427. Genesis 4:23. And Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, "Listen to my voice, wives of Lamech, and with your ears perceive what I say, because I killed a man for my wound and a little child for my bruise."

Lamech as before [§§405, 406] symbolizes devastation. He said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, that they should perceive with their ears what he said, is an admission of guilt, which is made only where the church exists, the church being symbolized by his wives, as mentioned [§409]. He killed a man for his wound means that he destroyed faith, a man symbolizing faith, as before [§§340, 367:1]. Killing a little child for his bruise is destroying charity. The wound and the bruise mean that nothing was sound any longer, the wound meaning that faith had been abandoned and the bruise meaning that charity had been wiped out.

405. Genesis 4:19. And Lamech took two wives to himself, the name of one being Adah and the name of the other Zillah.

Lamech, the sixth descendant in order, beginning with Cain, symbolizes devastation — a condition in which there is no more faith. The two wives symbolize the origin of a new church; Adah stands as the mother of that church's heavenly and spiritual attributes, Zillah as the mother of its earthly attributes.