Verses 1-2 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.
The word “knew” in the verse above is found 947 times in the KJB and has several definitions in English. The word above is used throughout Scripture to indicate sexual activity and the use of this word in this manner is supported here in that Eve conceives and bares a son. Note that Eve gives the glory of this new life to the LORD as He gave Cain to her and then a second son, Abel. Unfortunately, time is not recorded very well here and so we do not know how many years apart the two sons were, their ages and when they chose the two different careers of crop farmer and sheep producer. What is clear here is that the curse placed on mankind by God after the sin of disobedience by Adam and Eve is at work as both boys are actively engaged in working the land for their food and livelihood.
Verses 3-5 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.
The word “process” means end or after. So it is after some length of time or at the end of a length of time that the boys decide to bring an offering to the LORD. The word “offering” can mean present, gift, oblation or sacrifice. We do not know what prompted these offerings as no where in the Bible at this point does God ask for or require an offering.
Both offerings were very different from each other, and that makes sense as each boy had a different career and different items available to them to give as a gift to God. What is told to us is that God was pleased with Abel’s gift and not pleased with Cain’s. Why? Often churches teach that the animal sacrifice of Abel was pointing to the Temple ritual sacrifices and to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and therefore, God was not satisfied with Cain’s plant gift. However, the gifts and sacrifices used in the Temple rituals as later established by Moses included first fruits from the fields such as corn and grains. So even though it is correct that this first offering was pointing to Jesus Christ, the type of offering cannot be the origin of God’s displeasure. It is more likely that Cain had a bad attitude when presenting his gift, and it was the attitude of his heart that God was looking at, not the sacrificial items themselves.
Application: In today’s church culture, people are expected to bring tithes and offerings into the church for the purpose of supporting the staff, the building and any church programs. Many churches expect and even demand ten percent of their members’ incomes. Very often, members do not tithe or bring offerings for various reasons. So the finances of a particular church can be difficult to manage if their members are not faithful with their money. Often the churches begin requesting financial assistance. This can and has lead to people believing that the Christian church just wants their money. Most people can relate to the televangelist that “begs” for money or the ministry will have to close. We have all seen this at one time or another. Regardless of what a person’s feelings or belief is about giving to the church, any offering must be done with a pure heart that loves Jesus and wants to help with the spreading of the Gospel to a lost and dying world. God is not pleased with halfhearted giving that is done out of a feeling of obligation. It is better to not give with a bad attitude than to give with a bad attitude and pretend to do it out of love for Jesus. He doesn’t need your money. He needs and wants your loving obedience and self sacrifice so that, in return, He can bless you.
Verses 6-7 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.
Just as the LORD walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the Garden, He was still talking to them after they had been evicted. He knew Cain’s heart attitude and He wanted Cain to talk to Him about it. It appears that Cain was angry at Abel and most likely jealous of him as well for receiving God’s favor. And it appears that Cain was also angry at God for giving that favor to Abel. Some have said that this scriptural account is the first counseling session. And perhaps it was. God confronted Cain about his anger. Perhaps Cain was frowning and walking around with an expression on his face that clearly showed his anger. God only asked Cain two questions and there is no record of Cain answering the questions. God presents him with two paths that will have results. He can shape up and strive to do well which will lead to God accepting him and to Abel wanting to be like his brother and ultimately Cain ruling over Abel as the older brother. Or he can continue to make the wrong choices, allow sin to control him and thus not be accepted by God.
Application: In every decision made in life there is always two choices: do the right thing or do the wrong thing. If the believer keeps his eyes on Jesus and the destination of Heaven, it will be much easier to make the right choices. Life will still be complicated and full of trouble and difficulties, but doing the right thing pleases the LORD and it is His will and pleasure that the believer should be seeking.
Verses 8-9 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?
It is not known what Cain and Abel talked about, but the implication is that Cain talked with Abel as if there was no ill will towards him on his part. Abel would most likely not have gone out with him to a field if he had known the depth of his brother’s anger and resentment. Time passes, and Cain takes advantage of them being in the field away from their parents to kill his brother. Cain is the first man to be born on Earth and Abel is the first man to die on Earth. This event is the first premeditated murder to occur among men. Once again God gives Cain a counseling session and the opportunity to confess his sin. Once again, Cain refuses the offer to be honest with his Creator and to get his heart right with God. He adds a lie to his sin. He is going down the wrong path.
Application: God will never pronounce judgement on His people that are straying away on the wrong path of sin without giving a counseling session. He accomplishes this with His Word, the Scripture, and by stirring the believer’s conscience through the working of the Holy Ghost/Spirit. He also may send a person into the believer’s life that will help convict the believer of the need to repent and to get right with God. He will always reach out to His people with unconditional love.
Verses 10-12 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.
Did you know the ground has recorded every drop of spilled blood ever shed on the Earth? All the wars, feuds, and crimes where men and women have been killed have left human chemistry/DNA in the soil. We may not be able to find it, but God knows it is there. He gave the commandment to not kill because He is the Creator of all life and life belongs to Him.
Because of Cain’s sin, he had to be punished by a righteous God, and that punishment was that he would not be able to grow crops successfully anymore and would become a wanderer on the Earth. Perhaps Cain became the first hunter/gatherer. One can only speculate. Regardless, he lost his career choice and had his whole life radically changed because of his choices and actions.
Application: Sin always looks desirable and easy before it is entered into, but the consequences of sin can ruin people’s lives and the lives of those around them. Cain took his brother’s life, ruined his own life as he was exiled from his family, and his parents effectively lost two sons the day Abel was murdered. There is a price to pay.
Verses 13-14 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.
Perhaps Cain was not expecting punishment from a loving Creator, and perhaps he was quite surprised at God’s response. It appears that when he was truly aware of the consequences of his actions, he was overwhelmed and perhaps frightened. The fact that he would now be hid from the presence and therefore the protection of God was a scary position to be in. He had a real fear that he would be killed, possibly in the future by an avenging family member.
Before the flood people lived for hundreds of years, allowing for plenty of time to birth other children and populate the Earth as God had commanded Adam and Eve. It is quite conceivable that in time, Cain could be at risk physically. But the question might be asked, “Why didn’t God kill Cain for murdering his brother?” The answer is that at this time there was no law given to mankind. Where there is no law, there cannot be a breaking of the law and therefore punishments as were later written by Moses in the Old Testament Scripture.
Application: Sin separates the believer from a holy God. As a believer realizes he/she has sinned, it is vital that sincere repentance occur and the relationship with God be restored because a fractured relationship allows the Devil to get a foothold in the believers life that can lead to greater sin and separation from the LORD.
Verse 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.
The LORD did not correct Cain’s belief that someone may kill him, so there had to be some foundation for this concern. What He did do was continue to show His love and concern for Cain by protecting him in some way with a mark. The word for “mark” occurs 79 times in the Bible and has also been translated as a “sign” 60 times. Whatever it was that God placed upon Cain, it was a warning to others to leave him alone or face dire consequences.
Application: The Bible states that vengeance is the LORD’s. There should be no place in a believer’s life for vengeance. That is not to say that there should be no justice. But when sometimes justice is slow to come or does not come at all, the believer must leave the situation in the hands of God. He will take care of it.
Verses 16-17 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.
Where was the land of Nod? Nobody really knows as all the Earth’s surface was changed as a result of the flood. But culturally people began to form cities and to name them after the person who built it or after a family member. Cain is no longer a wanderer as he has started a family and built a city to live in. Again, how much time has passed since his exile to the end of his construction project is unknown.
So the question is always raised as to where Cain got his wife? The answer is simple. He would have had to marry his sister. Adam and Eve had many children, both male and female. In the beginning days of mankind, no prohibition was in place to forbid sons and daughters from marrying each other. For all people to be descended from Adam, family intermarriage would have had to occur. The gene pool would have been pure. Birth abnormalities would not have occurred due to this purity in the gene pool. Remember, physical man started out perfect and it took time to lose that physical perfection.
Application: Over the process of time, man has devolved in that the physical body has become weaker and the genetic pool has become less healthy. If there is doubt regarding this statement, just look at the number of genetic birth defects seen in the world today as opposed to two hundred years ago. Also consider how well our society would get along if all the conveniences of life such as plumbing, electric, grocery stores, computers, smart phones and automobiles were suddenly taken away. Would anyone living in a city know how to survive off the land and would anyone have the physical strength to do so? Disaster can strike a community at any time and it is the prudent believer who prepares for emergency situations. But just as the physical body has gone from perfection to imperfection, the spiritual life of man has also deteriorated. Lying, cheating, stealing, and killing is seen with a casual perusal of the news channels each night. Unlike the physical body, it does not take long for the soul of man to become tainted with sin and his relationship with God to deteriorate. A prudent believer will also prepare for spiritual disaster every day through spending time in the Bible and in prayer, communicating with the LORD. Then when bad news comes or a loved one dies or a child is diagnosed with cancer, that believer is spiritually strong and will stand in the storm and not be moved.
Verse 18 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.
In the Old Testament, the genealogies of a family are listed with the first born son, his firstborn son, and so on. In the New Testament, the genealogy of Jesus is listed and many of the ancestors can be found in the family trees listed in the Old Testament. This is one of the proofs of the accuracy of the scriptures.
Verses 19-21 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.
Recorded here is the first example of a man having more than one wife. This became a common practice.
Here is seen the first nomadic people who lived with their animals and moved around seeking good pasture and water sources. They were descended from a man named Jabal who’s name means “stream of water”.
Also seen is the origin of musicians and makers of musical instruments who descended from a man named Jubal. His name means “stream”.
Verses 22-24 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.
The first recorded metal worker was Tubalcain whose name means “thou will be brought of Cain”. It is interesting to note that a daughter is mentioned here and her name means “loveliness”. Naamah is mentioned in Joshua 15:41 as the name of a city and then in 1 Kings 14:21 as the Ammonite wife of Solomon and mother of king Rehoboam of Judah.
There is no clear understanding of Lamech’s speech to his wives so it cannot be said with certainty that a second murder occurred here. The passage leaves room for the possibility of a fight in self defense as Lamech speaks of wounding and hurt. What is clear is that five generations later after Cain’s killing of Abel, Lamech is very aware of the mark God put on Cain for protection and he appears to expect the same treatment for himself.
Verses 25-26 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.
The name Seth means “compensation”. God replaced righteous Abel with another son to help heal the loss Eve must have experienced with the tragedy of the sibling rivalry between her two boys.