Chapter 4

1 The birth, trade, and religion of Cain and Abel. 8 The murder of Abel. 11 The curse of Cain. 17 Enoch the first city. 19 Lamech and his two wives. 25 The birth of Seth, 26 and Enos.

1. I have gotten a man from the Lord. The Hebrew reads literally, “I have gotten a man, the Lord.” When Eve held her first-born in her arms she apparently remembered the divine promise of ch. 3:15, and entertaining the hope that he was to be the promised Deliverer, named him Qayin, “gotten” (DA 31). Forlon hope! Her eager longing for the speedy fulfillment of the gospel promise was doomed to meet the most heartbreaking disappointment. Little did she realize that this very child would become the world’s first murderer.

2. His brother Abel. The absence of the usual expression “and she conceived,” and the use of the peculiar phraseology “she again bare,” literally, “she continued to give birth,” have suggested to some commentators that Abel was Cain’s twin brother. This may be true but is not necessarily implied by the text. Abel’s name means “vanity” or “nothingness.” It reflects the fact that either a mother’s hopes had already met with disappointment in her elder son or that Abel personified for her the miseries of human life. In this chapter Abel is seven times called Cain’s brother, seeming to emphasize the heinousness of Cain’s sin.

A keeper of sheep. There is no reason for finding in the professions chosen by the two men an intimation of difference in moral character, although these choices were probably determined by their talents and tastes.

3. In process of time. Literally, “at the end of days.” This denotes the passing of a considerable, indefinite period of time, and may indicate the harvest season. To understand it as meaning the end of a week or a year, as has been done by some commentators, hardly seems warranted in this instance, since there is no particular reason why either should be mentioned here. The word yamim, “days,” is, however, used in a number of instances where the context makes it clear that a year is meant. In such cases it has been translated “year” (see Ex. 13:10; Num. 9:22; 1 Sam. 2:19; 27:7; 2 Chron. 21:19; etc.).

An offering unto the Lord. “Offering,” minchah. Minchah is used in the Levitical laws for the bloodless thank offering, consisting of flour and oil, or flour prepared with frankincense (Lev. 2:1, 4, 14, 15). Here, however, the word has a wider meaning and includes both meal offerings and animals sacrifices, because it is used as a designation not only for Cain’s bloodless offering but also for Abel’s sacrifice (see v. 4). It is not stated that either Cain or Abel built an altar for their offerings, but obviously they must have done so (see PP 71). The next time the offering of a sacrifices is reported in the Bible, its altar is mentioned (Gen. 8:20). The system of sacrificial offerings had been introduced by God at the time man was expelled from the garden (PP 68, 71). The following verses make it plain that Cain knew he was doing wrong in bringing the kind of gift he offered to God. He had been taught that the blood of the Son of God would atone for his sins. By following the divinely instituted rule of sacrificing a lamb for his sins, he would show allegiance to God, who had ordained the sacrificial system, and express faith in the plan of redemption (Heb. 11:4). The universal prevalence of sacrifices among ancient peoples points to a divine precept rather than to human invention as their origin (see DA 28).

What was it that made Cain’s offering unacceptable to God? He acknowledged, in part, grudgingly, the claims of God upon him. But a secret spirit of resentment and rebellion prompted him to meet the claims of God in a way of his own choosing rather than to follow precisely the plan ordained by God. Ostensibly he complied, but the manner of his compliance revealed a defiant spirit. Cain proposed to justify himself by his own works, to earn salvation by his own merits. Refusing to recognize himself a sinner in need of a savior, he offered a gift that expressed no penitence for sin—a bloodless offering. And “without shedding of blood is no remission,” for “it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Heb. 9:22; Lev. 17:11; PP 71, 72).

Cain recognized the existence of God and His power to give or to withhold earthly blessings. Feeling it advantageous to live on good terms with Deity, Cain considered it expedient to appease and avert divine wrath by a gift, even though it be offered grudgingly. He failed to realize that partial, formal compliance with the explicit requirements of God could not earn His favor as a substitute for true obedience and contrition of heart. We today do well to examine our hearts lest we, like Cain, be found offering to God valueless and unacceptable gifts.

4. The firstlings of his flock. The word “firstlings” indicates that Abel brought of the first-born of his flock (see Ex. 13:12). The sacrificial ordinance as set forth by Moses required the sprinkling of the blood of first-born animals upon the altar and the burning of their fat in the fire (Num. 18:17). Abel’s offering was a demonstration of faith (Heb. 11:4). Cain’s offering, in contrast, was an attempt to earn salvation by works. With Abel, faith in the plan of salvation and in the atoning sacrifice of Christ revealed itself in unquestioning obedience.

Had respect. ShaФah, “to consider graciously.” Though the manner of God’s acceptance of Abel’s offering is not here revealed, it consisted in the appearance of heavenly fire to consume the sacrifice, as often in later times (see Lev. 9:24; Judges 6:21; 1 Kings 18:38; 1 Chron. 21:26; 2 Chron. 7:1; PP 71). It is noteworthy that God’s acceptance of Abel’s sacrifice betokened the acceptance of his person; in the narrative, in fact, mention of the acceptance of Abel himself precedes mention of the acceptance of his offering. This is an indication that God was not so interested in the sacrifice as in the one who brought it.

5. Unto Cain and to his offering. Cain noticed that absence of any visible sign of God’s pleasure and acceptance of his offering. A deeply burning anger was the result. The Hebrew phrase here used can be translated literally, “It burned with Cain exceedingly.” He felt fierce resentment against his brother and toward God. There was apparently no sorrow for sin, no spirit of self-examination, no prayer for light or pardon. Cain’s behavior is a typical example of a stubborn and unrepentant sinner whose heart does not melt under correction and reproof but becomes even more hard and rebellious. No attempt was made by Cain to hide feelings of disappointment, dissatisfaction, and anger. His face bespoke his resentment.

6. Why art thou wroth? Here it is evident, as in vs. 14 and 16, that God did not cease making personal contact with men at the time He expelled them from the garden. The rejection of Cain’s offering did not necessarily mean the rejection of Cain himself. In mercy and patience God was ready to give him another chance. Though clearly manifesting His displeasure by rejecting the offering, God appeared to the sinner and reasoned with him in an attempt to persuade him of the error of his way and the unreasonableness of his anger. God spoke to Cain as to a willful child, to draw out into the open that which was lurking like a wild beast before the door of his heart. The question Why was designed to lead Cain to acknowledge the baselessness of his anger. For the rejection of his offering there must be a valid reason, which he should discover and eliminate.

7. If thou doest well. This verse presents certain linguistic difficulties that have led some modern commentators to think that a copyist’s error has changed the Hebrew text. That the translators of the LXX found its meaning obscure even in their time is apparent from their garbled translation of it. The rabbis tried to explain it in the sense that Cain’s offering was rejected because he did not follow precisely the rules of Levitical ritual. But the obvious contrast between the results of “doing well” and those of “not doing well” precludes such an explanation. The first clause reads literally, “Is there not lifting up if thou doest well?” What will be lifted up? The burden of guilt or the countenance? The expression “to lift up one’s face” for “to be joyful or innocent” is common in Hebrew (Job 11:15; 22:26; 2 Sam. 2:22), and probably appears here in an abbreviated form as a complement to the preceding statement that Cain’s countenance had fallen (v. 6). God wished Cain to understand that if he would mend his ways and live according to the divine precepts, there would be no more reason for God to show His displeasure and no more reason for Cain to show a disappointed and angry face. However, if Cain would not change, but would continue in the pathway of evil, sin would overwhelm him. The phrase “sin lieth at the door” (like a wild beast) is probably a proverbial one (see 1 Peter 5:8).

Sin. Some have suggested that the Hebrew word here translated “sin,” chat\t\aХth, should be rendered “sin offering,” as it is in nearly half the passages where it occurs in the OT (see for example Ex. 30:10; Lev. 4:32; Num. 7:16, 22; etc.; cf. Hosea 4:8; Heb. 9:28; 2 Cor. 5:21). God would then be saying to Cain, “If you were innocent, your [bloodless] offering would be acceptable as a thank offering, would it not? And when you have sinned, is there not a sin offering ready at hand?” One difficulty in rendering chat\t\aХth as “sin offering” should be pointed out. Chat\t\aХth, is feminine, whereas the participle robes\, “lieth,” is masculine. It should be feminine if it is to agree with chat\t\aХth, its subject. This difference suggests that Moses was personifying “sin” as a wild beast crouching at the door, and so deliberately chose to make robes\ agree with the masculine wild beast of his figure of speech rather than with the subject in its literal sense as “sin” or “sin offering.”

Unto thee shall be his desire. This cannot refer to Abel as having a “desire” toward his elder brother in the same sense as Eve toward her husband (see ch. 3:16), that is, to accept his supremacy. Such an explanation would seem to be at variance with the context and with divine principles. If sin is personified as a wild beast lying in wait for Cain, it would be appropriate to continue the comparison by translating, as does the RSV, “its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

8. Cain talked with Abel. The subject of Cain’s talk with his brother is not stated. The RSV, following the Samaritan Version and the LXX, has added the words, “Let us go out into the field.” This clause appears to be a copyist’s addition, though the context makes it entirely possible that the original read thus. It is improbable that Cain told Abel what God had just said to him, but he may have tried to argue with his brother, accusing God of unrighteousness in His dealings with him.

When they were in the field. Cain’s “works were evil and his brother’s righteous” (1 John 3:12). That is why Cain killed his brother. Enmity between good and evil, predicted by God before the expulsion from the garden, was seen now for the first time in its most horrible form. Twice in this verse the words “his brother” are added to the name of Abel to bring out clearly the horror of Cain’s sin. In him the seed of the woman had already become the seed of the serpent. Cain’s crime revealed the true nature of Satan as “a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44). Already there had sprung up that contrast of two distinct “seeds” within the human race, a contrast that runs through the entire history of mankind.

9. Where is Abel thy brother? As with Adam and Eve, God now sought after Cain, to present his transgression to him in its true light, to stir up his guilty conscience to repentance, and to create in him a new heart. As God had come to Cain’s parents with a question, so He now came to Cain. The results, however, were vastly different; Cain boldly denied his guilt. Disobedience had led to murder; to murder he now added falsehood and defiance, blindly thinking to hide his crime from God.

10. What hast thou done? The tactful, indirect approach having proved unavailing, God proceeded to charge Cain with his crime. The question “What hast thou done?” implied perfect knowledge of the facts.

The voice of thy brother’s blood. The trembling murderer found an all-seeing and all-knowing God reading his naked soul. How could He who notes the sparrow’s fall, He who is the author of life, be deaf to the silent cry of the first martyr (see Ps. 116:15)? Blood is life, and as such is precious to the great Giver of life (Gen. 9:4).

Against all the inhumanity of man toward his fellow men down through the intervening ages, the cry of Abel ascends to God (Heb. 11:4). Abel met his death at the hand of a near kinsman. Similarly, Jesus, coming to this earth as a kinsman to the human race, was rejected and sent to His death by His brethren.

11. Now art thou cursed. A divine curse had already been visited upon the serpent and the ground (ch. 3:14, 17); now for the first time it falls on man. The Hebrew phrase rendered in the KJV, thou art “cursed from the earth,” may with equal accuracy be translated as a comparative, “Thou art more cursed than the earth.” Some commentators have understood this text to mean that Cain was banished to a less fertile region. The context (vs. 12, 14) seems to favor this explanation, or perhaps the idea that because Cain had misused the fruits of the ground God would no longer permit him to gain his livelihood by tilling the soil. A wanderer in the earth (vs. 14, 16), whether shepherd or nomad, cannot be a successful farmer.

12. It shall not henceforth yield. Cain was doomed to a life of perpetual wandering in order to secure food for himself, his family, and his beasts. Having been compelled to drink innocent blood, the earth rebelled, as it were, against the murderer; and when he should till it, it would withhold its strength. Cain was to have but little reward for his labor. Similarly, at a later time, the land of Canaan is said to have “spued out” the Canaanites on account of their abominations (Lev. 18:28).

13. Greater than I can bear. The divine sentence turned Cain’s truculence into despair. Though Cain deserved the death penalty, a merciful and patient God gave him further opportunity for repentance and conversion. But instead of repenting, Cain complained of his punishment as being more severe than he deserved. No word of sorrow came from his lips, not even a recognition of guilt or of shame, nothing but the sad resignation of a criminal who realizes he is powerless to escape the penalty he so justly deserves.

14. Thou hast driven me out. Cain knew that he was to be cut off, not only from the blessings of the earth, but, by his own choice, from all contract with God as well.

Every one that findeth me. Cain despaired of his own life, in fear that the curse of God meant the withdrawal of divine restraint from those who might seek to avenge Abel’s blood. A guilty conscience warned him that he deserved to die and that henceforth his own life was in danger. But the death penalty, his due, was commuted to banishment for life. Instead of being imprisoned he was to be shut out from every happy, normal association with his fellow men, and, by his own choice, from God. He who had taken his brother’s life saw in his fellow creatures his own prospective executioners.

15. Therefore. It is not entirely clear what antecedent idea is intended by this word. The RSV, following the LXX, the Syriac, and the Vulgate, renders it, “Not so!” In other words, to Cain’s declaration, “Every one that findeth me shall slay me,” God replied, “Not so!”

Sevenfold. This implies a most severe penalty upon anyone murdering Cain (see Lev. 26:18, 21, 24, 28; Ps. 79:12; Prov. 6:31). Special protection was granted him in harmony with the principle, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Rom. 12:19). The tares must grow together with the wheat; the fruits of sin must be permitted to reach maturity, in order that the character of its seed may be manifest. The lives of Cain and his descendants were to be exhibits of the outworking of sin in rational beings (PP 78).

A mark. Some commentators have seen in this mark an outward sign attached to Cain’s person, whereas others believe that he received a sign from God as a divine pledge that nothing would endanger his life. Whatever it was, it was not a sign of God’s forgiveness but only of temporal protection.

16. Cain went out. He felt neither remorse nor repentance, but only the heavy burden of God’s displeasure. He left the divine presence, probably never to return, and began his life as a wanderer in the land of Nod, to the east of Eden. This antediluvian land, whose name means “wandering,” “flight,” or “exile,” became the home of the godless descendants of Cain.

17. Cain knew his wife. The sudden mention of Cain’s wife creates no problem. Chapter 5:4 states that Adam “begat sons and daughters” besides the three sons whose names are given. The earliest inhabitants of earth had no other choice than to marry their brothers and sisters in order to fulfill the divine command, “Be fruitful and multiply” (see Acts 17:26). That the custom long remained in vogue is seen in Abraham’s marriage to his half sister Sarah. Such marriages were later prohibited (see Lev. 18:6–17).

She conceived, and bare Enoch. That God did not withhold offspring from the disobedient and reprobate Cain is another evidence of His merciful character (Ps. 145:9; Matt. 5:45). The name “Enoch” may mean “dedication” or “consecration” it may also mean “initiation.” Perhaps the name Cain gave his son indicated his intention to begin living his life as he pleased. Luther thought the mother may have selected the name Enoch, thereby expressing hope that the child might be an augury of blessing for their saddened home.

He builded a city. Literally, “he began to build.” This was probably no more than an attempt to erect a fortified camp for his family as a more or less permanent place of abode. This suggests that Cain may not have had much confidence in God’s assurance of protection. It is possible also that his attempt to found a city may have been dictated by a desire to bid defiance to the curse that doomed him to a wandering life.

It is worthy of note that the world’s first “city” was founded by the world’s first murderer, a perversely impenitent individual whose life, wholly and hopelessly dedicated to evil, was spent in defiance of God. God’s plan that man should live amid nature and behold in it the Creator’s might and power was in this way thwarted. Many present-day evils are the direct result of the unnatural gathering together of human beings into great cities, where man’s worst instincts bear rule, and vice of every type flourishes.

The name of the city. In naming this city after his son Enoch, “dedication” or “initiation,” Cain apparently consecrated it to the realization of his sinful ambitions.

18. Unto Enoch was born Irad. Of the following generations only names are mentioned. The names resemble those of some of Seth’s descendants, as for instance Irad and Jared, Mehujael and Mahalaleel, Methusael and Methuselah, Cain and Cainan, but the names of Enoch and Lamech occur in both families. Critical scholars have considered this as proof that the two genealogical tables are simply different forms of one original legend. However, similarity in names in no way implies identity of persons. For instance, the name Korah appears in the families of Levi (Ex. 6:24) and Esau (Gen. 36:5), and Enoch is the name not only of Cain’s son and one of Seth’s pious descendants but also of the eldest son of Reuben (ch. 46:9), and of a son of Midian (ch. 25:4). The character of Enoch the son of Cain is in such distinct contrast to that of Enoch in the line of Seth as to preclude identifying the two as one individual.

As to the other pairs of names, similarity is only superficial. The names in Hebrew, as in English, are not identical either in spelling or in meaning. For example, Irad has been translated as “townsman” or “ornament of a city,” Jared as “descent.” Mehujael may mean either “smitten of God” or “destroyed of God”; Mahalaleel, “praise of God.” Methusael has the meaning “man of God” or “man of prayer”; Methuselah, “man of growth.” The meaning of Lamech is not known.

19. Lamech took unto him two wives. Lamech was the first to pervert marriage as ordained by God into the lust of the eye and the lust of the flesh, without even the pretext that the first wife had no children. Polygamy was a new evil that held its ground for long centuries. The names of Lamech’s wives are suggestive of sensual attraction, Adah meaning “adornment” and Zillah either “shadow” or “tinkling.”

20. Adah bare Jabal. The names of Adah’s two sons occur nowhere else in the Bible. Their meaning is not clear. Jabal may mean “sprout,” “leader,” or “stream”; Jubal, a “joyful sound” or a “channel.” These names may indicate their particular abilities. The first was a typical nomadic herdsman. Meaning literally “possession,” the word “cattle” signifies the wealth of the nomads, which consisted of sheep and other domesticated animals.

21. Such as handle the harp and organ. “Harp,” kinnor. The world’s first musical instrument, the “harp,” is mentioned 42 times in the OT (see Ps. 33:2; etc.). The word kinnor is always translated in the KJV “harp,” though it is actually a lyre. Many ancient pictures of this instrument from Egypt, Palestine, and Mesopotamia bring us a clear idea of what the kinnor was like. These pictures represent the instrument as consisting of a sounding board across which strings are stretched. In the earliest instruments the strings run parallel, but in later models they diverge as they extend outward.

The origin of the word translated in the KJV “organ,” in the RV “pipe,” and identified by some with the bagpipe, is not so certain as that of the lyre. Whatever the correct explanation of the name may be, all modern scholars agree that the instrument was a flute. This instrument is still played by the shepherds throughout the Near East.

22. Tubal-cain. Although “Tubal” appears frequently as a personal name in the OT (Gen. 10:2; Isa. 66:19; Eze. 27:13; etc.), its meaning is obscure. The word “cain” may have been added later, perhaps to identify him as a Cainite.

An instructer of every artificer. The Hebrew word translated “instructer” in the KJV means literally “hammerer,” “whetter,” or “forger,” and refers to early work in bronze and iron, which was more a process of hammering than of smelting. Doubt has been expressed that iron was known as early as Genesis implies. However, recent discoveries made in Egypt and Mesopotamia have shown that iron objects were produced in the earliest historical periods of which we have record. The first iron objects were meteoric, their high percentage of nickel precluding terrestrial origin. Objects made of meteoric iron must have been produced by hammering rather than by smelting, again confirming the Biblical record. Though early man did not have bronze and iron in large quantities, there is no reason to doubt the accuracy of the Bible statement that antediluvian man knew how to use these metals. Copper, bronze, and iron objects (ornaments, tools, weapons, vessels, etc.) from very early levels of civilization are being found in increasing numbers.

Naamah. Why Tubal-cain’s sister should be specifically mentioned is unknown. Jewish tradition made her Noah’s wife. Her name, meaning “the beautiful” or “the pleasant one,” reflects the worldly mind of the Cainites, who looked for beauty rather than for character as the chief attraction in women.

23. I have slain a man. Lamech’s words, in Hebrew poetic form, have aptly been called the “Song of Lamech.” So far as is known this “song” constitutes the world’s first poetic composition. The exact meaning of his somewhat cryptic words is difficult to ascertain. Origen wrote two books concerning the “song” and then pronounced it beyond explanation. The Hebrew words employed permit the explanation that Lamech had slain one or two men for wounds they had inflicted upon him, with the implication that he would be ready to commit such acts again should the necessity arise. His threatened revenge, however, is ambiguous, and leaves room for more than one interpretation. The RSV reads: “I have slain a man for wounding me.”

25. Seth. After having reported the development of the ungodly family of Cain, the author returns to Adam and Eve and recounts briefly the history of those who were loyal to God. Shortly after Abel’s death a third son was born, to whom his mother gave the name Seth, Sheth, the “appointed one,” the “compensation” or “substitute” for Abel. Eve, seeing that her godly son was dead and recognizing that God’s words concerning the promised seed could not find their fulfillment in cursed Cain, expressed her faith that the promised Deliverer would come through Seth. Her faith was rewarded, for the descendants of Seth obeyed the Lord.

26. Enos. In his time a more formal worship was begun. Man had of course called upon the Lord before Enos’ birth, but as time went on a more pronounced distinction arose between those who worshiped the Lord and those who defied Him. The expression “to call upon the name of the Lord” is used frequently in the OT to indicate, as it does here, public worship (Ps. 79:6; 116:17; Jer. 10:25; Zeph. 3:9).

Ellen G. White comments

1-15PP 71-80; SR 52-56

1-5PP 71, 364

3 GW 156, 162; 4T 395, 609

3, 4 COL 152; PP 84

3-8Ev 598; TM 77

4 6T 392

5 PP 73

6, 7 PP 74

8 DA 618; MB 50, 54; PP 77

9 ChS 13; CS 52; FE 50; ML 59; Te 41; WM 220; 1T 113, 149, 368, 480, 535; 2T 33, 228; 4T 69, 648; 5T 459, 531, 569, 611

9-12PP 77; SR 54

10 MH 340; Te 41; 5T 451

15 EW 213; PP 325

16 PP 62

16, 17 PP 81

19 SR 76

23, 24 PP 81

25 SR 57

25, 26 PP 80