I have slaine a man] The words are very difficult both to translate, and to expound: they are rendred two waies: first, as in the Text; secondly, as in the Margine of our last Translation: the former reading is either affirmative, or interrogative: according to the first the sense is two-fold; the one, that Lamech makes boast of his valour in that he had slain a man; yea, a young man in the prime of his strength and youth; or it may be, (as the words will also beare) two men, whereof the one was eminently younger then the other. to my wounding: that is, by an Hebraism, (as some take it) by my wounding or hurting of him; or, though I have beene fighting to my wounding, or my hurt, I have gotten the better of it; for I have slaine those that fought with me. The second is, that he speakes of these slaughters as fore-dooming himselfe to a worse condition then Cain, and so deserving farre greater punishment then he did, because Cains was but a single slaughter, Lamechs a double one: Taking the words interrogatively they seeme in effect an emphaticall answer to some suspition his wives had of him, with a mind to depart from him, as thinking God would curse the family and posteritie of such a wicked man as he was; against which he pleades his own innocencie and Cains impunitie: Have I slaine a man to the wounding or hurt of my conscience as Cain did? If I had, yet you see Cain, though he had killed his brother, and stubbornly stood out against his Maker, had yet a marke of protection set upon him that no man might kill him; and if he that should kill Cain was to be punished seven fold, he that shall kill Lamech (who hath committed no such crimes) shall be punished much more. The other reading (which some thinke fitter to be placed in the Text, then in the Margine) is, I would slay a man in my wound, and a young man in my hurt: according unto this, the meaning may be, that his wives fearing lest being hated for his crueltie some would take heart to kill him, he meaning to over-awe them, both to keepe them observant of himselfe, and quiet among themselves, tels them in a bragging manner, that he had so much might and manhood in him that he durst undertake any enemie, yea to slay a man, a young and lusty man, though he had received a wound or hurt before; (for the words (as the Marginall reading hath it) may be rendred in my wound, in my hurt) This exposition is most received by many of the most learned expositors; yet some rather thinke that these words of Lamech are a passionate and penitent confession of his cruell rashnesse; as if he had said, that I have slaine a man in my wrath, it is to the wounding of my heart, and to my great hurt, for the griefe of that fact is a sad affliction to my soule; and thereupon the next words threaten a greater punishment to him that should kill Lamech then to the killer of Cain.