Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Midrash for Genesis 4:17

וַיֵּ֤דַע קַ֙יִן֙ אֶת־אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וַתַּ֖הַר וַתֵּ֣לֶד אֶת־חֲנ֑וֹךְ וַֽיְהִי֙ בֹּ֣נֶה עִ֔יר וַיִּקְרָא֙ שֵׁ֣ם הָעִ֔יר כְּשֵׁ֖ם בְּנ֥וֹ חֲנֽוֹךְ׃

And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bore Enoch; and he builded a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son Enoch.

Bereishit Rabbah

"And Cain knew his wife ..." "Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue forever" (Psalms 39:12), Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Pinchas, Rabbi Yudan said: why did the wicked believe that "their houses would continue forever" (ibid.)? "they called their lands after their own names" (ibid.) - Tiberias after the name Tiberius; Alexandira after the name Alexander; Antochia after the name Antiochus. Rabbi Pinchas said: "their inward thought is that their houses shall continue forever," tomorrow their houses will become their graves "their dwelling places for all generations" (ibid.), because their are not living and not judged - and not only that, but they called their lands after their own names. "And he built a city, and he called the name of the city, like the name of his son, Enoch" (Genesis 4:17)
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