King James Version

Genesis 4:23

And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…לֶ֜מֶךְlemekhLamechלֶמֶךְnoun, proper name — “Lamech”H3929Lemek, the name of two antediluvian patriarchsLamech.לְנָשָׁ֗יוlenashayvto eachאִשָּׁהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to each”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH802a woman(adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.עָדָ֤הadahAdahעָדָהnoun, proper name — “Adah”H5711Adah, the name of two womenAdah.וְצִלָּה֙vetsilahand Zillahצִלָּהconjunction, noun, proper name — “and Zillah”H6741Tsillah, an antediluvian womanZillah.שְׁמַ֣עַןshemaanhearשָׁמַעverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, feminine, plural — “hear”, a commandH8085to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)[idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) n…קוֹלִ֔יqolisoundקוֹלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “sound”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6963a voice or sound[phrase] aloud, bleating, crackling, cry ([phrase] out), fame, lightness, lowing, noise, [phrase] hold peace, (pro-) claim, proclamation, [phrase] sing, sound, [phrase] spark, thunder(-ing), voice, [phrase] yell.נְשֵׁ֣יnesheeachאִשָּׁהnoun, common, feminine, plural, construct — “each”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH802a woman(adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.לֶ֔מֶךְlemekhLamechלֶמֶךְnoun, proper name — “Lamech”H3929Lemek, the name of two antediluvian patriarchsLamech.הַאְזֵ֖נָּהhazenahgive earאָזַןverb, hiphil, imperative, 2nd person, feminine, plural — “give ear”, a commandH238to broaden out the ear (with the hand), i.e. (by implication) to listengive (perceive by the) ear, hear(-ken). See H239 (אָזַן).אִמְרָתִ֑יimraticommandmentאִמְרָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “commandment”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH565{something said}commandment, speech, word.כִּ֣יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…אִ֤ישׁisha certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…הָרַ֨גְתִּי֙haragtidestroyהָרַגverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “destroy”, a completed actionH2026to smite with deadly intentdestroy, out of hand, kill, murder(-er), put to (death), make (slaughter), slay(-er), [idiom] surely.לְפִצְעִ֔יlefitsito woundפֶּצַעpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to wound”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6482a woundwound(-ing).וְיֶ֖לֶדveyeledand childיֶלֶדconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and child”, the ordinary formH3206something born, i.e. a lad or offspringboy, child, fruit, son, young man (one).לְחַבֻּרָתִֽיlechaburatito bluenessחַבּוּרָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to blueness”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2250properly, bound (with stripes), i.e. a weal (or black-and-blue mark itself)blueness, bruise, hurt, stripe, wound.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And Lamech said unto his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech; for I have slain a man for wounding me, and a young man for bruising me;

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Lamech said unto his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: For I have slain a man for wounding me, And a young man for bruising me:

Young’s Literal Translation

And Lamech saith to his wives: — 'Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, give ear [to] my saying: For a man I have slain for my wound, Even a young man for my hurt;

World English Bible

Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice. You wives of Lamech, listen to my speech, for I have slain a man for wounding me, a young man for bruising me.

Darby Translation

And Lemech said to his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice, Ye wives of Lemech, listen to my speech. For I have slain a man for my wound, and a youth for my bruise.

Douay-Rheims

And Lamech said to his wives Ada and Sella: Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, hearken to my speech: for I have slain a man to the wounding of myself, and a stripling to my own bruising.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And Lamech said unto his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech; for I have slain a man for wounding me, and a young man for bruising me;

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Lamech said to his wives, Ada and Sella, Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, consider my words, because I have slain a man to my sorrow and a youth to my grief.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Εἶπε δὲ Λάμεχ ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ γυναιξίν, Ἀδὰ καὶ Σελλὰ, ἀκούσατέ μου τῆς φωνῆς, γυναῖκες Λάμεχ, ἐνωτίσασθέ μου τοὺς λόγους· ὅτι ἄνδρα ἀπέκτεινα εἰς τραῦμα ἐμοὶ, καὶ νεανίσκον εἰς μώλωπα ἐμοί.