These verses inform us that Lamech’s two wives, Adah and Zillah, had at least four children. The three sons who are mentioned made important discoveries that meant a lot to mankind.
The first one mentioned is Adah’s son Jabal. He was the father of tent-dwellers and ranchers. He discovered how to make a tent—how to make sure that you can take your house with you on a journey, so to speak, and erect such a shelter by yourself. It seems strange that Jabal is also called the father of those who have livestock. Surely Abel was already mentioned as a keeper of sheep in Genesis 4:2? We find the solution when we read these texts in the original Hebrew. A different word is used in Genesis 4:2 from the one we find in this passage. With Abel, the term that is used indicates that his flock consisted of sheep and goats. Jabal was a farmer who had discovered how you, as a human being, could also take control of other animals. How other animals could also be part of one’s flock. We can think here of camels and donkeys, among others.
His brother Jubal is the father of all who play instruments. He is the father of music.
Tubal-cain, Zillah’s son, discovered how to work iron and bronze. He was the first smith. This discovery made it possible to make devices that would help to work the land in an easier and more effective way.
After this, Naamah is mentioned. Other than her name, nothing else is told about her. Her name probably means attractive, pleasant. She was noticed because of her beauty.
The striking thing is that precisely in the camp of those who had fallen away from God there was such tremendous cultural development. The carrying out of the cultural task gained momentum, precisely because of these discoveries. We see here that when it comes to new discoveries the most important thing is not who makes those discoveries but how they are being used (see also 1 Timothy 4:4–5). And the truth is that cultural discoveries only really come into their own and serve their purpose when they are used in the service of the Lord. Only then a discovery or innovation is used in such a way that it represents love for God, the neighbour, and nature.
20 Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.