Genesis 4 · Verse 25

Genesis 4:25

And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
Genesis 4:25, King James Version

Genesis 4:25 in other translations

BSBAnd Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another seed in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”
WEBAdam knew his wife again. She gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, saying, “for God has given me another child instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.”
ASVAnd Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For, said she, God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel; for Cain slew him.
YLTAnd Adam again knoweth his wife, and she beareth a son, and calleth his name Seth, ‘for God hath appointed for me another seed instead of Abel:' for Cain had slain him.
DARBYAnd Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son, and called his name Seth:...For God has appointed me another seed instead of Abel, because Cain has slain him.
BBEAnd Adam had connection with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son to whom she gave the name of Seth: for she said, God has given me another seed in place of Abel, whom Cain put to death.
WebsterAnd Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

What does Genesis 4:25 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 25 God - hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel - Eve must have received on this occasion some Divine communication, else how could she have known that this son was appointed in the place of Abel, to continue that holy line by which the Messiah was to come? From this we see that the line of the Messiah was determined from the beginning, and that it was not first fixed in the days of Abraham; for the promise was then only renewed, and that branch of his family designated by which the sacred line was to be continued. And it is worthy of remark, that Seth's posterity alone continued after the flood, when all the other families of the earth were destroyed, Noah being the tenth descendant from Adam through Seth. Though all these persons are mentioned in the following chapter, I shall produce them here in the order of their succession: 1. Adam; 2. Seth; 3. Enos; 4. Cainan; 5. Mahalaleel; 6. Jared; 7. Enoch; 8. Methuselah; 9. Lamech, (the second); 10. Noah. In order to keep this line distinct, we find particular care was taken that, where there were two or more sons in a family, the one through whom God particularly designed to bring his Son into the world was, by some especial providence, pointed out. Thus in the family of Adam, Seth was chosen; in the family of Noah, Shem; in the family of Abraham, Isaac; and in that of David, Solomon and Nathan. All these things God watched over by an especial providence from the beginning, that when Jesus Christ should come it might be clearly seen that he came by the promise, through grace, and not by nature.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 4:25-26
Our first parents were comforted in their affliction by the birth of a son, whom they called Seth, that is, set,' settled,' or placed;' in his seed mankind should continue to the end of time, and from him the Messiah should descend. While Cain, the head of the apostacy, is made a wanderer, Seth, from whom the true church was to come, is one fixed. In Christ and his church is the only true settlement. Seth walked in the steps of his martyred brother Abel; he was a partaker of like precious faith in the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, and so became a fresh witness of the grace and influence of God the Holy Spirit. God gave Adam and Eve to see the revival of religion in their family. The worshippers of God began to do more in religion; some, by an open profession of true religion, protested against the wickedness of the world around. The worse others are, the better we should be, and the more zealous. Then began the distinction between professors and profane, which has been kept up ever since, and will be, while the world stands.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Genesis 4:25 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֵּ֨דַעvai.Ye.da'and he knewH3045
אָדָ֥ם'a.DamAdamH121
עוֹד֙'OdagainH5750
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ'ish.Towife hisH802
וַתֵּ֣לֶדva.Te.ledand she boreH3205
בֵּ֔ןBena sonH1121
וַתִּקְרָ֥אva.tik.Ra'and she calledH7121
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
שְׁמ֖וֹshe.Moname hisH8034
שֵׁ֑תShetSethH8352
כִּ֣יkiforH3588
שָֽׁת\־shat-he has appointedH7896
לִ֤יlifor <the> me
אֱלֹהִים֙'E.lo.HimGod ofH430
זֶ֣רַעZe.ra'springH2233
אַחֵ֔ר'a.CheranotherH312
תַּ֣חַתTa.chatin place ofH8478
הֶ֔בֶלHe.velAbelH1893
כִּ֥יkiforH3588
הֲרָג֖וֹha.ra.Gohe killed himH2026
קָֽיִן\׃Ka.yinCainH7014

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 4:25

  • Genesis 4:8

    And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

  • Luke 3:38

    Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

  • Genesis 5:3-4

    And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:

  • Genesis 4:10-11

    And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;

  • 1 Chronicles 1:1

    Adam, Sheth, Enosh,

  • Genesis 4:1-3

    And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
A.M. 130. B.C. 3874. and called.
5:3,4; 1Ch 1:1; Lu 3:38
Seth. Heb. Sheth; i.e., appointed, or put. God.
1-3,8,10,11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 4:24

    If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

  • Genesis 4:25

    And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

  • Genesis 4:26

    And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.

Read all of Genesis 4

Genesis 4:25 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y conoció de nuevo Adam á su mujer, la cual parió un hijo, y llamó su nombre Seth: Porque Dios (dijo ella) me ha sustituído otra simiente en lugar de Abel, á quien mató Caín.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Adam connut encore sa femme; et elle enfanta un fils, et appela son nom Seth; car, dit-elle, Dieu m’a assigné une autre semence au lieu d’Abel; car Caïn l’a tué.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Adam erkannte abermals sein Weib, und sie gebar einen Sohn und gab ihm den Namen Seth; denn Gott hat mir einen anderen Samen gesetzt an Stelle Abels, weil Kain ihn erschlagen hat.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Cognovit quoque adhuc Adam uxorem suam: et peperit filium, vocavitque nomen ejus Seth, dicens: Posuit mihi Deus semen aliud pro Abel, quem occidit Cain.