Genesis 4:21
in Genesis 4And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and pipe.
KJV
And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.
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This verse in Genesis 4
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd 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: he was the inventor of instrumental music, both of stringed instruments, such as were touched by the fingers, or struck with a quill, as the "harp"; and of wind instruments, such as were blown, as the "organ", which seems not to be the same we call so, being a late invention; but however a pleasant instrument, as its name signifies.
This site's exposition
the father of those who dwell in tents
on Genesis 4:20-22
Jabal fathers the herdsmen in tents, Jubal the players of harp and flute, and Tubal-cain the forgers of bronze and iron. These are real gifts, and they arose in the line of the man who went out from the presence of the LORD. Naamah is named, and the name is all the verse gives.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
The text runs: "Methushael begot Lamech, who took two wives: the name of the one was Ada, and the name of the other Sella. And Ada brought forth Jobel; who was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of herdsmen. His brother's name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the psaltery and cittara. Sella bore Tobel; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tobel was Noema." This is as far as the line of descent from Cain is carried. There are eight generations in all, including Adam. The seventh is that of Lamech, who was the husband of two wives; the eighth is that of his children, among whom is the woman who is mentioned by name. What is here delicately intimated is that to the very end of its existence the earthly city will be propagated by physical births proceeding from the union of the sexes. This is why we are given the proper names of the wives of the last man mentioned as begetting children—a practice unheard of before the flood, except in the case of Eve.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Jubal was a famous musician, and particularly an organist, and the first that gave rules for that noble art or science of music. When Jabal had set them in a way to be rich, Jubal put them in a way to be merry. From Jubal probably the Jubilee trumpet was so called; for the best music was that which proclaimed liberty and redemption.
Jubal was a famous musician, and particularly an organist, and the first that gave rules for that noble art or science of music. When Jabal had set them in a way to be rich, Jubal put them in a way to be merry. From Jubal probably the Jubilee trumpet was so called; for the best music was that which proclaimed liberty and redemption.
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: he was the inventor of instrumental music, both of stringed instruments, such as were touched by the fingers, or struck with a quill, as the "harp"; and of wind instruments, such as were blown, as the "organ", which seems not to be the same we call so, being a late invention; but however a pleasant instrument, as its name signifies.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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 likely that both words are generic, the former including under it all stringed instruments, and the latter, all wind instruments.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשֵׁ֥ם | veshem | and [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| אָחִ֖יו | ʾachiv | brother his | H251 → | 630 times |
| יוּבָ֑ל | yuval | [was] Jubal | H3106 → | |
| ה֣וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| הָיָ֔ה | hayah | he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אֲבִ֕י | ʾavi | [the] father of | H1 → | 1212 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| תֹּפֵ֥שׂ | tofes | player of | H8610 → | |
| כִּנּ֖וֹר | kinor | harp | H3658 → | |
| וְעוּגָֽב׃ | veugav | and flute | H5748 → |
וְשֵׁ֥םand [the] name of
veshemH8034 →864 times
אָחִ֖יוbrother his
ʾachivH251 →630 times
יוּבָ֑ל[was] Jubal
yuvalH3106 →
ה֣וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
הָיָ֔הhe was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
אֲבִ֕י[the] father of
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
תֹּפֵ֥שׂplayer of
tofesH8610 →
כִּנּ֖וֹרharp
kinorH3658 →
וְעוּגָֽב׃and flute
veugavH5748 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Amos 6:5You improvise songs on the harp like David and invent your own musical instruments.
it leads to
- Isaiah 5:12
At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Amos 5:23
Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.
- Amos 8:3
“In that day,” declares the Lord GOD, “the songs of the temple will turn to wailing. Many will be the corpses, strewn in silence everywhere!”
- Isaiah 5:12
Through
Isaiah 5:12At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.
it leads to
- Amos 6:4–6
You lie on beds inlaid with ivory, and lounge upon your couches. You dine on lambs from the flock and calves from the stall.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Job 21:11–14
They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 28:5
Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD or what His hands have done, He will tear them down and never rebuild them.
- Job 34:27
because they turned aside from Him and had no regard for any of His ways.
- Amos 6:4–6
Through
Genesis 31:27Why did you run away secretly and deceive me, without even telling me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and harps.
it leads to
- Exodus 15:20
Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing.
- Exodus 15:20
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, City of God 15.17; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
