וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ל֥וֹ לֶ֖מֶךְ שְׁתֵּ֣י נָשִׁ֑ים שֵׁ֤ם הָֽאַחַת֙ עָדָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית צִלָּֽה׃

The verse momentarily dwells on Lemekh on account of his unique behavior: Lemekh took for himself two wives. This is possibly the first instance of polygamy. At first each man married just one woman. This was never explicitly commanded by God, but arose from a basic intuition. Still, by taking two wives Lemekh breached the existing boundaries. This is a further expression of the ambition of Cain’s family to grow and create, although it is possible that Lemekh simply lusted after more than one woman or that he married his second wife because the first had yet to produce children. The name of one was Ada, and the name of the other Tzila.

וַתֵּ֥לֶד עָדָ֖ה אֶת־יָבָ֑ל ה֣וּא הָיָ֔ה אֲבִ֕י יֹשֵׁ֥ב אֹ֖הֶל וּמִקְנֶֽה׃

Ada gave birth to Yaval; he was the forerunner of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock. Yaval, like his father Lemekh, introduced a new practice. Perhaps he was trying to continue Abel’s legacy; indeed, even their names are similar. Although shepherding was already introduced by Abel, he left no descendants, vanishing from the world like hevel , vapor. As a result, a culture of shepherding had yet to develop. By contrast, Cain sought to establish a stable agricultural society, and it can be assumed that his sons followed him and cultivated the ground as well. In addition, Cain sought to build a city, a permanent settlement. Here, one of Cain’s descendants returned to the practice of shepherding and developed it into a distinct culture, thus becoming the forerunner of those who dwell in tents and among livestock.

וְשֵׁ֥ם אָחִ֖יו יוּבָ֑ל ה֣וּא הָיָ֔ה אֲבִ֕י כָּל־תֹּפֵ֥שׂ כִּנּ֖וֹר וְעוּגָֽב׃

And the name of his brother was Yuval. Yuval, like many of Cain’s progeny, was a creative individual; he was the forerunner of all those who grasp the harp and pipe. He was the first musician, the inventor of the first musical instruments.

וְצִלָּ֣ה גַם־הִ֗וא יָֽלְדָה֙ אֶת־תּ֣וּבַל קַ֔יִן לֹטֵ֕שׁ כָּל־חֹרֵ֥שׁ נְחֹ֖שֶׁת וּבַרְזֶ֑ל וַֽאֲח֥וֹת תּֽוּבַל־קַ֖יִן נַֽעֲמָֽה׃

And Tzila, she too gave birth to Tuval Cain. Just as the names Yaval and Yuval are reminiscent of Abel, the name Tuval Cain combines Abel with Cain, patriarch of this family. Tuval Cain was the forger of every sharp instrument of bronze and iron; he was the first metalworker. Until Tuval Cain, people relied on the simplest materials that were readily available in nature. Tuval Cain’s revolutionary discovery was the extraction of copper and iron from the earth. Although some have criticized Tuval Cain for being responsible for introducing armaments into the world, the verse refers explicitly only to the creative act of metalworking, with no mention of weapons. And the sister of Tuval Cain was Naama.