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.

GENESIS 4:26KJV
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Genesis 4:26 (KJV)

What does Genesis 4:26 mean?

Genesis 4:26 records that after Seth’s son Enos was born, people began to “call upon the name of the LORD.” This marks a point in early human history when people started to publicly worship or seek God by name.

In the story, this verse comes after the account of Cain and Abel, and it introduces Seth’s family line. The phrase about calling on the LORD suggests a new or renewed practice of worship, possibly in contrast to the violence and wandering described earlier. The focus is on a turning point where people began to identify themselves with the LORD (Yahweh) in a more open or communal way.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 4:26

  • “LORD” is יְהוָה (YHWH, transliterated Yahweh), the personal name for God in the Hebrew Bible. Its use here shows that people were not just praying in general, but specifically addressing the God known by this name.
  • “Call” is קָרָא (qara), which often means to call out, proclaim, or invoke. In this context, it carries the sense of making God’s name known or seeking Him in worship, not just speaking His name privately.
  • “Men” is חָלַל (chalal), but in this verse, it is used in a form that means “began” or “commenced.” This signals that this was the start of a new practice among people, not something that had always been happening.

Why Genesis 4:26 matters

  • Genesis 4:26 clarifies that public worship of the LORD began with the generation of Seth’s son, marking a shift in how people related to God after the earlier stories of sin and violence.
  • The verse highlights a contrast between the descendants of Cain and Seth, suggesting a line of people who intentionally sought out and identified with God.
  • This verse sets the stage for later developments in Genesis, where the idea of calling on God’s name becomes a key marker of faith and relationship with Him.

Where else these words appear

“Enos” Hebrew H583 · used in 7 verses

  • Genesis 5:6 And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:
  • Genesis 5:9 And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:
  • Genesis 5:11 And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.

“Seth” Hebrew H8352 · used in 9 verses

  • 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 5:4 And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:
  • Genesis 5:8 And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.

“him” Hebrew H1931 · used in 39 verses

  • Genesis 2:11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
  • Genesis 15:2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
  • 1 Samuel 1:3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.

“men” Hebrew H2490 · used in 131 verses

  • Genesis 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
  • Judges 20:39 And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.
  • Jeremiah 16:18 And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.