Genesis Chapter 4

From The Open Bible Project

4:1 The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with Yahweh’s help.”

• (a) Man’s nature, the estate of marriage, and God’s blessing were not utterly abolished through sin, but the quality or condition of it was changed.
• (b) That is, according to the Lord’s promise, as some read (Genesis 3:15), "To the Lord" rejoicing for the son she had born, whom she would offer to the Lord as the first fruits of her birth.

• The firstborn turned out to be the one who rebelled against God and became a murderer. - JM

4:2 Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

4:3 As time passed, it happened that Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground.

• (c) This declares that the father instructed his children in the knowledge of God, and also how God gave them sacrifices to signify their salvation, though they were destitute of the ordinance of the tree of life.

4:4 Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering,

4:5 but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell.

• Some commentators feel that Cain refused to offer a blood sacrifice for his sin out of pride, while Abel made the correct offering and was accepted by God. In reality, we have no such indication in the text, and the greater likelihood is that Abel offered the best of his sheep, while Cain's offering may have been sub par - probably not the "first fruits" of his harvest. These were subtle indicators of the contrasting conditions of their hearts and their attitudes toward God. - JM

4:6 Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen?

4:7 If you do well, will it not be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.”

• Note that Cain had some sort of relationship, or ability to interact with, God here in his "fallen state". Furthermore, God clearly indicates that he had the legitimate opportunity to over-rule the sin bias within his heart and mind, out of his own free will, apart from any supernatural intervention by God. Thus we see that unregenerate man is NOT "totally depraved" per the Calvinist conception of man's nature and state. - JM

• (e) Both you and your sacrifice shall be acceptable to me.
• (f) Sin will still torment your conscience.
• (g) The dignity of the first born is given to Cain over Abel.

4:8 Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” It happened when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.

• Cain's response was to yield to the desire to do wrong that was resident within him - the rebellious inclination prompted by the chiding he received from God. He had been humiliated, his pride had suffered, and he hated his brother as a result. It's likely that he hated God also, and this was his means of "getting back at God". - JM

4:9 Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” He said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

• (h) This is the nature of the reprobate when they are rebuke for their hypocrisy, even to neglect God and outrage him.

• Cain poses a seemingly rhetorical question to God. It takes the form of a snide retort. Cain has no respect for, or fear of, God. This is typical of a rebel. Rather than confess when given the opportunity, he blatantly lies and sneers at God. - JM

4:10 Yahweh said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground.

• (i) God avenges the wrongs against his saints, though no one complains: for the iniquity itself cries for vengeance.

• However God is made aware of acts of murder, He speaks in highly figurative terms here. Rather than God literally hearing Abel's blood calling to Him, it is far more likely that the angelic observers made a full report of Cain's actions to Him. - JM

4:11 Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

• (k) The earth will be a witness against you, which mercifully received the blood you most cruelly shed.

4:12 From now on, when you till the ground, it won’t yield its strength to you. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth.”

• (l) You will never have rest for your heart will be in continual fear and worry.

• Cain becomes a vagabond and outcast, his very livelihood and means of survival taken away from him. - JM

4:13 Cain said to Yahweh, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.

• (m) He burdens God as a cruel judge because he punished him so severely.

4:14 Behold, you have driven me out this day from the surface of the ground. I will be hidden from your face, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth. It will happen that whoever finds me will kill me.”

• Cain deserves this very outcome, and it would be thoroughly just for God to mete out his punishment in this form. But God's mercy tempers His justice. - JM

4:15 Yahweh said to him, “Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” Yahweh appointed a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should strike him.

• (n) Not for the love he had for Cain, but to suppress murder.
• (o) Which was some visible sign of God’s judgment, that others should fear by it.

• Cain's punishment is actually greater, since he is permitted to live a full life of shame, remorse and suffering rather than have his life cut short by an avenger of Abel's blood. - JM

4:16 Cain went out from Yahweh’s presence, and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

4:17 Cain knew his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Enoch. He built a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

• (p) Thinking by this to be safe, and to have less reason to fear God’s judgments against him.

• It is possible that Cain married one of his sisters. This seems more likely than the other proposed scenario - i.e. that another race of humans co-existed with the descendants of Adam and Eve, and intermarried with some of their progeny. - JM

4:18 To Enoch was born Irad. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.

4:19 Lamech took two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

• (q) The lawful institution of marriage, which is, that two should be one flesh, was first corrupted in the house of Cain by Lamech.

• Bigamy and polygamy had their origins here, among Cain's descendants. Certainly, the history of multiple, simultaneous marital unions is chequered and originates within a lineage of people under a unique curse. - JM

4:20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.

4:21 His brother’s name was Jubal, who was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe.

4:22 Zillah also gave birth to Tubal Cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of brass and iron. Tubal Cain’s sister was Naamah.

• The progression from the "Stone Age" to the "Iron Age" and "Bronze Age" seems to have been rather swift! - JM

4:23 Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice. You wives of Lamech, listen to my speech, for I have slain a man for wounding me, a young man for bruising me.

• (r) His wives seeing that all men hated him for his cruelty, were afraid, therefore he brags that there is none strong enough to resist, even though he was already wounded.

4:24 If Cain will be avenged seven times, truly Lamech seventy-seven times.”

• (s) He mocked at God’s tolerance in Cain jesting as though God would allow no one to punish him and yet give him permission to murder others.

• The pattern of murder over petty grievances continues in this family. It seems to be a hereditary flaw in their psychological and spiritual makeup. - JM

4:25 Adam knew his wife again. She gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, “for God has appointed me another child instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.”

4:26 There was also born a son to Seth, and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on Yahweh’s name.

• (t) In these days God began to move the hearts of the godly to restore religion, which had been suppressed by the wicked for a long time.

• It is possible that God's very name was not directly associated with worship of Him up until this point in time. To address Him by name suggests familiarity and a desire for close relationship. - JM