The Targum, which originated in the Aramaic language and is strongly linked to the work of Ezra, holds significance for shedding light on biblical concepts. When the Masoretic Text can be vague, uncertain, or unclear, the Targum often offers clearer meaning, broader insight, and deeper understanding.
This study would incorporate the Targum, whose origin was in the Aramaic language, could be traced to Ezra speaking to the returning exiles who couldn’t understand Hebrew, but was expounded to them in a language they could understand.
Translating such natural imagery literally could convey limited information or even distort it, but Ezra was determined to share their true meaning. He was a righteous man, for God had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, to follow it, and to teach the statutes and judgments in Israel Ezra 7:10.
Genesis 3
1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God (יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים) had made. And he said unto the woman, “Yea, hath God said, ‘Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” — the compound name ‘Lord God’ continues but the singular ‘God’ is used as a third person;
— the serpent was more subtle, or crafty, by its manipulation of God’s Words and its loathly form, is the natural symbol of such a deceiver of man;
— the tempter appreared unto the woman as the more susceptible and unguarded of the two creatures he would betray; and ventures upon a half-questioning, half-insinuating remark;
— the Targum Onkelos says
The serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which Adonoy Elohim made; and it said to the woman, Did Elohim even [truly] say that you should not eat from all the trees of the Garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, — the woman said, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; indicating, Eve extolled the large extent of liberty they enjoyed in ranging at will amongst all the trees, except one;
— the Targum Onkelos says
The woman said to the serpent, From the fruit of the trees of the Garden we may eat.
3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ‘Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.’”
— but of the fruit of the tree, which is in the midst of the garden; this tree, is highly probable, stood near the tree of life, since that is described in the same “midst of the garden,” Genesis 2:9
— the Targum Onkelos says
But of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the Garden, Elohim said, You shall not eat from it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, “Ye shall not surely die; — ye shall not surely die; the serpent proceeded, in direct contradiction to divine command, not only to assure her of perfect impunity, but to promise great benefits from partaking of it;
— the Targum Onkelos says
The serpent said to the woman, You certainly will not die.
5 for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” — your eyes shall be opened; his words meant more than met the ear “your eyes shall be opened”
— and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil: as “Elohim” which word is sometimes used of judges or magistrates, sometimes of angels, or “the mighty angels” as the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases the word; and sometimes of God himself, and of the divine Persons in the Godhead;
— knowing good and evil; or, as God, like unto God himself in that their knowledge should be enlarged, knowing more than just good and evil as many are being deceived with a new version today: “and you’ll go to heaven”
— the Targum Onkelos says
For [it is revealed before] Elohim (knows) that on the day you will eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will become as gods [great ones], knowing what is good and what is evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and ate, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he ate.
— the prevailing motive to influence her to eat: pleasant to the eyes, of a beautiful colour, and very inviting to the taste; succumbed to the lust of the flesh;
— and a tree to be desired to make one wise; which promised not only what she perceived by the discourse she had with the serpent, which she believed that this would be the consequence of eating this fruit, which looked very desirable, and she concluded to justify herself to eat;
— and gave also to her husband with her; that he might eat as well as she, and partake of the same benefits and advantages she hoped to reap from hence;
— and he did eat; an emphasis upon his eating lies the fate of his posterity; not the woman for the man was the federal head, and he sinning, all his posterity sinned in him, and died in him; through this offence judgment came upon all to condemnation; all became sinners, and subject to death;
— the Targum Onkelos says
The woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was tempting [healing] to the eyes, and that the tree was appealing [to look at] as a means of [obtaining] wisdom. She took of its fruit and she ate, and she also gave it to her husband with her, and he ate.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves things to gird about. — the eyes of them both were opened that they were naked; the consciousness of guilt striked upon them as soon as they had broken God’s commandment by eating of the forbidden fruit;
— and they sewed, or platted fig leaves together; to cover at least part of their shame one from another, made themselves aprons;
— the Targum Onkelos says
The eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. They sewed together fig leaves, and made for themselves loincloths.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God, walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. — the voice of the “Lord God,” the coumpound name returns, walking seems like he appears as of the same kind;
— Adam and his wife hid themselves: being sensible of God’s approach, filled with shame and conscience of their own guilt, and dread of judgment; instead of flying to God for mercy, they foolishly attempted to run away from him, whom it was impossible to avoid;
— the Targum Onkelos says
They heard the voice of [the Word of] Adonoy Elohim moving in the Garden at the breeze [in the evening] of the day. The man and his wife hid themselves from [the Presence of] Adonoy Elohim among the trees of the Garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him, “Where art thou?” — the question, “Where art thou?” implies that the Lord was aware of their endeavor to hide themselves from him to face the consequence;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Adonoy Elohim called to the man, and He said, Where are you?
10 And he said, “I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” — Adam was afraid, because he was naked;
— he confesses his nakedness, which was evident; but makes no mention of his sin; this he wished rather to hide, feeling the shameful effects of himself;
— the Targum Onkelos says
He said, I heard Your voice [the voice of Your Word] in the Garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself.
11 And He said, “Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?”
— hast thou eaten of the tree; though God knows all our sins, yet he will know them from us, and requires from us an ingenuous confession of them, not that he may be informed, but that we may be humbled;
— the Targum Onkelos says
And He said, Who told you that you were naked? From the tree whereof I commanded you not to eat of it, have you eaten?
12 And the man said, “The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” — the woman gave me; he shifts the blame to God; since the woman had been given him for his companion and help, he had eaten of the tree from her;
— the Targum Onkelos says
The man said, The woman that You gave to be with me—she gave me of the tree and I ate.
13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, “What is this that thou hast done?” And the woman said, “The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.”
— the serpent beguiled me; that is, a spirit in the serpent, which she took for a good one, but proved a bad one, with lying words and deceitful language imposed upon her; thus similarily laying the blame on otheers;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Adonoy Elohim said to the woman, What is this that you have done? She said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate.
14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, “Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field. Upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. — upon thy belly shalt thou go; thus “no longer on thy feet, or half erect,” but thou shalt crawl along, thy belly cleaving to the earth;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Adonoy Elohim said to the serpent, Because you did this, cursed are you from among all animals and beasts of the field. On your belly you shall crawl. And dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
— the Targum of Jonathan adds more insights:
And the Lord God brought the three unto judgment; and He said to the serpent, Because thou hast done this, cursed art thou of all the cattle, and of all the beasts of the field: upon thy belly thou shalt go,
and thy feet shall be cut off, and thy skin thou shalt cast away once in seven years; and the poison of death shall be in thy mouth, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.” — I will put enmity between thee and the woman; and the man too, but the woman alone is mentioned, for the devil’s greater confusion;
— she conceived an antipathy against it, and which is become natural between the serpent and man; man abhors the sight of a serpent, and the serpent the sight of man; and are poison to each other;
— the Targum Onkelos says
I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He shall strike you on the head, and you shall strike him on the heel. [He will remember you, what you did to him from the beginning, and you will expect him at the end].
16 Unto the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception. In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
— multiplies “her sorrow and her conception,” that is, her sorrow generally, but especially in connection with pregnancy, when with anguish and peril of life she wins the joy of bringing a man into the world;
— the Targum Onkelos says
To the woman He said, I will greatly increase your sorrow and your pregnancy. You will give birth to children with pain. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will dominate you.
17 And unto Adam He said, “Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, ‘Thou shalt not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.
— cursed is the ground for thy sake; it shall now yield both fewer and worse fruits, and not even those without more care and trouble to thy mind, and the minds of thy posterity, and more labour to your bodies than otherwise would have been requisite;
— in sorrow shall thou eat of it all the days of thy life, meaning that with much toil and trouble, in manuring and cultivating the earth, he should get his living out of the produce of it, though with great difficulty; and this would be his case as long as he was in it;
— the Targum Onkelos says
To the man He said, Because you listened to your wife, and ate from the tree which I commanded you, saying, Do not eat from it; the soil will be cursed because of you. In sorrow [With toil] you shall eat from it all the days of your life.
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. — thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; to give him more trouble, and cause him more fatigue and sorrow to root them up;
— and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; not the fruits of the garden of Eden, but only the common herbs of the wild, such as even the beasts of the earth fed upon: to such a low condition was man, the lord of the whole earth; and this was according to the law of consequence effect, of eating the forbidden fruit should be deprived of them all;
— the Targum Onkelos says
It will grow thorns and thistles for you; and you will eat the herbs of the field.
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground, for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
— in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread; sweat appearing chiefly on the forehead, from whence it trickles down by the nose in persons employed in hard labour;
— for dust thou art, and unto dust shall thou return; his body was composed of the dust, was of the earth, earthly, and should be reduced to that again by death;
— the Targum Onkelos says
By the sweat of your face you will eat bread, until you return to the ground for from it [the ground] were you taken [created]. For you are dust and to dust you shall return.
20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. — Adam called his wife’s name Eve; named “Ishah” a woman, because taken from the man; for through her alone could human life be continued, and the “woman’s seed” be obtained who was to raise up man from his fall;
— the Targum Onkelos says
The man called his wife’s name Chavah [Eve], because she had become the mother of all living [people].
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them. — coats of skins; animals, therefore, were killed not just for food, but also for clothing, to defend them from the heat and cold, and other injuries of the air to which they were now to be exposed;
— the Targum Onkelos says
And Adonoy Elohim made for Adam and his wife leather coats [garments of honor on the skin of their flesh] and He clothed them.
22 And the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become as one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live for ever”
— behold, the man is become as one of us to know good and evil; we are now prepared to understand the nature of the two trees which were in the midst of the garden;
— the tree of knowledge of good and evil; if man had obeyed, he would have come to this knowledge in a legitimate way; and to partake of the Divine nature of God;
— as one of us, if it concerning the angels, it is an unreasonable conceit that the great God should level himself with the angels, and give them a kind of equality with himself, as this expression indicates. To know all things, both good and evil; no, the “Us” incorporates just the Father and Son; see John 1:1-3
— the Targum Onkelos says
Adonoy Elohim said, Behold, the man has become like one of us [unique. It is for him] to know [what is] good and [what is] evil. Now he must be prevented from reaching out his hand and also taking from the Tree of Life and eat [from it] and live forever.
23 therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken. — therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden; gave him orders to depart immediately; sent or put him away as a man does his wife, when he divorces her;
— to till the ground, from whence he was taken: either the earth in general, out of which he was made, and to which he must return, and in the mean while must labour hard, in digging and ploughing, in planting and sowing, that so he might get a livelihood;
— the Targum Onkelos says
[Therefore] Adonoy Elohim sent him out of the Garden of Eden, to till the soil from which he was taken [created].
— the Targum of Jonathan adds a specific detail, “and he went and dwelt in Mount Moriah, to till the ground from which he had been created.”
24 So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden cherubims and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
— so God drove out the man; this signified the exclusion of Adam and his posterity from contact with God which was the bliss and glory of paradise;
— cherubim, armed with a dreadful and irresistible power, represented by flaming swords which turned every way; on that side the garden which lay next to the place where Adam was sent, to keep the way that led to the tree of life;
— the Targum Onkelos says
He banished the man [from the Garden] and at the east of [before] the Garden of Eden He stationed the Cherubim and the flame of the rotating sword, to guard the way to the Tree of Life.
Genesis 4
1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man from the Lord.” — Eve calls Cain “a man,” Hebrew, ish, a man;
— Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters, Genesis 5:4 “And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years; and he begot sons and daughters,” but Cain and Abel seem to have been the two eldest;
— the Targum Onkelos says
The man knew his wife, Chavah. She conceived and she gave birth to Kayin, and she said, I have obtained a man with [the help of] Adonoy.
— Adam names his wife Chavah because she is “the mother of all living” (Gen 3:20)
2 And she again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. — Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground; as Adam was 130 years old when Seth was born (Genesis 5:3), there was a long period for the increase of Adam’s family (comp. Genesis 4:14-17);
— the Targum Onkelos says
She gave birth again, to his brother Hevel. Hevel became a shepherd, but Kayin was a worker of the soil.
3 And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. — in process of time; might be after a harvest, or after a long indefinite period, shown by the age of Adam at the birth of Seth to have been something less than 130 years;
— the Targum Onkelos says
In the course of time, Kayin brought some fruit of the soil as an offering to Adonoy (יְיָ)
— the symbol יְיָ (a double Yod) is a a shorthand for יהוה (YHVH); a specialized placeholder for the Tetragrammaton—the sacred, four-letter Name of God: יהוה (YHVH));
— the Targum of Jonathan says “it was at the end of days, on the fourteenth of Nisan,” as it was already the Passover since the sacrifice was offered on the late afternoon or evening of the fourteenth;
— remember, the Targum, whose origin was in the Aramaic language, could be traced to Ezra speaking to the returning exiles who couldn’t understand Hebrew, but was expounded to them in a language they could understand.
4 And Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering; — and the Lord God had respect to Abel and to his offering; and God showed his acceptance of his offering;
— Rashi adds more details: “Fire descended and consumed his offering”
— the Targum Onkelos illuminates the fats as the best, saying
Hevel also brought from the firstborn of his flock, from the best thereof. [There was favor before Adonoy] Adonoy paid regard to Hevel and to his offering.
5 but unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. — and Cain was very angry, his countenance fell; a feeling of resentment, and a sense of disappointment and condemnation take possession of Cain’s heart;
— the Targum Onkelos says
But to Kayin and his offering He paid no regard [there was no favor]. Kayin became very angry and depressed.
6 And the Lord said unto Cain, “Why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen? — Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? the Lord does not yet give up Cain but make an efford to deal with him;
— if thou do well, shalt thou not be accepted? to do well is to retrace his steps, to consider his ways, and find out wherein he has been wrong, and to amend his offering and his intention accordingly;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Adonoy said to Kayin, Why are you angry? Why are you depressed?
7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.” — if thou doest well; but he (Cain) didn’t do well, hence Cain couldn’t qualify the last phase: “and thou shalt rule over him.”
— and unto thee shall be his desire; to whom do the pronouns “his” and “him” refer? Perhaps it should be read as: “And as to thy brother, unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over thee with all the right of the first born,” which is misleading since this clause is subjected to the first clause, “If thou doest well,”
— perhaps this verse could have been restructured this way: “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted; and thou shalt rule over him? But if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door; and unto thee shall be his desire.”
— the Targum Onkelos says
Is this not so—if you improve [your actions], there is forgiveness [for you], but if you do not improve [your actions], sin rests at the opening [your sin will be kept for the Day of Judgement]. Its desire is unto you, but you can dominate it. [For in the future, it will be exacted from you if you do not repent. And if you repent, there is forgiveness.]
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. — And Cain talked with Abel his brother; under the guise of brotherly familiarity, he concealed his premeditated purpose till a convenient time and place occurred for the murder;
— the Targum of Jonathan adds some step-by-step details:
And Kain said to Habel his brother, Come, and let us two go forth into the field.
And it was that when they two had gone forth into the field, Kain answered and said to Habel, I perceive that the world was created in goodness, but it is not governed (or conducted) according to the fruit of good works, for there is respect to persons in judgment; therefore it is that thy offering was accepted, and mine not accepted with good will.
Habel answered and said to Kain, In goodness was the world created, and according to the fruit of good works is it governed; and there is no respect of persons in judgment; but because the fruits of my works were better than thine, my oblation, before thine, hath been accepted with good will.
Kain answered and said to Habel, There is neither judgment nor Judge, nor another world; nor will good reward be given to the righteous, nor vengeance be taken of the wicked.
And Habel answered and said to Kain, There is a judgment, and there is a Judge; and there is another world, and a good reward given to the righteous, and vengeance taken of the wicked.
And because of these words they had contention upon the face of the field; and Kain arose against Habel his brother, and drave a stone into his forehead, and killed him.
— or for a more modern version:
“And Cain said to Abel his brother, ‘Let us go out to the field.’
And when they were in the field, Cain said to Abel, ‘I perceive that the world is created by mercy, but it does not operate according to good deeds; therefore, your offering was accepted while mine was not.’
Abel answered Cain, ‘The world is indeed created by mercy and operates according to good deeds; because my deeds were better than yours, my offering was accepted.’
Cain replied to Abel, ‘There is no judgment, no judge, no other world, no reward for the righteous, and no punishment for the wicked.’
Abel responded, ‘There is judgment, there is a judge, there is another world, there is reward for the righteous, and there is punishment for the wicked.’
And as they argued about these matters, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and struck him with a stone in his forehead, and killed him.”
— the Targum Onkelos says
Kayin said [something] to his brother Hevel, and it happened when they were in the field, that Kayin rose up against his brother, Hevel, and killed him.
9 And the Lord said unto Cain, “Where is Abel thy brother?” And he said, “I know not. Am I my brother’s keeper?” — it seems that Cain went away, scarcely conscious of the seriousness of his crime; thus in Cain, like the devil, was both a murderer and a liar from the beginning;
— then the voice of God repeated it in his own heart, Where is Abel, thy brother! Not that God was ignorant where he was, but to inquire into the causes, and hear the accused speak for themselves, before passing sentence;
— am I my brother’s keeper? Why dost thou inquire of me concerning him who is of age to look to himself? Is he such a stripling that he needs a guardian? Or didst thou ever make me his guardian? all which was very saucily and impudently thought of in his harden heart;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Adonoy (יְיָ) then said to Kayin, Where is your brother, Hevel? [Kayin] said, I know not, am I my brother’s keeper?
10 And He said, “What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground. — thy brother’s blood crieth unto me; the sight God has seen tells him that the blood he has shed calls aloud for judgement and vengeance;
— the Targum Onkelos says
He said [to Kayin], What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood [the blood of the descendants that were destined to come from your brother] cries out to [before] Me from the ground.
11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand. — and now art thou cursed from the earth; from receiving its benefit and enjoying its fruits as before;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Now you are cursed from the ground that had to open its mouth to accept your brother’s blood from your hand.
12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength. A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be on the earth.” — a fugitive; condemned to perpetual exile; a degraded outcast; the miserable victim of an accusing conscience;
— “a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be on the earth” a vagabond shalt thou be, banished from thy own land and kindred; reminds us of the Gypsies; who are they?
— the Targum Onkelos says
When you work the ground, it will no longer give you of its strength. You will be unsettled, and a wanderer on the earth.
13 And Cain said unto the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. — my punishment is greater than I can bear; what an overwhelming sense of misery; but no sign of repentence, nor cry for pardon;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Kayin said to Adonoy (יְיָ), My sin is too great to bear.
— he is driven, not “from the face of the earth,” which was impossible, but from the adâmâh, his dear native soil, banished from which, he must go into the silence and solitude of an earth unknown and untracked;
14 Behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth, and from Thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth. And it shall come to pass that every one who findeth me shall slay me.”
— whosoever findeth me, shall slay me; implies that the family of Adam had now become numerous. Not only sons and daughters, but their children and grandchildren may have been growing up when Cain was sent into exile; but in his present terror even an excited fancy suggested an enemy at every turn;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Behold, today You have banished me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I am to be hidden [from before You it is impossible to be hidden]. I am to be unsettled and a wanderer on the earth; whoever finds me, will kill me.
15 And the Lord said unto him, “Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
— sevenfold; Cain’s punishment was severe, because his crime was the result of violent passions, but his life was not to be taken because God wanted the earth to be populated;
— and the Lord set a mark upon Cain; to distinguish him from the rest of man; what the mark was, God has not told us: therefore any conjectures of men are just conjectures; and the Targum of Jonathan says: “Behold now, any one who killeth Kain, unto seven generations vengeance shall be taken of him,”
— the Targum Onkelos says
Adonoy said to him, Therefore, whoever kills Kayin, [after seven generations] revenge will be taken on him [Kayin] sevenfold. Adonoy placed a mark on Kayin, so that whoever would find him would not kill him.
16 And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod to the east of Eden. — Cain, on migrating from the whole land of Eden, regarded himself as beyond the range of the sight of his fellow humans and from God;
— the land of Nod; read the word Nod with different set of vowels, the place could well be India! The Sacred Text in its original doesn’t have any vowel; they were added later, so the possibility is there;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Kayin exited from the Presence of Adonoy and settled in the land of Nod [in the land of exile and wandering], east of Eden [which was made for him before the Garden of Eden].
17 And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.
— he calls his son Henok (Enoch), and his city after the name of his son; the same word is employed in the lines of Seth Genesis 5:18, of Midian Genesis 25:4, and of Reuben Genesis 46:9
— the Targum Onkelos says
Kayin knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Chanoch. [Kayin] was building a city, and he named the city after his son Chanoch.
18 And unto Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech. — and unto Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begat Mehujael, and Mehujael begat Methusael; and Methusael begat Lamech;
— God, “declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done,” Isaiah 46:10 hence he, by preserving Cains despite his sin, wants this line to be preserved;
— the Targum Onkelos says
To Chanoch was born Irad. Irad had a son Mechuyael, Mechuyael had a son Mesushael, and Mesushael, had a son Lemech.
19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. — Lamech took unto him two wives; contrary to the first institution of marriage, whereby only one man and one woman were to be joined together, and become one flesh, Genesis 2:24
— the Targum Onkelos says
Lemech married two women, the first was named Adah, and the name of the second was Tzillah.
20 And Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents, and of those who have cattle. — the father of such as dwelt in tents, and of such as have cattle: though his posterity might succeed the same business; since he was the first inventor of tents or movable habitations, which could be carried from place to place;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Adah gave birth to Yaval. He was the father [master] of those who live in tents, and breed cattle.
21 And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who handle the harp and organ. — he was the father of all such that handle the harp and organ: he was the inventor of instrumental music, both of stringed instruments;
— the Targum Onkelos says
His brother’s name was Yuval. He was the father [master] of all who handle [play] the harp and [who know the song of the lute and the] flute.
22 And Zillah, she also bore Tubalcain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron; and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah. — an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron; he taught men the way of melting metals, and of making armour and weapons of war, and other instruments, for various uses;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Tzillah also gave birth to Tuval Kayin, who sharpened everything which cuts copper and iron [who was the master of all who know the craft of copper and iron]. The sister of Tuval Kayin was Naamah.
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 for my wounding, and a young man for my hurt.
— and Lamech (Josephus says he had 77 children) said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah; besides confessing what he had done, he self boasting what he would do should he be attacked; as this he wasn’t backed by God; but acting as if he were God;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Lemech said to his wives, Adah and Tzillah, hear my voice, wives of Lemech listen to my speech; have I have killed a man by my own wounding and a child by my own hurting? [I did not kill a man, that on his account I should bear the sin, and I did not even wound a child, that on his account my seed should be cut off].
24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.” — the Septuagint has it “seventy times seven” which may also seem probable; in view of his boasting; like Nebuchadnezzar, saying, “Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?”
— the line of Cain is traced no further than the seventh generation from Adam, as Josephus says “the posterity of Cain became exceeding wicked, every one successively dying, one after another, more wicked than the former.” We cannot tell whether there were any more in that line before the flood; the other line through Noah and Abraham is from Seth; and from them the Messiah would descend;
— perhaps the seven generation in verse 15 above, the Targum of Jonathan: “Behold now, any one who killeth Kain, unto seven generations vengeance shall be taken of him,” may mean that Cain’s posterity would be protected only till the seventh generation;
— the Targum Onkelos says
If Kayin shall be avenged sevenfold [If Kayin’s punishment shall be suspended for seven generations], then for Lemech, his son, it shall be seventy-seven fold [for seventy-seven generations].
25 And 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.” — another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew; Cain, the firstborn, and Abel, who had outstripped him in prosperity, were both lost to Adam;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Adam knew his wife again, and she gave birth to a son, and named him Sheis, Because Elohim has granted me another offspring in place of Hevel, for Kayin had killed him.
26 And to Seth also there was born a son, and he called his name Enosh. Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord. — then began men to be called by the name of the Lord; to pray unto God, to worship God; or to call themselves by the name of the Lord;
— now Cain and those that had deserted God had built a city, they began to err, and they made themselves idols, and surnamed their idols by the name of the Lord; and begun to declare for themselves the sons of men. Those that adhered to God began to declare for him and his worship, and called themselves the sons of God;
— the Targum Onkelos says
To Sheis also was born a son, and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call [idols] [men stopped praying] by the name Adonoy.
Joel
A Prophecy of Esau and Jacob 