seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Genesis 4:1 Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”
13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
17 Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
19 Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.
23 Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for injuring me.
24 If Cain is avenged seven times,
then Lamech seventy-seven times.”
wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for injuring me.
24 If Cain is avenged seven times,
then Lamech seventy-seven times.”
25 Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.” 26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.
At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.
Here's the link to the commentary I read before posting my notes below.First of all, Cain killing Abel was not just a crime of passion. It was premeditated. Cain figured out how to murder, then he figured out how to get Abel alone, and then Cain murdered his brother the same way he would have slaughtered a fat sheep for an offering.
I always figured Cain clubbed Abel with a rock. But, according to the commentary, Cain used the same method used to slaughter a sheep, so I guess Cain sliced Abel's neck. That makes more sense, because of the mention of blood in verse 10. It was premeditated.
So... now comes the "offsetting" question... if Adam and Eve were the only couple on earth... Where did Cain's wife come from?
I don't have a clue.
I have always figured God made more than one "couple" to populate the earth. Adam and Eve were just the first and therefore the favorites. Adam and Eve were the first two humans, mating, that brought about the long line of humans related to Jesus, the Messiah.
Not everyone who lived was listed in the Bible. The Bible is the story of the Messiah... So, the actions and the heritage of the family of the Messiah is the basis for the major plot. Minor players, like Lamech the first bigamist, are mentioned for their sins or their interactions with the Messiah's family line.
Check out verse 22. This chapter covers the periods of the bronze and iron ages of history. That would be, approximately, 2300BC - 700BC. That's a lot of marriages and a lot of murders, and a lot of songs, and a lot of tools, and a lot of women giving birth. It's one big yadda yadda.And Cain never admitted he murdered his brother. He only complained about the sentence being too hard to live with.
