Person Old Testament
Tubal-cain
Tubal-cain, a descendant of Cain, was the first metalworker mentioned in the Bible, forging tools out of bronze and iron. Mentioned once in Scripture, at Genesis 4:22.
Why it matters. Descendant of Cain, first metalworker
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Tubal-cain
Tubal-cain is mentioned in Gen.4.22 as a descendant of Cain, the son of Lamech and Zillah. He is described as a forger of all instruments of bronze and iron, making him the first metalworker mentioned in the Bible. The name Tubal-cain consists of two elements meaning "producer" and "smith," emphasizing his role as a craftsman. No other details are provided about his life or specific works. Tubal-cain's skills in metalworking represent the development of civilization and technology among the descendants of Cain before the flood. His story illustrates God's grace in allowing cultural advancements even among those who had turned away from Him.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Family
Family links from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0). Where the dataset marks an identification as uncertain, the mark is kept. Matthew and Luke give different genealogies for Jesus; see the Lineage page, which never merges them.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 1 verse across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.
Genesis (1 verse)