Full Name Naamah Parents Lamech, Zillah Grandparent Methusael | Other names Naama Other name Naama Siblings Tubal-cain Great-grandparent Mehujael | |
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Naamah (Hebrew: נַעֲמָה Na‘ămāh) is an individual mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, in Genesis 4:22. A descendant of Cain, she was the only mentioned daughter of Lamech and Zillah and their youngest child; her brother was Tubal-cain, while Jabal and Jubal were her half-brothers, sons of Lamech's other wife Adah.
Theories
Gordon Wenham notes that the reason "she should be picked out for special mention remains obscure," while R. R. Wilson suggests that the narrator simply wished to offer a balanced genealogy by noting that both of Lamech's wives had two children.
The early Jewish midrash Genesis Rabba (23.3) identifies this Naamah (the daughter of Lamech and sister of Tubal-cain) as the wife of Noah (see Rashi's commentary on Genesis 4:22), while some Jewish traditions associate her with singing.
The Naamah mentioned in the Bible is a Cainite, a descendant in the lineage of Cain. However, a Sethite Naamah is named as the wife of Noah, and a daughter of Enoch, Noah's grandfather, in a mediaeval midrash..
The 17th century theologian John Gill mentioned a theory which identified Naamah instead with the name of the wife of Ham, son of Noah, whom he believed may have become confused with Noah's wife. See Wives aboard the Ark.
The demon Naamah is identified with this person in some Kabbalistic traditions.