Cain Murders Abel
The Family of Cain
| << Genesis 3:24 | Genesis 4:2 >> |
What Does Genesis 4:1 Mean?
Genesis 4:1-8
What caused Cain to be brutally angry and to look so sad and despondent? Was this merely a temper tantrum over his offering not being accepted? Was it jealousy because his younger brother found greater favor and acceptance in God's eyes? Why would an incident like this hold such tremendous gravity in Cain's mind? Why was the rejection of his offering so distressing to him—distressing enough that he was willing to commit murder—and then lie to the all-knowing God? Why did this event turn his world upside-down and cause him to lash out so violently?
Interestingly, where Genesis 4:3 reads, ". . . in the process of time it came to pass," the most literal translation is, "it came to pass at the end of days," meaning "at an appointed time." It is possible, then, that this may have been a Sabbath or holy day offering.
The account of Abel's faith in Hebrews 11:4 adds to the story:
By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent [acceptable] sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.
Romans 10:17 instructs that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." If Abel offered something by faith, it means he followed the words or instructions that came from God. The fact that Abel's sacrifice was "acceptable" while Cain's was not suggests a standard by which these sacrifices were judged. Thus, Hebrews 11:4 means that Abel was instructed on what sort of offering was appropriate, and by following those instructions by faith, his offering was accepted, and he was declared righteous. The fact that God rebuked Cain means that he, too, knew what was required but for some reason chose to ignore it.
A couple of possibilities exist regarding what instructions Cain and Abel had been given to define what was acceptable and required. First, God may have instructed Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel about the same sacrificial system He added to the Old Covenant in Moses' day. The Bible records that both Noah and Abraham made burnt offerings (Genesis 8:20; 22:2, 13), a specific class of offering that represents a man's wholehearted devotion to God. In addition, Jacob made a drink offering on the pillar of stone that he raised (Genesis 35:14). From these examples, some sort of understood sacrificial system undoubtedly existed long before the specifics were recorded in Exodus—Deuteronomy.
A second possibility is that God did not instruct Adam and his family in exactly the same way as He did the Israelites but gave them enough to recognize the need for an animal sacrifice, whether in worshipping God or in symbolizing the future sacrifice of Christ to remit sin. From the examples prior to the Old Covenant, it is evident that they had some understanding of sacrifices, when they were to be made and what they symbolized. It is unlikely that men would have conceived the concept of offering animals or grain on their own, and even if they had, it is even more unlikely that God would have accepted any addition to the worship He specified. Such instruction must have come from God if He would accept it.
We may not know exactly why Abel made the offering he did or precisely what Cain knew to do but ignored. Yet, we can generally understand what was happening by remembering why God instituted sacrifices in Moses' time: They were added to the Old Covenant to remind the people of their sins—of falling short of God's glory (Galatians 3:19; Jeremiah 7:22-24). Whatever the exact infraction, something about Cain's sacrifice fell short of bringing to mind his sin and his need for a Savior. Something in his sacrifice failed to point to the Son of God's work of redemption.
David C. Grabbe
Cain's Assumption (Part One)
Genesis 4:1-15
In the well-known story of Cain and Abel, the first man born on the earth also becomes the first murderer. A few points in this account are significant:
- Cain killed Abel after a quarrel over a sacrifice to God. Cain brought a sacrifice, but God would not accept it because it did not meet His standards. While Abel's offering showed his complete submission to God, Cain's hints at grudging worship of God - and that done in his own way.
- Becoming angry and sullen over his rejection, he quarreled with and killed his brother. Then, he lied to God's face! He had no fear of God or the consequences of sin.
- Cain's retort to God's inquiry as to Abel's whereabouts is also significant: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Cain's attitude of indifference toward his fellow man greatly influenced later generations.
- Coupled with his entirely selfish attitude, Cain tried to take advantage even of God's curse upon him. Using a "woe is me" ploy, he "convinced" God to guard his life from anyone avenging Abel's murder.
The way of Cain - idolatry, murder, deceit, selfishness, hypocrisy - saturated Pre-Flood society to the point that God, seeing the wickedness of man, regretted He had even created humanity (Genesis 6:5-7).
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
'As It Was In the Days of Noah'
Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Genesis 4:1:
Song of Solomon 1:1
Amos 3:2
John 17:3
John 17:3
John 17:6
John 17:11
John 17:26
1 Corinthians 6:15-17
Revelation 19:6-9
| << Genesis 3:24 | Genesis 4:2 >> |
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The Hebrew word translated "knew," yada, carries a wide range of meaning, including intimate closeness within a relationship. This same intimacy applies to knowing God, encompassing love, reverence, obedience, and deep affection—the corresponding Greek word being ginosko. The picture of a man knowing his wife best communicates the closeness, cherishing, and specific knowledge involved. Eve's declaration, "I have acquired a man from the Lord," suggests she thought Cain fulfilled the Messianic prophecy of Genesis 3:15, further evidenced by her words at Seth's birth. Consequently, Cain may have been raised with a messiah complex, viewing himself as superior to Abel. This attitude connects to his later anger, grudging worship, and murder when God rejected his offering while accepting Abel's faithful sacrifice.