EOB: Official Site of the Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible (Old and New Testament)

Genesis 4:25

EOB (Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible):

Adam had marital relations with his wife again, and she had a son. She named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another child to replace Abel, whom Cain killed.”

EOB Footnote:

The MT includes the phrase “and called his name” before Seth, where the LXX has simply “named him.” The MT also adds “another” (literally “other”) modifying “seed,” which is absent from the LXX. In the MT, Eve’s explanation reads more literally “God has appointed for me another seed in place of Abel,” whereas the LXX has “God has raised up for me another seed.” The verb differs: MT uses “appointed/set” while LXX uses “raised up.” The MT concludes with “for Cain killed him,” while the LXX reads “whom Cain killed,” making the final clause a relative clause rather than an independent statement.

Other Translations:

KJV (King James Version):

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.

WEB (World English Bible):

Adam knew his wife again. She bore a son, and named him Seth, for God has appointed me another child instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.

Benton LXX (Vaticanus):

And Adam knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore a son, and called his name Seth, saying, For God has raised up to me another seed, instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

Douai-Rheims (Vulgate):

And Adam knew his wife again: and she brought forth a son, and called his name Seth, saying: God hath given me another seed, for Abel whom Cain slew.

Apostoliki Diakonia (LXX):

And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, because Cain killed him.”

YLT (Young Literal Translation )(MT):

And Adam knew his wife again; and she bore a son, and called his name Seth, for God has appointed for me another seed instead of Abel, for Cain had killed him.

BBE (Bible in Basic English):

And Adam had connection with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and gave him the name Seth, for, she said, God has given me another seed in place of Abel whom Cain put to death.

EOB COMMENTARY:

EOB Commentary:

GENESIS 4:25 – THE BIRTH OF SETH

Theological Significance:
The birth of Seth represents a pivotal moment in salvation history, marking the renewal of the godly line through which the promise of Genesis 3:15 would ultimately be fulfilled. The name Seth (Hebrew: Sheth) means “appointed” or “substituted,” indicating Eve’s recognition that God had provided another seed in place of Abel, whom Cain slew. This divine appointment carries profound typological significance for Orthodox theology.

Christological Interpretation:
The Fathers consistently understood Seth as a type of Christ. Saint John Chrysostom observes that just as Seth was given to replace the righteous Abel who was murdered, so Christ came as the new Adam to restore what was lost through sin and death. The genealogy in Luke 3:38 traces Christ’s lineage through Seth, emphasizing the theological continuity between this appointed seed and the Incarnate Word. Seth thus stands as a link in the chain of promise leading to the Theotokos and her Divine Son.

Patristic Commentary:
Saint Ephrem the Syrian notes that through Seth, the worship of God was preserved and transmitted to future generations. The distinction between the line of Seth and the line of Cain becomes a recurring theme in patristic exegesis, representing the ongoing struggle between the City of God and the city of man, between those who call upon the name of the Lord and those who build their own kingdoms apart from Him.

Liturgical Connections:
Seth appears among the righteous ancestors commemorated in the Orthodox Church, particularly on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers before the Nativity of Christ. This liturgical remembrance affirms that Seth belongs to the great cloud of witnesses who anticipated the coming Messiah. The Church honors him as one through whom the true faith was preserved in the antediluvian world.

Spiritual Application:
For Orthodox spirituality, this verse speaks to the theme of divine providence and restoration. When all seems lost—when Abel lies dead and Cain has departed into exile—God provides a new beginning. This pattern of death and resurrection, of loss and divine restoration, permeates the entire scriptural narrative and finds its ultimate fulfillment in the Paschal mystery. The faithful are reminded that God continually raises up righteous seed, even from seemingly hopeless circumstances, working all things toward the salvation of humanity.

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