The Hebrew word Tsillâh, represented by H6741, identifies Zillah, an antediluvian woman. According to its base definition, the name is the feminine of צֵל. It appears 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible, exclusively within the early genealogies of Genesis.
In the biblical narrative, Zillah is introduced as the other H8145 of the two H8147 wives H802 taken by Lamech H3929 Genesis 4:19. She is the mother of Tubalcain H8423, an instructer H3913 of metalworkers, and his sister H269, Naamah H5279 Genesis 4:22. Zillah is also addressed directly by her husband Lamech when he confesses to having slain H2026 a man H376 for wounding him, commanding her and Adah to hear H8085 his voice H6963 and hearken H238 to his speech H565 Genesis 4:23.
Several related words are central to the context of Zillah's life:
- H802 ʼishshâh (wife): This term defines Zillah's primary role in the text as one of the two H8147 wives of Lamech Genesis 4:19.
- H3205 yâlad (to bear young): This verb describes her maternal function, as she bare H3205 Tubalcain and Naamah, thus continuing the lineage Genesis 4:22.
- H3913 lâṭash (instructer, sharpen): This describes the unique skill of her son, Tubalcain, who was an instructer of every artificer H2794 in brass H5178 and iron H1270 Genesis 4:22.
- H2026 hârag (to slay): This word marks the violent confession of Zillah's husband, Lamech, who declared to his wives that he had slain H2026 a man Genesis 4:23.
The brief account of Zillah carries significant thematic weight in the early history of humanity.
- Maternal Line of Innovation: As the mother of Tubalcain H8423, Zillah is the matriarch of a lineage that pioneers key technologies, specifically as an instructer H3913 of craftsmanship in brass H5178 and iron H1270 Genesis 4:22.
- Witness to Antediluvian Violence: She is a direct audience to Lamech's declaration of having killed a man H376 for his wounding H6482 and a young man H3206 for his hurt H2250, positioning her at a pivotal moment of escalating violence in the line of Cain Genesis 4:23.
- Polygamy in Cain's Line: Her marriage to Lamech H3929 alongside Adah H5711 represents the first recorded instance of a man taking two H8147 wives H802 in the biblical narrative Genesis 4:19.
In summary, Zillah H6741 is a foundational female figure in the antediluvian world. Though she is given no dialogue, her identity as the second wife H802 of Lamech H3929 and the mother of Tubalcain H8423 and Naamah H5279 places her at the center of a narrative that chronicles both technological advancement and a deepening of human sin before the flood.
TRV