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Questions & Answers

Lamech

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Holy Scripture › Lamech

The question

In Genesis 4:19-24, what does Lamech mean when he says that the Lord will avenge him seventy-seven fold, and who did Lamech kill?

The answer

The scriptures does not tell us exactly whom Lamech killed. We are told that Lameh had killed a young man in self-defense. He didn't try to hide anything. On the contrary, he bragged about being a killer; and was proud to be the kind of man who would kill anybody that dared to touch him. Lamech thought if God had promised to avenge Cain (protect him) sevenfold, who did not act in self-defense; then in fairness, He must avenge him seventy and seven fold.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 1182 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.