Charles Ellicott Commentary Genesis 4:17

"And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch." — Genesis 4:17 (ASV)

CAIN AND HIS DESCENDANTS.

Cain knew his wife. — As Jehovah had told Eve that He would greatly multiply her conception (Genesis 3:16), we cannot doubt that a numerous offspring had grown up in the 130 years that intervened between the birth of Cain and that of Seth, the substitute for Abel. As a rule, only the eldest son is mentioned in the genealogies, and Abel’s birth is chronicled chiefly because of his tragic end, leading to the enactment of the merciful law that followed and to the sundering of the human race. One of Adam’s daughters apparently clung to her brother, in spite of the solemn decree of banishment pronounced on him, probably by his father, and followed him in his wanderings as his wife, and bore him a son, whom they called “Enoch.” Now this name, in Hebrew Chanoch, is of the utmost importance in estimating Cain’s character.

It means train in Proverbs 22:6 (Train up a child), but is used in Deuteronomy 20:5 of the dedication of a house; and thus Cain also calls his city “Enoch,” dedicated. But in ancient times the ideas of training and dedication were closely allied, because teaching generally took the form of initiation into sacred rites, and one so initiated was regarded as a consecrated person. Although the wife may have had most to do with giving the name, we still see in it a purpose that the child should be a trained and consecrated man; and Cain must have now put aside those fierce and violent habits that had led him into so terrible a crime. We may add that this prepares our minds for the rapid advance of the Cainites in the arts of civilisation, and for the very remarkable step Cain next took.

He built a city. — Hebrew, was building, that is, began to build a city. There was not yet enough population for a city, but Cain, as his offspring increased, determined that they should dwell together, under training, in some dedicated common abode. He probably selected some fit spot for the acropolis, or citadel, to be the centre of his village; and as training is probably the earlier, and dedication the later meaning, Cain appears as a wise ruler, like Nimrod subsequently, rather than as a religious man. His purpose was much the same as that of the builders of the Tower of Babel, who wanted to keep mankind together so that they might form a powerful community. It is worth noting that in the line of Seth, the name of the seventh and noblest of that race, is also Enoch, whose training was a close walk with God.