Genesis 4:24
For dual sevens Spearhead is standing up, and Powerful ("Lamech"), seventy, and she sevened."
For Cain is avenged sevenfold, and Lamech seventy seven.
If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”
Because vengeance has been exacted seven times on Cain’s behalf, On Lamech’s it shall be seventy times seven.
Footnotes
| 197 | The NT has verbatim what is in the Septuagint translation of this verse, εβδομηκοντάκις επτά. The correct NT translations will have seventy times, seven which is not meant to be an equation but two separate numbers (cf. Meyer’s NT Commentary). Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’” (Matt. 18:21-22 NASB). Lamech is 70 and therefore avenged seventyfold. There were 70 sons of Ahab in Samaria (2 Kings 10), 70 breaths born to Heel in Egypt (Exodus 1:5), 70 elders with Moses who went up to see God from afar (Exodus 24:9), 70 other elders (Num. 11:16), 70 kings (Judg. 1:7), 70 struck down by God (1 Sam. 6:19), Gideon’s 70 sons (Judg. 8:30), 70 offspring riding 70 donkeys (Judg. 12:14), and 70 elders of the House of Israel worshiping idols (Ezekiel 8:11). In Luke Jesus sends out 70 disciples (some translations have the number of 72, see Expositor’s Greek Testament, Cambridge, Pulpit, etc.). “but the evidence preponderates in favour of the reading “seventy.”” Elicott’s Commentary on Luke 10:1. Further, the Israelites camped at a place called Elim where there were twelve springs of dual-waters and 70 palm trees” (Numbers 33:9), the total number of grandkids (a.k.a. nations) of Rest listed in Genesis 10 is 70 (although this is 72 in the Septuagint), and in Numbers 29:13-39 we find a total of 70 bulls sacrificed over the course of 7 days during the Feast of Tabernacles. ושבעה and she sevened/swore. שבעה is also the third person feminine complete Qal form of to swear/seven oneself.(cf. Strongs #7650. |