A Study on Cain and Abel

(Genesis 4:1) And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have gotten a man from the LORD."

Interesting to note here that the original word for Cain is qayin, the exact same word translated as "spear" in 2 Samuel 21:16.

(2) And she again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. (3) And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. (4) And Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, (5) But He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

It is hard to know exactly from these scriptures why the Lord respected Abel's offering, but not Cain's. Some speculate it's because Abel brought the first and of their fat, which may indicate the nicest. Cain merely brought some of his fruit. We know God always judges the heart of man, and it certainly becomes evident in later scriptures that Cain's heart was not pure.

(6) And the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? (7) If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And unto you shall be his desire, and you shall rule over him."

Here God does more fully explain why Cain's offering was not respected; he does not do well. If he did, he certainly would be accepted by God. The latter part of the scripture is a bit difficult. KJV translates the pronouns as "his" and "him"; some have speculated they may actually be "its" and "it". If it's talking about "him", then perhaps its meaning is that Cain, you can do well, and your younger brother will look to you, but you are the older and will be the head. If the scripture is talking about "it", then it is continuing the thought about sin and it wants Cain, but Cain can (and should) rule over it.

(8) And Cain talked with Abel his brother, and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and killed him. (9) And the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" (10) And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to Me from the ground."

We should take note that innocent blood has a voice that God can hear. Perhaps it is literal, perhaps it is figurative, but God knows of all the innocent blood in the land. How must we be judged for the millions of innocent babies' blood crying to the Lord from our land?!

(11) "And now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. (12) When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth."

The very earth which received his brother's blood, will now be cursed and no longer fruitful for Cain.

(13) And Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear! (14) Behold, You have driven me out this day from the face of the earth, and I shall be hidden from Your face; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it shall come to pass that everyone who finds me will kill me." (15) And the LORD said to him, "Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.

I wonder if God actually forced Cain to be a fugitive and a vagabond and drove him away, as Cain said, or was it that Cain would necessarily become a fugitive and a vagabond because the earth would refuse to yield for him and he would be forever looking for something else? In addition, note that vengeance is the Lord's. He punished Cain, but he would not tolerate someone else committing murder.

(16) And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. (17) And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. (18) And to Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begat Mehujael, and Mehujael begat Methushael, and Methushael begat Lamech. (19) And Lamech took to himself two wives; the name of one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah. (20) And Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have cattle. (21) And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the harp and organ. (22) And Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in brass and iron; and the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah. (23) And Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, "Hear my voice, you wives of Lamech, listen to my speech, for I have killed a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt."

Again we have a difficult verse to completely understand, as we don't have the original Hebrew words for the articles and prepositions of speech. He could be an old man bragging that he killed a young man that led to his being wounded. Perhaps it should read that he killed a young man because the young man hurt him first, and that may make more sense when you read his next line:

(24) "If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy-sevenfold."

Perhaps he is saying that if Cain will be avenged sevenfold when he killed an innocent man, that he himself should be avenged seventy-sevenfold for killing in what he might consider self-defense.

(25) And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, "For God has appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain killed." (26) And to Seth, to him also there was born a son, and he called his name Enos; then men began to call on the name of the LORD.

This passage may be meant to be in contrast to the scriptures about Cain's descendants, who seemed to continue the tradition of killing. With Seth's descendants, men began to call on the name of the Lord again.