“Irad was born to Hanokh and Irad begot Mehuyael and Mehuyael begot Metushael and Metushael begot Lemekh” (Genesis 4:18). “Irad was born to Hanokh…” – Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: These are all expressions of rebellion.2The meanings of their names express God’s reactions to rebellion. Irad – ‘I will expel them [ored] from the world’; Meḥuyael – ‘I will eradicate them [moḥeh] from the world’; Metushael – ‘I will uproot them [metish] from the world’; Lemekh – ‘What do I have to do with Lemekh3Lemekh is an acronym for ‘ma li valakh’ – ‘what need do I have of you?’ and his offspring?’
“Lemekh took for himself two wives; the name of one was Ada, and the name of the other Tzila” (Genesis 4:20). Rabbi Azarya said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon: This is what the people of the generation of the Flood would do: Each one would take two wives for himself, one for procreation and one for intercourse. The one that was designated for procreation would sit as though she were a widow in her lifetime [variant reading: in the life of her husband].
The one that was designated for intercourse, he would give her a sterility potion so she would not bear children, and she would sit by him adorned like a harlot. That is what is written: “He consorts with the barren who will not give birth, and to the widow he will do no good” (Job 24:21). You may know that it is so, as Lemekh was the most outstanding among them and he took two wives. That is what is written: “Lemekh took for himself two wives; the name of one was Ada” – as she was removed [ada] from him; “and the name of the other Tzila” – as she was sitting in his shadow [tzilo].