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Zillah

biblical_person theological_term standard

Zillah is a woman in Genesis who was one of Lamech’s wives and the mother of Tubal-cain and Naamah.

At a Glance

Biblical person | Wife of Lamech in Cain’s line | Mother of Tubal-cain and Naamah

Key Points

Description

Zillah is a named woman in the genealogy of Cain in Genesis 4. She is introduced as one of Lamech’s wives, and Genesis identifies her as the mother of Tubal-cain and Naamah. Scripture provides no further biographical detail, so any broader theological or historical claims should be made cautiously. Zillah is therefore best treated as a biblical person entry rather than as a theological concept.

Biblical Context

Zillah appears in the early Genesis account of Cain’s descendants. Her mention is part of the line of Lamech in Genesis 4, where the text records the spread of human society after the fall and before the flood.

Historical Context

Beyond the Genesis notice, there is no reliable historical biography for Zillah. She belongs to the primeval genealogy preserved in Scripture, and the text’s interest is genealogical rather than biographical.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Later Jewish and ancient interpretations may mention figures from Genesis 4, but Scripture itself gives only Zillah’s family connections. Such later notices should not be treated as doctrinally authoritative.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

The Hebrew name is transliterated as Zillah. The biblical text uses her name as a personal name, not as a theological term.

Theological Significance

Zillah’s significance is limited but real: she is part of the Cainite genealogy that shows the development of human family life and culture in the early chapters of Genesis. Her presence in the text also provides a sober reminder that Scripture records both the ordinary and the morally troubled aspects of early human history.

Philosophical Explanation

As a named individual in a brief genealogical notice, Zillah illustrates how Scripture often preserves persons whose importance lies in their place in redemptive history rather than in extended narrative detail.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not build doctrine from silence. The Bible tells us who Zillah was in relation to Lamech and her children, but it does not explain her character, motives, or later life.

Major Views

There is broad agreement that Zillah is a historical biblical person mentioned in Genesis 4. The main issue is not identification but how much significance, if any, should be drawn from the brief notice.

Doctrinal Boundaries

Zillah should not be treated as a theological category, symbolic figure, or object of speculative interpretation. Any use of her name should remain within the limits of the Genesis text.

Practical Significance

Zillah reminds readers that even brief biblical mentions matter and that genealogies are part of the inspired record. Her entry also encourages careful reading without overinterpreting sparse details.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Zillah

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