, as she did with her other children before. The Torah: A Women’s Commentary writes: ‘Nothing in these reports of life outside the garden suggests that the woman was subservient to the man. To the contrary: she is the one who speaks; she is the one who names; and she has the power to interpret and preserve the family’s history.’ and ‘“God has given me.” Once again, the woman acknowledges God. Note, in contrast, that the man has not uttered a word since leaving the garden. While affirming her unique role as mother, she nonetheless proclaims God as the bestower of the gift of a child. Later interpreters consider this formulation to be more modest than her earlier claim in 4:1, suggesting that her confidence may have been tempered by loss.’

Seth continues the line, having his own son whom he names Enosh. Enosh means ‘son of Seth’. It can also mean ‘man’ or ‘weak but social individual’ because it comes from the noun אנוש (‘enosh) or ‘man’ and also from the verb אנש (‘anash) or ‘to be weak and social’.

Young’s Literal Translation has the last half of verse 26 as “then a beginning was made of preaching in the name of Jehovah.” This seems to point to a collective seeking after God – versus sticking to individual relationships. Worshipping, praising, and giving thanks almost formally. Perhaps collectively worshipping. In any case, it is a stark contrast between Seth’s descendants who seek the Lord and Cain’s descendants who do not.