Genesis Chapter 4
The Mark of Cain
1Now the man had marital relations with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created a man just as the Lord did!”
Adam and Eve produced their first child. In Hebrew, his name means “acquisition”, expressing Eve’s thankfulness for God keeping His promise to her. She was hoping that her oldest son would grow up to be the Messiah as promised in Genesis 3:15.
The Hebrew words for "man just as the Lord did" is אִ֖ישׁ אֶת־יְהוָֽה (ish-et-Jehovah) meaning man is Jehovah. Almost every English Bible mistranslates Eve’s statement. What she actually said in Hebrew was “I have birthed a man-Jehovah.” In other words, she stated that she had given birth to a god-man. She believed that Cain was the Messiah promised in Genesis 3:15. She expected the Messiah to be both God and man.
The footnote of the Midrash stated that “It might imply that she had begotten the Lord.” Therefore, some of the rabbinic sources recognized the Messiah as being born as a God-man.
2Then she gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel took care of the flocks, while Cain cultivated the ground.
The Hebrew word for Abel means vanity or emptiness. Literally, his name means a breath. By the time that Abel was born, Eve had realized that Cain was not a god-man.
Notice that Abel was a shepherd. Adam and Eve were vegetarians at this time, so the sheep were not used for meat. They were used for milk, clothing, and sacrifice. This is more evidence that the first suit of clothes were made from lambs.
Cain followed his father’s occupation and became a farmer. Farmers were important before the flood, because they provided food for vegetarian families.
3At the designated time Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering to the Lord.
The sacrifice had to be brought at a designated time and most likely a designated place. The designated time was most likely the seventh day, or the Sabbath, since this was the day that God rested. On this day, man would rest from his labor so that he could fellowship with God. The location was most likely at the eastern entrance of the Garden of Eden, where the Shekinah Glory was guarding the tree of life.
Cain was a farmer, so he had to purchase or acquire a lamb from his little brother. However, eventually Cain refused to acquire a lamb, so he brought a grain offering to the Lord. The grain offering was used later in the Mosaic Law, but it was always mixed with blood. Cain was very religious, but he was not offering the blood sacrifice that God required. The blood of the lamb looked forward to the blood of Christ.
4But Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock – even the fattest of them. And the Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,
Abel offered the best of his flock, which was the firstborn. This showed that Abel was obedient to God, trusting him to bring more flock. This offering also looked forward to the Messiah as becoming the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world.
5but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased. So Cain became very angry, and his expression was downcast.
Many theologians claim that God was angry at Cain’s attitude. However, attitude was not the main problem. The main problem was that Cain was disobedient in refusing to offer the blood sacrifice which pointed to the Messiah. God did not accept Cain’s bloodless sacrifice, so Cain grew angry.
Rabbi Rashi claimed that fire came down from heaven and consumed Abel’s offering, but not the offering of Cain. There is no Biblical evidence for this theory, but somehow, God showed some kind of visible sign that Abel’s bloody sacrifice was accepted, but Cain’s bloodless sacrifice was rejected.
Notice that both Cain and Abel were sinners. They both had the same parents, the same upbringing, the same environment, the same education, the same revelation, and the same knowledge. Yet one was obedient and the other was disobedient. Abel’s offering was in faith while Cain’s offering was not. This is an example of election and predestination. Like Jacob and Esau, God chose Jacob and allowed Esau to make his own choices. This process of election and predestination is explained in more detail by Rabbi Paul in Romans 9-11.
Jude 11 mentions the way of Cain. The way of Cain is rejecting God’s way, creating one’s own way to God, and then becoming angry when God does not accept one’s own way to God.
6Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast?
God is omniscient. He could read the mind of Cain. He knew Cain would possess this attitude before the foundations of the world were even created.
God asked two questions, but no answer was given. God was giving Cain an opportunity to confess his sins, according to the spiritual concept mentioned in 1 John 1:9.
7Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.”
If Cain confessed his sin, then he would be cleansed of all sin, according to 1 John 1:9. If Cain refused to confess his sin, then his sin would be crouching behind the door like a lion, waiting to spring on his victim and devour him. The swift and devouring hunting techniques of the lion were created by God as a metaphor to teach believers of how sin works in one’s life. Sin is a voracious and powerful animal that springs upon its prey, kills it violently, and then devours it.
The way that a modern believer subdues sin is by studying and applying Bible doctrine from the entire counsel of the Word of God. This study and application of the entire counsel of the Word of God builds a shield of defense which the enemy cannot penetrate. This resistance to sin was explained by Rabbi Paul in Ephesians 6.
8Cain 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.
Abel was a righteous man. God allowed Cain to kill him. This was the first murder of the Bible. Eve learned that Cain was not the Messianic god-man. Instead, he was a murderer. This was a tremendous witness not only to believers today, but to the invisible angelic world as well.
If the Holy Spirit does not protect modern believers today, then unbelievers would rise up and kill every believer on the planet. Cain possessed the mind and attitude of today’s unbeliever. This is the mind of the liberal who rejects Christ and the Word of God. The liberal is basically a murderer who is kept in check by the Holy Spirit.
9Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” And he replied, “I don’t know! Am I my brother’s guardian?”
God is omniscient. He knew what happened. This was a pedagogic, teaching question to give Cain the opportunity to confess his sin.
Cain produced the first human lie and the first human question recorded in Scripture. Cain possessed the mind of a liberal. He had a very flippant attitude towards God.
10But the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!
When a person refuses to confess his sin and judge himself, then God will step in as Judge. In this case, God became the prosecutor, asking a more direct and pointed question. This question was an accusation against Cain for the murder of his own brother.
Abel became the first human inhabitant of Sheol (or Hades), which was a place in the heart of the earth where departed spirits would reside while awaiting the coming of the Savior (Luke 16:22-26; Ephesians 4:8-10; I Peter 3:18-20). Abel lived in Paradise (also called Abraham’s bosom), a section which was emptied by Jesus after His resurrection. All of the Old Testament believers who died lived in Paradise for a while. After Jesus emptied Paradise, then their souls were transported instantly to heaven to live with Jesus.
11So now, you are banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
This is the first mention of blood in the Bible. The blood called out for revenge. Cain made his living from the ground. Therefore, God banished Cain from his farming occupation.
The earth opened up its mouth and swallowed the blood of Abel. This will happen again several times in Scripture. In Numbers 16:30–35, the earth opened its mouth and swallowed Korah. In Deuteronomy 11:6, the earth opened its mouth and swallowed Dathan and Abiram. In Isaiah 5:14, Sheol opened its mouth and swallowed the nobility of Jerusalem.
12When you try to cultivate the ground it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”
Cain lost his green thumb. He was no longer able to continue in his success with his farming skills.
Cain was also cut off from his family. He was to be a wanderer and a fugitive upon the earth. Later after the flood in Genesis 9:6, the death penalty will be imposed for murder. There was no capital crime for murder at this time. This is why the earth became so violent, causing God to send a flood to destroy it.
13Then Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great to endure!
The Hebrew word for “punishment” is עָווֹן (anon), meaning sin or iniquity. Cain’s sin was too great to endure. Notice that Adam did not protest about his sin or punishment, but Cain did.
14Look! You are driving me off the land today, and I must hide from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth; whoever finds me will kill me.”
According to Genesis 5:4, Adam had other sons and daughters. Brother and sister marriages were necessary at least during the first generation. Later on, the accumulation of genetic mutations would make such close marriages genetically dangerous. Since those before the flood lived for hundreds of years and since they could give birth to children for hundreds of years, then the population of the earth multiplied rapidly. Cain’s concern was very realistic. Since Cain was banned from farming and he could no longer produce his own food, then he would have to purchase food from others. However, these other people would tend to fear Cain. They would attempt to avoid him at all cost, or attempt to kill him.
There are four major points in this verse. First, Cain lost his farming skills. Second, Cain was cut off from God. Third, he was to become a wanderer, or a nomad, upon the earth. Fourth, he feared that someone would find him and kill him. The fourth point proves that there were already other people upon the earth. He already had other brothers and sisters. The line of Adam in Genesis 5:4 was already in effect.
15But the Lord said to him, “All right then, if anyone kills Cain, Cain will be avenged seven times as much.” Then the Lord put a special mark on Cain so that no one who found him would strike him down.
The Lord showed mercy on Cain and gave him supernatural protection. The mark was not identified in Scripture, but it was a visible mark. Many believe that it may have been the Hebrew letter "tau", but there is no scriptural evidence for this speculation. The ancient tau was shaped like a cross.
16So Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Cain could not escape God’s omnipresence, but he could escape his Shekinah Glory presence at the eastern entrance of the Garden of Eden.
The word “Nod” means wandering. Cain wandered around as a nomad in the territory east of the Shekinah Glory.
The Beginning of Civilization
17Cain had marital relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was building a city, and he named the city after his son Enoch.
Skeptics like to ask where Cain received his wife. The answer is found in Genesis 5:4, “Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters.” However, this answer will not convince and convert the skeptics, unless God opens their eyes. It is simply a smoke-screen question to avoid a God who will one day judge them at the Great White Throne Judgment.
Skeptics will also accuse Cain of incest since he married his sister. Incest was not a violation of God’s Law until the time of Moses. While the population of the earth could have been around 200,000 at this time, God allowed at least the first generation of man to populate the world by the intermarriages of brothers, sisters, and cousins.
The name Enoch means “dedication.” God prophesied that Cain would be a wanderer. Cain did not believe God, so he attempted to build a city. The verb is in the present tense, meaning that Cain did not finish building the city. It was most likely finished by one of his sons.
Notice that this city was not named after God. He named it after one of his own sons. There are many wealthy people today who will not donate their money to a worthy cause unless they have a building or bridge named after them.
Urbanization is usually considered by evolutionary archaeologists to be one of the first characteristics of civilization. They falsely teach that ape-men started out as a hunting-and-gathering culture in a so-called stone age culture. They also falsely teach that eventually these so-called stone age ape-men went through an imaginary Neolithic Revolution and moved into permanent settlements. According to the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God, the modern evolutionists are wrong. Urbanization existed since the very first generation following Adam, with no suggestion whatsoever of a long evolutionary advance from an imaginary stone age time period. Cain was unable to survive as a farmer, so he had to develop his own self-sufficient economy to keep his patriarchal clan alive. It could have been established around his son Enoch and the city which Cain built for him.
18To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael. Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
Irad means “city man”. He may have completed the building of the city in which Cain was unable to finish. Mehujael means “God made me live”, showing that there were some believers in Cain’s line.
Methushael means “man of God”, showing more believers in Cain’s line. God’s elect are found in every tribe and nation. God finds a divine way to call His elect, wherever they may be. He uses believers to make the call, according to Romans 10.
Any time that a Hebrew name ends in “el”, it means that the person was named after Elohim, or El, which is another name for Yahweh, or Jehovah. All four of these names can be used interchangeably. Sometimes they are used alone, and sometimes they are used in combination. These “el” names in the Cain and Sethic genealogies showed that the two lines still interacted with one another.
19Lamech took two wives for himself; the name of the first was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah.
Lamech means “warrior,” “conqueror,” or “strong youth.” He was the first bigamist in the Bible. Bigamy is no where commanded or condemned in Scripture. The Scriptures often point out the negative end-results of bigamy.
Adah in Hebrew means “ornament.” According to the rabbi, she was the wife for the purpose of bearing children. The name of the second wife was Zillah, meaning “shady,” “twinkle,” or “tingling.” According to the rabbi, she was the wife for sexual pleasure.
Lamech’s motivation in taking two wives may have been partially lustful and partially the desire to establish a larger clan in a very violent antediluvian society which did not possess capital punishment laws.
20Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the first of those who live in tents and keep livestock.
Jabal mans “producer”. He was the originator of nomads who lived in tents, which is common among the Arabian Bedouin tribes of today. The line of Cain previously moved to cities, but now, many of them were beginning to move back into the wilderness. Notice also that the line of Cain was beginning to keep herds of sheep, goat, cattle, camels, and donkeys. Also, according to Jewish tradition, Jabal was the first to build idols.
21The name of his brother was Jubal; he was the first of all who play the harp and the flute.
Jubal also means “producer.” It is the same Hebrew root for “jubilee”. He was the first to play stringed and wind music.
22Now Zillah also gave birth to Tubal-Cain, who heated metal and shaped all kinds of tools made of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.
Tubal-Cain means “one who has acquired production.” He created bronze and copper tools and weapons. The mythology of the Roman god “Vulcan” may have originated from Tubal-Cain.
Evolutionary archaeologists have attempted to organize human history into many various so-called “ages”, such as the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, etc. However, these godless evolutionary speculations go against the recorded historical documents of the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God. The Bible indicates that early men were very competent in brass and iron metallurgy, as well as agriculture, animal husbandry, and urbanization. The first civilizations in Sumeria and Egypt existed with advanced writing, libraries, large walled cities, pyramids, canals, bronze and iron tools, bronze and iron weapons, great archaeological marvels, musical instruments, etc. When Noah and his three sons stepped off of the ark, they carried all of the pre-flood knowledge into the post-flood world. Modern archaeology confirms a big scientific jump from cave man to advanced civilizations that cannot be explained outside of the Bible.
Naamah means “pleasant,” “graceful,” and “gorgeous.” Normally, a female name is not mentioned in the genealogies of Scripture, but she must have been very significant in Cain’s line. According to Rabbi Rashi, she became Noah’s wife, but there is no Biblical evidence for this interpretation.
23Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah! Listen to me! You wives of Lamech, hear my words! I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for hurting me.
The purpose of music is to glorify God. This is the first recorded song of the Bible, but it is used in defiance of God. Cain’s line began producing humanistic music to defy God and glorify sinful man. Musicians today who do not use their musical gifts to glorify God are instead producing music to glorify the satanic world system.
This song contains three couplets. It is written in Hebrew parallelism, meaning it has no rhyme or rhythm. The first half of the couplet makes a statement. The second half of the couplet parallels and reinforces the first half of the statement.
The first couplet addresses the song to the two wives of Lamech.
The second couplet glorifies the murder of a man who wounded Lamech. According to rabbinic tradition, Lamech was blind. He went hunting with his son, Tubal-Cain. Tubal-Cain saw Cain in the woods. He told Lamech that there was a deer in front of him. Lamech fired a shot at what he thought was a deer. However, he actually killed his great ancestor Cain with an arrow, thinking that he had killed a deer. Lamech was angry at his son Tubal-Cain for tricking him, because the curse of Cain would fall upon Lamech, Therefore, Lamech killed his own son. Again, there is no Biblical evidence for this rabbinic interpretation.
24If Cain is to be avenged seven times as much, then Lamech seventy-seven times!”
The third and final couplet of the song is a boast about Lamech’s own personal security. Cain was under divine protection, but Lamech boasted of his own personal protection. He assigned greater protection to himself than God originally gave to Cain, who was the father of the race. This was blasphemy.
It is interesting to note that Lamech taught to avenge seventy times, while Jesus taught to forgive seventy times seven (Matt. 18:22). This is the difference between human viewpoint and divine viewpoint.
In conclusion, Cain’s line produced three important developments in the pre-flood society. First, Adam died in the seventh generation of Cain, so the recorded line of Cain ends at his death.
Second, Jude 11 described the way of Cain. What is the way of Cain? This would include committing murder (v. 8), lying about it (vv. 9–12), feeling sorry for himself (v. 13), separating himself from God (vv. 14–16), and seeking security from the satanic world system (v. 17). It is seeking one’s own way to God in place of seeking God’s way. All cults and isms follow the Way of Cain.
Third, by the seventh generation of Cain, his line was living in both an urban lifestyle and a nomadic lifestyle. Cattle raising, metal working for tools and weapons, and the making of musical instruments had all been developed. Other developments include polygamy, the ability to write, and music that defies God and glorifies sin.
25And Adam had marital relations with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth, saying, “God has given me another child in place of Abel because Cain killed him.”
In Hebrew, Seth means “appointed” or “foundation.” Seth will be appointed by God to become the new and solid foundation of the godly Adamic remnant. He is also to become the seed-son of Genesis 3:15. The Messiah will come through his appointed line. This is why his name will be found in the genealogy of the Messiah in Luke 3.
Eve believed that Cain would be the Messiah, but instead, he was a murderer. When Cain killed Abel, then it seemed that Satan had eliminated the messianic line. Abel was dead and Cain was cursed by God. This made Satan very happy, because it appeared that there would be no future Messiah to crush the head of Satan. Therefore, God appointed Seth to become the seed-son. Satan may have believed that he had cut off the messianic line, but God had already preordained before the foundations of the world that Abel would be murdered and Seth would be the actual seed-son.
26And a son was also born to Seth, whom he named Enosh. At that time people began to worship the Lord.
In Hebrew, Enosh means “weak man.” His name emphasizes the mortal frailty and human frailty of man. Psalm 103:15 states, “As for man, [Enosh] his days are as grass, [that flourishes] As a flower of the field.” Grass and flowers are very beautiful, but when walked upon or broken from the stem, it causes them to perish very quickly.
After Seth (the seed-son of Genesis 3:15) was born, then the line of Seth began to gather together and call upon the name of Yahweh in public praise and worship. The way of Cain was the praise and worship of Satan through false religion. The way of Seth was the praise and worship of the one true God through the offering of a lamb at the east entrance of the Garden of Eden.
In conclusion, the human viewpoint of the satanic world system teaches that Cain and Abel were mythical characters.
The divine viewpoint of the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God teaches that Cain and Abel were historical characters.
Human viewpoint teaches that animal sacrifices were an evolutionary process of religion.
Divine viewpoint teaches that the lamb sacrifice was divinely given to man in order to teach of the atonement of Christ.
Human viewpoint teaches that man developed technology skills over a long evolutionary period of time.
Divine viewpoint teaches that man learned technological skills in a very short period of time and these skills were known by Noah and his three sons.
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1, SAQ--What is the theme of Genesis 4?
2. Why did God accept the sacrifice of AbeL?
3. Why did God reject the sacrifice of Cain?
4. Explain the first murder in the Bible?
5. Explain the naming of children.
6. What is the purpose of music?
7. What was the theme of the first song?
8. What was the mark of Cain?
9. Who did Cain marry?
10. Explain the first cities of Cain.