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Christianity

Genesis 4Cain and Abel

Summary

Genesis 4 tells of the first murder. Cain, a farmer, and Abel, a shepherd, bring offerings, and God respects Abel's but not Cain's. God warns Cain that sin lies at the door, yet Cain kills his brother in the field. Abel's blood cries from the ground, and Cain is driven out to wander in the land of Nod, protected by a mark. The chapter traces Cain's descendants to Lamech and ends with the birth of Seth.

Key verse

“And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Genesis 4:9

Themes

  • Sibling Rivalry
  • Envy and Anger
  • Responsibility for Others
  • Murder and Justice

Text

1

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

2

And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

3

And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

4

And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

5

But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

6

And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

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 slew him.

9

And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

10

And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

11

And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;

12

When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

13

And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

14

Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

15

And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

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 bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

18

And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.

19

And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

20

And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.

21

And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

22

And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.

23

And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.

24

If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

25

And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

26

And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

Text: King James Version (1611/1769), public domain.

Across traditions

  • Islam

    Surah Al-Ma'ida (5): The Two Sons of Adam

    Verses 5:27 to 32 tell of two unnamed sons of Adam whose offerings are treated differently; one kills the other, and a raven shows him how to bury his brother. The passage goes on (5:32) to a ruling decreed for the Children of Israel that killing one soul unjustly is like killing all humanity.

  • Christianity

    1 John 3: Not as Cain

    The letter holds up Cain as the opposite of love: he slew his brother because his own works were evil, and readers are urged to love one another instead.

Questions about Genesis 4

What is the mark of Cain?

Genesis 4:15 says God set a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him, but it never describes it. Older claims linking the mark to race have no basis in the text and are rejected by scholars and churches.

Who did Cain marry?

Genesis does not name Cain's wife. Genesis 5:4 notes that Adam had other sons and daughters, so many traditional interpreters concluded that she was one of his sisters.

Why did God reject Cain's offering?

The text does not say directly. Some point to Abel bringing the firstlings and fat of his flock, Hebrews 11:4 credits Abel's faith, and God's words in Genesis 4:7 suggest the problem lay in Cain's heart.