Genesis 4:21

Summary

The verse identifies Jubal, brother of Jabal, as the originator or ancestor of those who play stringed and wind instruments. It names two specific instrument types associated with his musical lineage.

Key words

• yuVal ("Jubal", H3106) — proper name of the person being introduced, subject of the clause.
• haYah ("he was", H1961) — qal perfect of the verb "to be," marking a completed state; establishes Jubal's identity/role in past narrative time.
• 'aVi ("father of", H0001G) — masculine singular construct noun; construct form links it to what follows, indicating "father of [someone/something]" rather than "father" in isolation.
• toFes ("player of / one who grasps", H8610) — qal participle in construct form; describes an ongoing or characteristic action ("the one who grasps/handles"), here applied to instrument-playing.
• kiNor ("harp", H3658) and 'uGav ("flute", H5748) — paired masculine singular nouns naming the two instrument categories.

What the text says

The Hebrew sentence structure is: "and shem ('name of') 'aChiv ('his brother') [was] Yuval; hu' ('he') haYah ('was') 'aVi ('father of') kol ('every') toFes ('grasper/player of') kiNor ('harp') ve'uGav ('and flute')." The naming formula in the first clause mirrors a pattern used elsewhere in the genealogy, introducing the brother by name.

The second clause uses hu' ("he") as an emphatic pronoun before the verb haYah, which in Hebrew narrative often marks a notable identifying statement — here, Jubal's designation as 'aVi ("father of") is not stated as a biological fact alone but functions idiomatically to mean "originator" or "ancestor" of a category of people. This category is defined by the participle toFes ("one who grasps/handles"), in construct with kiNor and 'uGav. The construct chain kol-toFes kiNor ve'uGav literally reads "every grasper of harp and flute," meaning all who handle or play these two instrument types. The participle form indicates a characteristic or habitual action rather than a single event — those who habitually play, not merely one occurrence of playing.

Differences between versions

The LXX renders toFes ("player of/grasper of") with the verb καταδείξας ("the one who showed/demonstrated"), shifting the sense from "ancestor of players" toward "the one who introduced/invented" the instruments. The LXX also translates kiNor as ψαλτήριον ("psaltery") and 'uGav as κιθάραν ("kithara/lyre"), differing from the more common English renderings "harp" and "flute." The Vulgate follows the Hebrew more closely with pater canentium ("father of those singing/playing") and specifies cithara et organo ("cithara and organ/pipe").