Gênesis 4

Gênesis 4

Calvin - God shows, first, that he knows men’s deeds even when no one complains or accuses; second, that human life is too precious to him for him not to punish the shedding of blood; third, that he takes the faithful under his care not only when they are alive but also after they die. Earthly judges for the most part doze unless an accuser appeals to them. But even when the wounded are silent, their very injuries cry out to God to pronounce the penalty. It is a wonderfully sweet comfort to good men who are harassed unjustly to hear that the evils they endure silently go before God of their own accord and demand vengeance. Abel was silent when his throat was cut (perhaps he was killed some other way), but after his death the voice of his blood was more eloquent than the plea of any orator. Thus, men may stifle or silence [the cry of the innocent]; but they cannot prevent God from judging a cause which the world considers buried. This consolation richly nourishes our endurance. When we learn that nothing of our right is lost, we bear our injuries with moderation and steady minds. The soul’s calm silence raises an effective cry which fills heaven and earth. NET NOTE on your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground - The word “voice” is a personification; the evidence of Abel’s shed blood condemns Cain, just as a human eyewitness would testify in court. Genesis 4:11 "Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. Now you are cursed Ge 4:14 Ge 3:14 De 27:16-26 28:15-20 29:19-21 Ga 3:10 opened - Job 16:18 31:38-40 Isa 26:21 Rev 12:16 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passage: Genesis 3:14 The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; CAIN UNDER A CURSE Now you are cursed (arar) from the ground (adamah) - NET = "So now, you are banished from the ground." NIV = "Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground." NLT = "Now you are cursed and banished from the ground." It is notable that this is the first occasion in Scripture where a human is cursed (Adam and Eve were not cursed per se in Ge 3:16-19 - Satan was first one cursed - Ge 3:14, next the ground was cursed - Ge 3:17). Theology of Work - Adam’s sin did not bring God’s curse upon people, but only upon the ground (Gen. 3:17). Cain’s sin brings the ground’s curse on Cain himself (Gen. 4:11) (People Work in a Fallen Creation Genesis 4-8) HCSB - God’s judgment began with a curse whose wording in the Hebrew parallels the curse placed on the snake. This is particularly fitting since both were liars and murderers (Jn 8:44). It is possible to translate God’s statement here as “You are more cursed than the ground.” The curse against a murderer is repeated in the law of Moses (Dt 27:24). (See context in CSB Study Bible) Which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand - NLT = "which has swallowed your brother's blood." How justifiably ironic - Cain was a tiller of the ground but now that very ground had opened its mouth to his brother's blood! And that very ground would now withhold produce from him who once tilled it with an abundant yield (Ge 4:12)! Cain experienced what the world would call poetic justice. NET NOTE on you are cursed from the ground - Heb “cursed are you from the ground.” As in Gen 3:14, the word “cursed,” a passive participle from אָרָר (’arar), either means “punished” or “banished,” depending on how one interprets the following preposition. If the preposition is taken as indicating source, then the idea is “cursed (i.e., punished) are you from [i.e., “through the agency of”] the ground” (see v. 12a). If the preposition is taken as separative, then the idea is “cursed and banished from the ground.” In this case the ground rejects Cain’s efforts in such a way that he is banished from the ground and forced to become a fugitive out in the earth (see Ge 4:12b, 14). Gerhard von Rad offers an interesting analysis of Ge 4:11-12 - God’s judgment on the fratricide is more terrible than the punishment in Genesis 3. Something that could not be made good again, something that ancient man found much more terrible had happened: the earth, man’s maternal basis of life, had drunk a brother’s blood. At this point the punishment begins: Cain is banished from the soil (’adamah), the earth itself is to deny him its power of blessing. The punishment goes far beyond that inflicted in Genesis 3:17ff. The relation of the fratricide to the mother earth is disturbed much more deeply. It is so shattered, in fact, that the earth has no home for him. What remains for him is an unstable and fugitive life. (Ge 4:12b) As in the story of Paradise, so here there is throughout the story the ’adamah-motif, the thought of the earth as the most basic foundation of all human existence. Cain had plowed the soil (ED: RECALL CAIN WAS A "TILLER OF THE GROUND" - Ge 4:2+), offered the fruit of the soil, caused the soil to drink a brother’s blood; but the blood complained against him from the soil, and therefore the soil denies him its fruit, and he is banned from the soil. But this theme is completely sacred, for the story of Cain understands cultivated land as the realm of cult and blessing close to God. In this again it is very old. (See context in Genesis, Revised Edition: A Commentary) Robert Neighbour - Physically Cain still lived, while spiritually he was dead. Physically Abel was dead, but spiritually he gloriously lived. You can think of Abel in death, but you can also think of Cain in death. The sinner is dead, while he liveth. The Christian is living, though he be dead. (Wells of Living Water) Cursed (0779) arar refers principally to exclamations, or imprecations, uttered by one person against another. To inflict with a curse.This verb, in a more specific sense, means to bind (with a spell); to hem in with obstacles; to render powerless to resist.It bears the idea of people reviling one another and carries the idea of being bound or banned from something. Therefore, God's original curse to Satan in Ge 3:14, 17, means he was banned from all the other animals and condemned to the dust. In God's curse upon Cain, "you are cursed from the earth" (Ge 4:11, 12), Cain was banned from enjoying the productivity of the earth's soil. Furthermore, the curse pronounced upon Jezebel by Elijah (1 Ki. 21:23) barred her from a proper burial (2 Ki. 9:34). Balaam was hired by King Balak to curse the Israelites (Num. 22:6ff). Although his efforts were unsuccessful, Balak desired Balaam to disable the Israelite forces. The Israelites, however, eventually brought the curse of God upon themselves through idolatry and its accompanying immorality (Num. 25:1-9). Most of the curse sayings are within proclamations of laws (Deut. 27:15-26; 28:16-19) or pronouncements of threats (Jer. 11:3; 17:5). Arar in Genesis - Ge 3:14; Ge 3:17; Ge 4:11; Ge 5:29; Ge 9:25; Ge 12:3; Ge 27:29; Ge 49:7 Ground (land, earth, dust, soil)(0127) adamah means dirt, ground (first us Ge 1:25), earth, clay (God used dirt/clay to form man - Ge 2:7), land (cultivated - Ge 4:2, Zech 13:5). Adam originated from the ground and charged with the task of tending the ground, his source of origin (Ge 2:7, 15). In a broader sense, adamah means the inhabited earth (Isa. 24:21; Amos 3:2). Adamah describes dirt put on one's head during mourning (2Sa 1:2; Neh. 9:1). Adamah in Genesis - NOTICE THAT MOST USES OCCUR IN THE CREATION, FALL AND FLOOD - Gen. 1:25; Gen. 2:5; Gen. 2:6; Gen. 2:7; Gen. 2:9; Gen. 2:19; Gen. 3:17; Gen. 3:19; Gen. 3:23; Gen. 4:2; Gen. 4:3; Gen. 4:10; Gen. 4:11; Gen. 4:12; Gen. 4:14; Gen. 5:29; Gen. 6:1; Gen. 6:7; Gen. 6:20; Gen. 7:4; Gen. 7:8; Gen. 7:23; Gen. 8:8; Gen. 8:13; Gen. 8:21; Gen. 9:2; Gen. 9:20; Gen. 12:3; Gen. 19:25; Gen. 28:14; Gen. 28:15; Gen. 47:18; Gen. 47:19; Gen. 47:20; Gen. 47:22; Gen. 47:23; Gen. 47:26; Genesis 4:12 "When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth." it will no longer yield its strength- Ge 3:17-18 Lev 26:20 De 28:23,24 Ro 8:20 you will be a vagrant and a wanderer - Ge 4:14 Lev 26:36 De 28:65,66 Ps 109:10 Jer 20:3,4 Ho 9:17 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries CAIN'S CURSE DESCRIBED Observe the two-fold curse of Cain - (1) tilling of soil would no longer be productive (from fertile to futile) and (2) the KJV says he would be a "fugitive" from God. When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength (koah/koach; Lxx - ischus) to you - NET = "No longer yield its best for you." "He was rejected by heaven and refused by earth!" (Wiersbe) In Genesis 3 because of Adam's sin God decreed to him “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field." (Ge 3:17-18+) Because of Adam's sin God placed a curse on the earth, but in distinction, because the ground had been defiled by Cain, his curse was FROM the ground. This is a bitter irony, for Cain had previously been able to till the soil which yielded fruit that he used in his ill-fated offering to Yahweh. Cain's punishment includes a loss of his livelihood (tiller of the soil) and condemnation to a life of ceaseless wandering and then to die and enter ceaseless punishment in Hell. It is interesting that many of the antediluvian patriarchs have a specific record of the length of their lives, but none of the line of Cain have any lifespan records! It is almost like God is saying their godless lives were not worth recording their lifespans. THOUGHT- Cain's story is so tragic because it did not have to end this way. If Cain had only humbled himself, yielded to Yahweh and responded to His appeal to master the sin in Ge 4:7! Remember Paul's warning in 1Cor 10:11+ "Now these things happened to them (SPEAKS PRIMARILY OF ISRAEL BUT ONE COULD APPLY THE PRINCIPLE TO CAIN'S LIFE) as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." NET NOTE on it will no longer yield its strength - Hebrew - “it will not again (תֹסֵף, tosef) give (תֵּת, tet),” meaning the ground will no longer yield. In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb, and the imperfect verb form becomes adverbial. Believer's Study Bible - His boastful pride in the fruits he had been able to grow from the cursed earth had been the occasion of his sin, but now he would no longer be able to till the ground even for his own food. Those who trust in their own good works eventually find it impossible to produce them any more. Victor Hamilton - In some ways it is a fate worse than death. It is to lose all sense of belonging and identification with a community. It is to become rootless and detached. Perhaps we, the readers, should at this point view Cain not so much as a villain but as a tragic character. Cain, once a farmer, is now ousted from civilization and is to become a vagabond. Rootlessness is the punishment and the wilderness is the refuge of the sinner. One need only recall that in biblical typology the representatives of such wanderers are Ishmael and Esau. (See context The Book of Genesis) A vagabond has no home; a fugitive is running from home; a stranger is away from home; but a pilgrim is heading home -- Warren Wiersbe You will be a vagrant (nua) and a wanderer (nud) on the earth - NET = "You will be a homeless wanderer on the earth." CSB = You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." NLT = "homeless fugitive on the earth, constantly wandering from place to place." Young's Literal = "a wanderer, even a trembling one, thou art in the earth." The Greek Septuagint is slightly different rendering it you shall "groaning and trembling on the earth." Clearly, however you translated the Hebrew text, the picture is one of misery, loss, and loneliness. THOUGHT- Isn't that what it feels like when we are out of fellowship with our heavenly Father? “Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” -- Augustine Cain's unbelieving heart remained restless for the rest of his life! NET NOTE on a vagrant (nua) and a wanderer (nud) on the earth - Two similar sounding synonyms are used here: נָע וָנָד (na’ vanad, “a wanderer and a fugitive”). This juxtaposition of synonyms emphasizes the single idea. In translation one can serve as the main description, the other as a modifier. Other translation options include “a wandering fugitive” and a “ceaseless wanderer” (cf. NIV). Leonard Coppes says "He was not only driven away from his parents, but was condemned to be an unstable person (nua) and a homeless wanderer (nud). (See TWOT online) Strength (power) (03581) koah/koach means power, capacity or ability and thus speaks of power in the sense of the inherent potential to perform some function. Koah is the capacity to act and be able to produce. The Lord’s right hand is magnificent in strength (koah). The Lxx translates koah with the Greek noun ischus, which describes the capability to function effectively. Koach i sused 3x in Genesis - Gen. 4:12; Gen. 31:6; Gen. 49:3 Vagrant (05128)(nua) conveys the primary idea of a repetitive, to and fro movement -- These movements can be on a relatively small scale expressed by ideas such as shaking, reeling, or swaying. Or they can be on a geographic scale calling for meanings such as "to wander about.". to quiver, wave, waver, tremble, totter, stagger, wander. A person physically shaking or trembling from fear (Ex 20:18) A person's lips quivering or mumbling (1Sa 1:13). Wandering of Israel in the wilderness (Nu 32:13; cf. Amos 4:8). To move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or back and forth, often as a sign of fear or anguish in a person. Some of the uses mean to wander in a nomadic, random (Ge 4:12; Ps 59:16]; Pr 109:10) or make wander (Nu 32:13; 2Sa 15:20; Ps 59:12,16). Sailors in a stormy sea are said to "stagger" like drunkards (Ps. 107:27); the ways of an adulterer are called "unstable" (Prov. 5:6); beggars "totter" along in uncertainty (Ps. 109:10); lips "quiver" (1 Sam. 1:13); heads "wag" as a sign of contempt and insult (Lam. 2:15; Zeph. 2:15); and at times, doorposts, people, idols and the earth "tremble" (Isa. 6:4; Exo. 20:18; Isa. 19:1; 24:20, respectively). Nua - 36v - disturb(1), moving(1), reels(1), scatter(1), set trembling(1), shake(4), shaken(4), shook(1), stagger(3), staggered(1), swing to and fro(1), to and fro(1), tremble(1), trembled(2), unstable(1), vagrant(2), wag(2), wander(5), wandered(2), wave(4). Gen. 4:12; Gen. 4:14; Exod. 20:18; Num. 32:13; Jdg. 9:9; Jdg. 9:11; Jdg. 9:13; 1 Sam. 1:13; 2 Sam. 15:20; 2 Ki. 19:21; 2 Ki. 23:18; Job 16:4; Job 28:4; Ps. 22:7; Ps. 59:11; Ps. 59:15; Ps. 107:27; Ps. 109:10; Ps. 109:25; Prov. 5:6; Isa. 6:4; Isa. 7:2; Isa. 19:1; Isa. 24:20; Isa. 29:9; Isa. 37:22; Jer. 14:10; Lam. 2:15; Lam. 4:14; Lam. 4:15; Dan. 10:10; Amos 4:8; Amos 8:12; Amos 9:9; Nah. 3:12; Zeph. 2:15 Wanderer (05110)(nud) basically denotes a going back and forth. It is applied to a physical movement or an attitude. To move to and fro (as the head of one falling asleep), wander, flutter, show grief. The basic meaning, to wander aimlessly and/or homelessly (Ge 4:12,14) Leonard Coppes - That our root connotes aimless to and fro (wandering) movement is clear from 1 Kings 14:15 where it represents the action of a reed moved by water. Another example is Isaiah 24:20 where it represents the unsteady wavering movement of a drunk man. In Proverbs 26:2 it parallels a bird's "flying" signifying its aimless flitting motion (cf. KD, Jeremiah 4:1). This to and fro movement is also typical of the nodding of one's head "as a sign of pity that sympathizes with one and recognizes the magnitude of the evil" (KD; Psalm 69:20). Whether or not this action was always understood when this root appears is uncertain, but the attitude so symbolized is. The exile brings righteous and deserved judgment on Judah and, hence, none should nor would show them pity (Isaiah 51:19; Jeremiah 15:5). Other nations judged by God receive similar treatment, i.e. God declares that no one should or would have pity on them (Jeremiah 48:17; Nahum 3:7). Jeremiah says that the magnitude of Judah's punishment will be so great that it will be fruitless to mourn nûd for the dead king Josiah in view of the calamities that will come upon his successors (Jeremiah 22:10). Individuals in deep trouble are objects of sympathy (Job 2:11; Job 42:11; Psalm 69:20). The nodding of one's head may connote astonishment (Jeremiah 18:16); even more forceful nodding connotes scornful rejection (Jeremiah 48:17; Psalm 64:8; cf. Psalm 22:8), or deep mourning (Jeremiah 31:17). Our verb often signifies "flight away from" (cf. nûs, nādad). In Psalm 11:1 David asserts that Jehovah is his refuge and chides his enemies for advising him to seek another refuge. Jeremiah clearly uses our verb interchangeably with nādad (cf. Jeremiah 49:30, 5; Jeremiah 50:3, 8). God tells his people (Leviticus 26:17, 28; cf. Dt. 28:7) that victory and safety depend on his presence, and that his presence depends on their obedience (cf. nûs). This idea is reflected in 2 Kings 21:8. David reminding God of the ancient promise prays that the evildoers will not be allowed to drive him away (into exile, KD; Psalm 36:11). (See TWOT online) Nud - 24x/24v - console(1), consoled(1), drive away(1), flee(2), flitting(1), grieve(1), grieving(1), mourn(4), shake(2), shaken(1), sympathize(1), sympathy(1), totters(1), wander(2), wandered(1), wanderer(2), waver(1). Gen. 4:12; Gen. 4:14; 1 Ki. 14:15; 2 Ki. 21:8; Job 2:11; Job 42:11; Ps. 11:1; Ps. 36:11; Ps. 69:20; Prov. 26:2; Isa. 24:20; Isa. 51:19; Jer. 4:1; Jer. 15:5; Jer. 16:5; Jer. 18:16; Jer. 22:10; Jer. 31:18; Jer. 48:17; Jer. 48:27; Jer. 49:30; Jer. 50:3; Jer. 50:8; Nah. 3:7 QUESTION - What is the meaning of the phrase raising Cain? (See also Grammarist's discussion) ANSWER - The phrase raising Cain is an American idiom first recorded in the early to mid-nineteenth century, but its origin traces back to the Bible. To raise Cain means to cause a lot of trouble, to create a great commotion, or to behave in an uncontrolled, disruptive way. The word Cain is capitalized in the expression because it refers to the Old Testament Bible character Cain, the firstborn son of Adam and Eve who killed his brother Abel. Cain’s story takes place in Genesis 4 and begins with the two brothers bringing an offering to God. But there was something wrong with the offering Cain brought; in fact, there was something wrong with Cain himself: “The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor” (Genesis 4:4–5). Cain became angry because God rejected his offering. God warned him that he must control his anger, because “sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you” (verse 7). Cain refused to heed God’s word, and in a fit of jealous rage he murdered his brother Abel. For his crime, Cain was punished by God. The earth would no longer yield its fruitfulness to him, and he was destined to be “a restless wanderer on the earth” (Genesis 4:12). God marked Cain in some way so that he would be protected from those who sought to avenge Abel’s death: “The Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him” (verse 15). Cain lived the rest of his life under God’s curse. In the phrase raising Cain, the verb raising means “conjuring or summoning something like a spirit, demon, or ghost.” The usage of the verb in this sense has been around since the Middle Ages. Thus, raising Cain means literally “conjuring up the murderous spirit of Cain.” The idea is that the risen spirit of Cain would be a destructive force, capable of making serious trouble, acting wildly, violently, or causing a significant disturbance. For example, we might say, “The students are raising Cain while the teacher is out.” We don’t mean that the students are literally conjuring Cain’s evil spirit from the dead, only that they are completely out of control. Raising Cain also describes criminal activity or mischievous acts. For example, we might say, “The rival street gangs are raising Cain tonight.” It’s not that the street gangs are practicing necromancy but that they are engaging in criminality. To raise Cain is to act “in the spirit” of Cain. The phrase raising Cain is similar in meaning to the expressions raising hell and raising the devil. In fact, some use raising Cain as a euphemism to avoid saying the more profane raising hell. Incidentally, the first published example of the idiom appeared in this pun-based joke in the Daily Pennant, a St. Louis newspaper, on May 2, 1840: “Why have we every reason to believe that Adam and Eve were both rowdies? Because they both raised Cain.” A newer version of the joke goes something like this: “Adam and Eve were the world’s first troublemakers. They both raised Cain.” The Bible does not use the idiom raising Cain, but it describes that type of behavior: “They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well” (Galatians 5:21CEV). Those who raise Cain are acting according to the flesh, not the Holy Spirit, and they must repent of their deeds: “I told you before, and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God’s kingdom” (verse 21).GotQuestions.org Genesis 4:13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is too great to bear! LXE And Cain said to the Lord God, My crime is too great for me to be forgiven. BGT καὶ εἶπεν Καιν πρὸς τὸν κύριον μείζων ἡ αἰτία μου τοῦ ἀφεθῆναί με KJV And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. NET Then Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is too great to endure! CSB But Cain answered the LORD, "My punishment is too great to bear! ERV And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. ESV Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. NIV Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. NLT Cain replied to the LORD, "My punishment is too great for me to bear! NRS Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear! YLT And Cain saith unto Jehovah, 'Greater is my punishment than to be borne; GWN But Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can stand! NKJ And Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear! NAB Cain said to the LORD: "My punishment is too great to bear. NJB Cain then said to Yahweh, 'My punishment is greater than I can bear. ASV And Cain said unto Jehovah, My punishment is greater than I can bear. DBY And Cain said to Jehovah, My punishment is too great to be borne. BBE And Cain said, My punishment is greater than my strength. BHT wayyöº´mer qaºyin ´el-yhwh(´ädönäy) Gädôl `áwönî minnüSö´ NAS And Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is too great to bear! NIRV Cain said to the LORD, "You are punishing me more than I can take. RSV Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. RWB And Cain said to the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Job 15:22 Rev 16:9,11,21 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Cain or My Punishment is Greater than I can Bear by Edwin Roscoe Mullins CAIN'S CHILDISH COMPLAINT Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment ('avon) is too great to bear! - This curse staggered Cain and yet there is no conviction of sin, only concern for self! Self-pity instead of godly sorrow (2Co 7:9-10+). Cain's complaining reminds us of the idiomatic phrase "raising Cain," (see above) which basically speaks of causing trouble. Here Cain is troubling God and questioning God's perfect justice. In one swift stroke God decrees loss of fertility, family relationships and fellowship with Him! Indeed, the price was high for the first murder in the Bible. He was concerned only with his punishment, not with his character -- Warren Wiersbe THOUGHT - What Cain had sown, he would now reap, which is a good principle for all of us (believers and non-believers) to continually keep in the back of our minds, especially when we are contemplating committing willful sin against God (you've never done that have you?)! Willful sin cost Cain dearly! Cain was not confessing that his sin was great; he was complaining the punishment was too severe -- Allen Ross HCSB - Cain’s response has several possible English renderings. The HCSB—which reflects the unrepentant attitude Cain showed earlier—expresses Cain’s anguish, but no remorse. The Septuagint and Martin Luther translated it as, “My sin is too great to be forgiven,” while early rabbis took it as a question: “Is my sin too great to forgive?” In view of Cain’s previous and later actions, the HCSB’s translation (my punishment is too great to bear!) seems best. (See context in CSB Study Bible) Robert Neighbour - The poor man felt quite differently about his own curse, than he did about Abel’s ‘death. He bemoaned himself, more than he did his brother. He said unto God, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.” So it is with sin. Sin wrecks; sin slays. Sin takes the light out of the eye, the color out of the cheek, the joy out of the heart. What untold agony has been wrought by sin! (Wells of Living Water) Alfred Edersheim - even this punishment, though “greater” than Cain “can bear,” leads him not to repentance, only to fear of its consequences Alan Ross sums up the pathology of Cain - Cain fell to the prey of the crouching evil and eventually went out to form a godless society, rejecting God's way. The "way of Cain" (Jude 1:11), then, is a lack of faith which shows itself in envy of God's dealings with the righteous, in murderous acts, in denial of responsibility, and in refusal to accept God's punishment. (See context in The Bible Knowledge Commentary) Gerhard von Rad [Ge 4:13–14] - Under the weight of this curse Cain goes to pieces, though not in remorse. The 'avon of which Cain speaks and which he thinks himself unable to bear is the punishment for sin. It is a cry of horror at the prospect of such a life of unrest and harassment without peace. Cain sees immediately that a life far from God is a life that God no longer protects. Once God has withdrawn his hand from him, all others will fall upon him. (See context in Genesis, Revised Edition: A Commentary) Punishment (05771) 'avon from verb 'avah = to bend, twist, distort) describes the iniquity, evil, punishment or guilt which is associated with a twisting of the standard or deviation from it. Since there is a deliberate twisting or perverting, 'avon describes sin that is particularly evil. Avon came to be used for the guilty feelings that went with the iniquity and the punishment for it NET NOTE adds that "The primary meaning of the Hebrew word עָוֹן ('avon) is “sin, iniquity.” But by metonymy it can refer to the “guilt” of sin, or to “punishment” for sin. The third meaning applies here. Just before this the LORD announces the punishment for Cain’s actions, and right after this statement Cain complains of the severity of the punishment. Cain is not portrayed as repenting of his sin." 'Avon in Genesis - Gen. 4:13; Gen. 15:16; Gen. 19:15; Gen. 44:16; QUESTION - Why wasn’t Cain’s punishment death (Genesis 4:14)? ANSWER - After Cain killed his brother Abel, God gave the following judgment to Cain: “And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth” (Genesis 4:11-12). It would seem to many that Cain received a lesser punishment than he deserved for murder. Why wasn’t Cain given capital punishment? First, the punishment he received was severe. Cain believed it to be worse than death. He replied to God, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me” (Genesis 4:13-14). Previously, Cain had been “a tiller of the ground” (Genesis 4:2, NKJV), so this particular punishment took away his livelihood. In addition, Cain feared death at the hands of another person. To prevent others from killing Cain, God marked him somehow (what type of mark is uncertain). Instead of being put to death, Cain was forced to live the rest of his life with unfruitful work and the guilt of having killed his brother. Second, God had additional plans for Cain’s life. Cain’s family line is found in the verses that follow the pronouncement of his judgment. Many notable achievements are attributed to Cain’s family members (Genesis 4:20-22). On a negative note, a descendant named Lamech is mentioned as also committing murder. While the reason for this detail is not given, one possible explanation is to reveal that the judgment upon Cain extended to some of his descendants who also lived violently. Another reason some suggest for Cain’s punishment not being death was that there were too few people on the earth. While this is one possible reason, it is not given as a clear answer in the text of Scripture. Instead, Cain had a wife (one of Adam and Eve’s other descendants) and built a town. Adam and Eve had Seth and certainly other children who provided the world’s other initial inhabitants. Later, when God instituted the Noahic Covenant, murder became a capital crime (Genesis 9:6). The death penalty was codified in the Mosaic Law in Numbers 35:30-31, 33. Cain lived before God required death as a punishment for murder. So, God provided an appropriate punishment. The Judge of all the earth always does right (Genesis 18:25). GotQuestions.org Genesis 4:14 "Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." You have driven me this day- Job 15:20-24 Pr 14:32 28:1 Isa 8:22 Ho 13:3 from the face of the ground - Ge 4:16 Job 21:14,15 Ps 51:11-14 143:7 Mt 25:41,46 2Th 1:9 I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth - De 28:65 Ps 109:10 whoever finds me will kill me- Ge 4:15 9:5,6 Lev 26:17,36 Nu 17:12,13 35:19,21,27 2Sa 14:7 Job 15:20-24 Pr 28:1 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries CAIN REHEARSES CURSE AND FEARS VENGEANCE Behold You have driven (garas; Lxx - ekbállō = eject by force, throw out, expel) me this day from the face (panim/paniym) of the ground; and from Your face (panim/paniym) I will be hidden - Cain was driven from the face of the earth but far worse from the face of God! Cain is banished from God's presence, which is how Paul describes eternal punishment in 2Th 1:9+ when all unbelievers "will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power!" This same verb was used to describe his father Adam's fate in Genesis 3:24+ "So He drove the man out (garas; Lxx - ekbállō = eject by force, throw out, expel); and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life." Note Adam was only driven out of the Garden, but Cain was driven from the soil! NET NOTE on from Your face I will be hidden - I must hide from your presence. The motif of hiding from the LORD as a result of sin also appears in Gen 3:8–10. “Oh, to have no Christ, no Saviour, How dark this world must be; Like a steamer lost and driven On a wild and shoreless sea; Oh, to have no Christ, no Saviour, No rock, no refuge nigh thee When the powers of darkness gather; How sad thy lot must be!” And I will be a vagrant (nua) and a wanderer (nud) on the earth - Cain acknowledges his punishment as a restless, nomadic wanderer on the earth. THOUGHT - R. Neighbour applies this picture of Cain's curse -- The sinner is a fugitive and a vagabond. He is ever seeking something to alleviate his pain, and to quiet his sense of sin. To do this he gives himself over to the pursuit of sinful pleasure. He dives deep into the ocean of lustful carnalities, trying to drown out the voice of his conscience. His sin is ever before him.(Wells of Living Water) And whoever finds me will kill (harag; Lxx - apokteino) me - To whom does this refer? Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters (Ge 5:4) and since they were kin of murdered Abel, there would be a desire to avenge his murder by taking Cain's life. Ross - The passage then reminds us of the primitive instinct that is in mankind to seek vengeance, even if the offense lies long in the past. But God sought to check this instinct with a mark on Cain, just as he would do later with the cities of refuge. To be sure, under the law there were many more rulings to be applied, but God used the same principle to prevent widespread, unchecked revenge killings. The stories are therefore about actual events in the beginnings of the family, but they are also archetypal as regards human nature in general.(See context in Genesis) Notice how Cain's sin brought fear, the dread of death by murder, the very sin he committed. Sin is often like that, having even a "boomerang-like" effect. The warning message is think before you "throw that boomerang!" THOUGHT - Mark it down beloved. When we sin wantonly against God, there will be consequences including fear. Related Resource: Jesus Our Kinsman Redeemer and Blood Avenger Driven (01644) garas is a verb that means to cast out, drive out. Garash depicts God driving Adam and Eve from Eden (Ge 3:24), God driving Cain from His presence (Ge 4:14), Jonah expelled from God's sight (Jonah 2:4), Pharaoh driving out the Israelites (Ex 6:1; 12:39), Pharaoh driving Moses and Aaron from his presence (Ex. 10:11), repeatedly used of God driving out Israel's enemies (Ex 23:28-31, 33:2, 34:11, Dt 33:27, Jos. 24:12, Ps. 78:55, Ps. 80:8 contrast result because of Israel's disobedience - Jdg 2:3-note, Hos. 9:15) . It is used in the general sense of banishing outcasts from society (Job 30:5). In its figurative usage, it indicates divorcing one’s wife (Lev. 21:7). It describes the sea or a river as driven and tossed (Isa. 57:20; Amos 8:8). The word is also used of a divorced woman in Lev. 21:7, a woman that is “put away from her husband.” Garas is used 3 times in Genesis - Ge 3:24, Ge 4:14, Ge 21:10. QUESTION - Of whom was Cain afraid after he killed Abel? ANSWER - In Genesis 4:13-14, shortly after he killed his brother Abel, “Cain said to the LORD, ‘My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.’” Whom exactly was Cain afraid of? The only people the book of Genesis had mentioned to this point are Adam and Eve (Cain’s parents) and Abel (who was now dead). Who would possibly be a threat to Cain? It is important to recognize that Cain and Abel were both full-grown adults at the time that Cain killed Abel. Both Cain and Abel were farmers, who tended to their own lands and flocks (Genesis 4:2-4). The Bible does not tell us how old Cain and Abel were, but they very likely could have been in their 30’s or 40’s. The Bible does not specifically mention Adam and Eve having any children between Abel and Seth (Genesis 4:25). However, it is highly unlikely that the two most perfect human beings in the history of the world, Adam and Eve, would not have any children over several decades. Adam and Eve had many children after Seth (Genesis 5:4), so why would they not also have had other children between Abel and Seth? The Bible does not say that Seth was Adam and Eve’s first child, or even first son, after Abel was killed. Rather, it states that Seth was born as a “replacement” for Abel. Genesis chapter 5 traces the genealogy of Seth. Prior to his death, Abel was likely the “chosen” son that would eventually produce the Messiah (Genesis 3:15). It is in this sense that Seth “replaced” Abel. So, whom was Cain afraid of? Cain was afraid of his own brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces, who were already born and would be capable of seeking revenge. The fact that Cain had a wife (Genesis 4:17) is a further evidence that Adam and Eve had other children after Cain and Abel, but before Seth. GotQuestions.org Genesis 4:15 So the LORD said to him, "Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him. So - 1Ki 16:7 Ps 59:11 Hos 1:4 Mt 26:52 sevenfold - Ge 4:24 Lev 26:18,21,24,28 Ps 79:12 Pr 6:31 the LORD appointed a sign for Cain - Ezek 9:4,6 Rev 14:9,11 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Ezekiel 9:4-6+ The LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark (tav) on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.” 5 But to the others He said in my hearing, “Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare. 6 “Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark (tav) ; and you shall start from My sanctuary.” So they started with the elders who were before the temple. THE PROTECTING MARK OF A MARKED MAN So - Term of conclusion. God bestows amazing grace on Cain. We often define grace as God's unmerited favor. There could hardly be a better example of unmerited favor (cf Ex 34:6–7) than Cain's being the recipient of Yahweh's undeserved protection as a murderer! We often hear this aspect of God's grace referred to as "common grace." Note God in His great mercy made Himself Cain's Protector giving him two protective provisions - (1) warning to a potential avenger (how this was communicated to those on the earth at this time is not stated but clearly it was communicated) and (2) a sign to Cain. In a sense He functions somewhat like a goel for Cain. Remember mercy is God not giving us what we deserve (Cain deserved death) and grace is Him giving us what we do not deserve (a protective warning and sign). the LORD said to him, "Therefore whoever kills (harag; Lxx - apokteino) Cain, vengeance (naqam) will be taken on him sevenfold." - NLT = ""They will not kill you, for I will give seven times your punishment to anyone who does." This divine warning appears to have effectively countered anyone's desire to slay Cain because there is no record that anyone killed him. Sevenfold is a figure of speech meaning fullness or completeness and thus the certainty and severity of divine vengeance on any prospective "vigilante." NET NOTE on sevenfold - The symbolic number seven is used here to emphasize that the offender will receive severe punishment. For other rhetorical and hyperbolic uses of the expression “seven times over,” see Ps 12:6; Ps 79:12; Pr 6:31; Isa 30:26. And the LORD appointed a sign ('oth) for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay (nāḵāh) him - Cain knew he was a "marked man," (so to speak) and Abel's brethren would seek to avenge his murder. So God gave the marked man a mark to prevent anyone from killing him. As discussed below, the sign God put on Cain is not stated, but only that the sign would prevent others from slaying him. Thus presumably the sign was something readily visible and somehow the LORD's prohibition against killing Cain was relayed to all the offspring. Wiersbe makes a fascinating point that "Cain became a “walking sermon” on the grace of God and the tragic consequences of sin. What a picture of humankind today: restless, hopeless, wandering, defeated!" Sadly apparently none of Cain's line heard and heeded the sermon! (See context in Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament) Ross - So God in his grace protected Cain by some mark that would be a deterrent to an avenger (Ge 4:15). Here we see how God made himself Cain’s protector. This is the beginning of common grace, the protection of the godless in the world, even though they do not trust the Lord. Even with that goodness of God, Cain defied him yet again and settled in the east, in the land of Nod (which means “wandering”) and built a city. The subject of chapter 4 is the spread of sin in the family and in society, producing a godless society....The “way of Cain” (Jude 1:11KJV), then, is a lack of faith that reveals itself in envy of God’s dealings with the righteous, in murderous acts, in denial of responsibility, and in refusal to accept God’s punishment.(See context in Genesis) NET NOTE on sign - Heb “sign”; “reminder.” The term “sign” is not used in the translation because it might imply to an English reader that God hung a sign on Cain. The text does not identify what the “sign” was. It must have been some outward, visual reminder of Cain’s special protected status. Gerhard von Rad - [Ge 4:15–16] But the narrative surprisingly does not conclude with this picture of the condemned murderer. Indeed, one must say that only now does it reach its most important point: Cain does not have the last word in this story, but rather God, who now places Cain’s forfeited life under strict protection. Yahweh obviously placed the sign on Cain’s body; the narrator appears to be thinking of a tattoo or something similar. This sign, however, is not to disgrace him but to refer to that mysterious protective relationship in which Cain henceforth will be held by God. The conclusion of the story, according to which Cain then goes forth “away from the presence of the Lord,” completely sharpens the riddle of his future existence: because of his murder he is cursed by separation from God and yet incomprehensibly guarded and supported by God’s protection. Even his life belongs to God, and he does not abandon it. A land of Nod is geographically unknown to us; more important is the fact that the Hebrew recognized in the name his word nad, “fugitive” (v. 12). It is therefore the land of restlessness. (See context in Genesis, Revised Edition: A Commentary) Vengeance (05358) naqam means to avenge, take vengeance, revenge, avenge oneself, be avenged, be punished. (Qal) to avenge, take vengeance, to entertain revengeful feelings. (Niphal) to avenge oneself, to suffer vengeance (Piel) to avenge. The first use in Ge 4:15 has "whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." In Lev 19:18 individual in Israel are instructed "You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people" On the other hand Yahweh has the right to vengeance declaring "I will also bring upon you a sword which will execute vengeance for the covenant." (Lev 26:25). The last OT use in Nahum 1:2 gives us a good sense of the meaning as it applies to divine vengeance - "A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies." God allows and uses men to take vengeance as Numbers 31 and also in the case of Samson when he "called to the LORD and said, “O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.” (Jdg 16:28) Sign (0226) 'oth means a signal, a mark a miracle and is used to describe amazing events such as God bringing Israel out of Egypt (Ex 4:8, 9, Nu 14:22) or a sign serving to authenticate the message as from God (1Sa 2:34, 10:7, 9) in contrast to the signs from false prophets (Dt 13:1, 2). 'Oth includes what amounts to a "signboard" or "standard" (Nu 2:2). In the first use in Genesis 1:14 (cf Jer 10:2), it refers to the luminaries serving as "signs" to distinguish the seasons. In Genesis 9:12-13, 17, the rainbow is a "sign" of the covenant. Circumcision is the sign in Ge 17:11. The Sabbath is a "sign," (Ex 31:13, 17, Ezek 20:12). Most of the eighty occurrences refer to "miraculous signs." E.g., all the plagues on the Egyptians are called "signs." See Ezekiel 9:4 comments for a mark on the forehead that would protect men from being slain. Slay (strike)(05221) nāḵāh means to beat, to strike, to wound and ranges from hitting to killing. There are many instances of striking physically (Ex. 21:15, 19; Job 16:10; Ps. 3:7[8]; Song 5:7). Of Yahweh smiting the firstborn (Nu 3:13, 8:17), His own people (Nu 11:33). Of Moses striking the rock twice resulting in his not being allowed to enter the Promised Land (Nu 20:11) Frequently, nākhāh is related to the Israelite conquest of Canaan. God used disease to smite the inhabitants of Canaan (Num. 14:12). QUESTION - What was the mark that God put on Cain (Genesis 4:15)? ANSWER - After Cain killed his brother Abel, God declared to Cain, "Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth" (Genesis 4:11-12). In response, Cain lamented, "My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me" (Genesis 4:13-14). God responded, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him" (Genesis 4:15-16). The nature of the mark on Cain has been the subject of much debate and speculation. The Hebrew word translated "mark" is 'owth and refers to a “mark, sign, or token.” Elsewhere in the Hebrew Scriptures, 'owth is used 79 times and is most frequently translated as "sign." So, the Hebrew word does not identify the exact nature of the mark God put on Cain. Whatever it was, it was a sign/indicator that Cain was not to be killed. Some propose that the mark was a scar, or some kind of tattoo. Whatever the case, the precise nature of the mark is not the focus of the passage. The focus is that God would not allow people to exact vengeance against Cain. Whatever the mark on Cain was, it served this purpose. In the past, many believed the mark on Cain to be dark skin—that God changed the color of Cain’s skin to black in order to identify him. Since Cain also received a curse, the belief that the mark was black skin caused many to believe that people of dark skin were cursed. Many used the “mark of Cain” teaching as a justification for the African slave trade and discrimination against people with black/dark skin. This interpretation of the mark of Cain is completely unbiblical. Nowhere in the Hebrew Scriptures is 'owth used to refer to skin color. The curse on Cain in Genesis chapter 4 was on Cain himself. Nothing is said of Cain’s curse being passed on to his descendants. There is absolutely no biblical basis to claim that Cain’s descendants had dark skin. Further, unless one of Noah’s sons' wives was a descendant of Cain (possible but unlikely), Cain’s line was terminated by the Flood. What was the mark that God put on Cain? The Bible does not say. The meaning of the mark, that Cain was not to be killed, was more important than the nature of the mark itself. Whatever the mark was, it had no connection to skin color or a generational curse on the descendants of Cain. To use the mark on Cain as an excuse for racism or discrimination is absolutely unbiblical.GotQuestions.org QUESTION - What is common grace? ANSWER - The doctrine of common grace pertains to the sovereign grace of God bestowed upon all of mankind regardless of their election. In other words, God has always bestowed His graciousness on all people in all parts of the earth at all times. Although the doctrine of common grace has always been clear in Scripture, in 1924, the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) adopted the doctrine of common grace at the Synod of Kalamazoo (Michigan) and formulated what is known as the “three points of common grace.” The first point pertains to the favorable attitude of God toward all His creatures, not only toward the elect. “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made” (Psalm 145:9). Jesus said God causes “his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45) and God “is kind to the ungrateful and wicked” (Luke 6:35). Barnabas and Paul would later say the same thing: “He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy” (Acts 14:17). In addition to His compassion, goodness, and kindness, God also sheds His patience upon both the elect and the non-elect. While God’s patience for His own is undoubtedly different from His patience with those whom He has not chosen, God still exercises “longsuffering” toward those whom He has not chosen (Nahum 1:3). Every breath that the wicked man takes is an example of the mercy of our holy God. The second point of common grace is the restraint of sin in the life of the individual and in society. Scripture records God directly intervening and restraining individuals from sinning. In Genesis 20, God restrained Abimelech from touching Sarah, Abraham’s wife, and affirmed it to him in a dream by saying, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her” (Genesis 20:6). Another example of God restraining the wicked hearts of evil men is seen in God’s protection of the land of Israel from being invaded by the pagan nations on their border. God commanded the men of Israel that three times a year they would leave their plot of land to go and appear before Him (Exodus 34:23). To ensure the protection of God’s people from invasion during these times, even though the pagan nations surrounding them desired their land year-round, God promised that “no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God” (Exodus 34:24). God also restrained David from taking revenge on Nabal for scorning the messengers that David sent to greet Nabal (1 Samuel 25:14). Abigail, Nabal’s wife, recognized God’s grace when she pleaded with David not to seek vengeance against her husband, “since the Lord has kept you, my master, from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands…” (1 Samuel 25:26). David acknowledged this truth by responding, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you…” (1 Samuel 25:34). This second point of common grace not only includes God’s restraining of evil, but also His sovereignly releasing it for His purposes. When God hardens the hearts of individuals (Exodus 4:21; Joshua 11:20; Isaiah 63:17), He does so by releasing His restraint on their hearts, thereby giving them over to the sin that resides there. In His punishment of Israel for their rebellion, God gave “them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices” (Psalm 81:11-12). The passage of Scripture best known for speaking of God’s releasing of restraint is found in Romans 1 where Paul describes those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. God “gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another” (Romans 1:28). The third point of common grace as adopted by the CRC pertains to “civic righteousness by the unregenerate.” This means that God, without renewing the heart, exercises such influence that even the unsaved man is enabled to perform good deeds toward his fellow man. As Paul said of a group of unregenerate Gentiles, they “do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law” (Romans 2:14). The necessity of God restraining the hearts of the unredeemed becomes clear when we understand the biblical doctrine of total depravity. If God did not restrain the evil that resides in the hearts of all men, hearts which are “deceitful and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9), humanity would have destroyed itself centuries ago. But because He works through common grace given to all men, God’s sovereign plan for history is not thwarted by their evil hearts. In the doctrine of common grace, we see God’s purposes stand, His people blessed, and His glory magnified. GotQuestions.org Sheep Thief or Saint? And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. Ge 4:15 The story is told of two brothers, convicted of stealing sheep, who were branded on the forehead with the letters ST, to indicate “sheep thief.” The one couldn’t bear the stigma, became bitter, and moved away. Eventually he died and was forgotten. The other brother chose a different course. He said, “I can’t run from what I did, so I’ll stay here and win back the respect of my neighbors and myself.” As the years passed, he built a solid reputation for integrity. One day a stranger saw him, now an old man, with the letters on his forehead. He asked a townsman what they signified. “It happened a long time ago,” said the villager. “I’ve forgotten the particulars, but I think the letters are an abbreviation for ‘saint’”. Cain too was a marked man who, like that first brother in the story, never thought beyond the severity of his punishment to the severity of his sin. He didn’t realize that his “brand” was a blessing as well as a curse. It held in check the vengeance of his fellowmen so that he wouldn't be killed. God was granting Cain an opportunity to acknowledge his wrong, to plead for mercy, and to wipe out his reputation as a murderer. How tragic that he chose not to! Once I was foolish, and sin ruled my heart, Causing my footsteps from God to depart; Jesus has found me, happy my case— I now am a sinner saved by grace! - Gray You may have had a bad start in life, but you need not have a bad ending. Genesis 4:16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD- Ge 4:14 3:8 Ex 20:18 2Ki 13:23 24:20 Job 1:12 2:7 20:17 Ps 5:11 Ps 68:2 Jer 23:39 52:3 Joh 1:3,10 Mt 18:20 Lu 13:26 1Th 1:9 Nod - So called from {nad,} "a vagabond," which Cain is termed in ver. 12. Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Cain fleeing before Jehovah's Curse, by Fernand-Anne Piestre Cormon, c. 1880 CAIN'S LOSS OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD Then Cain went out from the presence (panim/paniym) of the LORD - This is a very sad phrase - literally from the face of God! Alienated from his Creator (forever!) Cain would never again experience fellowship with Yahweh. Kenneth Matthews - Cain expresses no inkling of remorse, only self-pity and resentment. That Cain does not receive divine forgiveness is shown by his expulsion “from the LORD’S presence” (See context in Genesis - New American Commentary) Cain's separation from God is a foreshadowing of the greater separation of all who follow in the path of Cain, Paul explaining For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, (2Th 1:6-9+) THOUGHT - Note that the penalty Paul describes is not "hellfire and brimstone" (which also awaits all souls not saved in Christ) but the unspeakable tragedy of eternal separation of every unsaved creature from their Creator. If this does not break your heart and motivate you to share the Gospel with relatives, friends, etc, then nothing will! One is also reminded of John's words in 1Jn 1:6-7 that relate to a believer's fellowship with God... "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness (WHICH IS THE WAY OF CAIN), we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but (PRAISE GOD FOR THIS TRUTH) if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son (CONTINUALLY) cleanses us from all sin." And settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden - Nod is from the verb nud used in Ge 4:12, 14 which means to wander aimlessly or homelessly. One might say Cain lived in a land of "aimless wandering." How far "east of Eden" we do not know. It is best not to conjecture lest we miss the most important "location" - away from the presence of his Creator! That is the loneliest place in the universe! This is the only mention of Nod in Scripture and it is never again mentioned, even as Cain's family line is never again mentioned after Genesis 4 (the Lamech in Genesis 5 is not the Lamech of Genesis 4). NOD [ISBE] - nod (nodh): The land to which Cain migrated after the murder of his brother and his banishment by Yahweh (Gen 4:16). Conjecture is useless as to the region intended. The ideas of China, India, etc., which some have entertained, are groundless. The territory was evidently at some distance, but where is now undiscoverable. Wikipedia - Josephus wrote in Antiquities of the Jews (c. AD 93) that Cain continued his wickedness in Nod: resorting to violence and robbery; establishing weights and measures; transforming human culture from innocence into craftiness and deceit; establishing property lines; and building a fortified city.[6][7] Allen Ross summarizes this first section of Genesis 4 - Several Mosaic motifs were founded here: (1) Sacrifices should be offered to God from a heart of faith, and should be the best of the livestock, the firstborn (Ge 4:4). (2) Israelites had responsibilities to their brothers—they were each other's keepers and must not kill one another. (3) Homicidal blood polluted the land, crying out for vengeance—spilled blood raised its voice of accusation (Ge 4:10). (4) Blood revenge was averted by God through protective care, just as later removal to a city of refuge would avert an avenger. (5) Punishment for guilt was at the foundation of Israel’s theocracy. (6) Life without God is a dangerous life without protection. (7) Sometimes the elder was rejected in favor of the younger, turning the normative societal custom around. (See context in The Bible Knowledge Commentary) James Butler - DISINTEREST IN GOD Genesis 4:16 Sermon Starters “Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden” (Genesis 4:16) The record of Cain, the first child of Adam and Eve, is the record of multitudes of people in every age. He was not interested in God and thus did not want to be where God was. FIRST—THE CAUSE OF HIS DISINTEREST The cause of Cain’s disinterest in God was sin. It came as a result of his murdering of his brother Abel. • The event of his sin. This event is recorded in the first part of Genesis 4. It involved a sacrifice. Cain’s was without blood. The modernist and apostate who preach a bloodless theology (leave out the necessity of the blood of Christ for the cleansing of sin) persecute those who believe in the necessity of the blood of Christ for the cleansing of sin and so Cain murdered Abel. • The effect of the sin. Sin does not make us want to be around God. The cause behind the anti-God attitude in our society is sin. You cannot tolerate abortion, homosexualism, gambling, and other sins and still desire to be in God’s presence. If you are starting to miss church, your daily devotions etc. you probably have a sin problem. SECOND—THE CONDUCT OF HIS DISINTEREST “Cain went out from the presence of the Lord.” Cain intentionally moved. He moved away from God. It is true that God is omnipresence and in a sense you can never get away from God. • The company in Cain’s attitude. Cain did not want to be where God was. So Cain will prefer the company of the wicked. Your companions tell us a lot about your interest in God. • The comparison of his attitude. Cain and Moses were a contrast in their attitude about God’s presence. Cain did not want God’s presence but Moses did not want to go anywhere without it (Exodus 33:15). THIRD—THE COUNTRY OF HIS DISINTEREST “Dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.” Cain lived in the land of Nod. The word “Nod” means to wander. When you leave the presence of God you will wander. Nod may have popularity, possessions, and position as Cain had in Nod but it is the land of the aimless, the dissatisfied, and the restless. • The country of dissatisfaction. “Nod” is like the world, it does not satisfy, it is the land of the wandering spirit. “Ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). Cain’s dissatisfaction is described by Solomon who said he tried everything and found that “All was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:11). • The country of dishonor. “East of Eden” Eden was where God’s honor was. Man was prohibited from entering Eden because man would not honor God’s Word. Cain lived apart from Eden because he would not honor God’s word. Genesis 4:17 Cain had relations with his wife and she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch; and he built a city, and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son. Enoch - Ge 5:18,22 and he - Ge 11:4 Ec 2:4-11 Da 4:30 Lu 17:28,29 the name - 2Sa 18:18 Ps 49:11 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries CAIN'S FAMILY TREE THE LINE OF CAIN Wenham sums up this last section "With the aid of a genealogy from Adam to Lameck, the seventh generation, it traces the development of technology and arts on the one hand and the growth of violence on the other. Only in the last two verses introducing the descendants of Seth do we have glimmers of hope, for from him, as chap. 5 will describe, descended Noah, the survivor of the flood, and it was in Enosh’s day that the public worship of God was reintroduced. “At that time people began to call on the name of the LORD.” (See context in Genesis 1-15, Volume 1) Genesis 4:17-24 describes Cain's line, which apparently were all godless and yet they made significant contributions in the form of tents, music, and implements (possibly also weapons). Cain had relations (yada; Lxx - ginosko = know experientially, intimately) with his wife (ishshah) and she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch; and he built a city, and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son - "Cain 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." (Ge 4:17NET) It is doubtful that his wife was a daughter of Adam. Can you imagine Cain seeking Adam's permission to marry his daughter! Note this is the first city mentioned in the Bible and it was built by a man who was cursed. Notice that Cain's building a city is one last act of defiance against God (he was to be a wanderer not a builder!) The psalmist spoke of the ungodly like those descended from Cain who give their names to works in what seems like a vain attempt to achieve some degree of immortality (Ps 49:10-12) For he sees that even wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike perish And leave their wealth to others. 11 Their (FUTILE) inner thought is that their houses are forever And their dwelling places to all generations; They have called their lands after their own names. 12 But man in his pomp will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish. HCSB has an interesting note on comparison of Adam and Cain - The parallel tracks of Adam’s and Cain’s lives—sin, judgment by God, banishment, and eastward movement—continue with the notation that after these things Cain was intimate with his wife (cp. Ge 4:1). In spite of his grave sin, Cain still fulfilled the divine command to be fruitful and multiply (Ge 1:28). On the other hand, Cain’s efforts to become the builder of a city were one more expression of disobedience to God, for God had ordained Cain to be a wanderer (Ge 4:12). The city of Enoch is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible, and its location is unknown. Cain’s genealogy in Ge 4:17–24 has similarities with Seth’s genealogy (Ge 5:3–32). Two of the names in both lines are identical (Enoch, Lamech) and others are similar (Cain/Kenan; Methushael/Methuselah). In addition, the seventh member of both genealogies (Cain’s Lamech, Seth’s Enoch) are given special emphasis, and both conclude with a person who has three named sons. Notable differences exist as well: Seth’s genealogy is longer and contains lifespan details, but it omits any mention of occupations or wives’ names. (See context in CSB Study Bible) Norman Geisler - GENESIS 4:12–13—Why wasn’t Cain given capital punishment for the murder he committed? PROBLEM: In the OT, murderers were given capital punishment for their crime (Gen. 9:6; Ex. 21:12). Yet Cain was not only set free after murdering his brother, but he was protected from any avenger (Gen. 4:15). SOLUTION: There are several reasons why Cain was not executed for his capital crime. First, God had not yet established capital punishment as an instrument of human government (cf. Rom. 13:1–4). Only after violence filled the earth in the days before the flood did God say, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man” (Gen. 9:6). Further, who would have killed Cain? Cain had just killed Abel. At this early stage only Adam and Eve were left. Surely, God would not have called upon the parents to kill their only remaining son. In view of this, God, who alone is sovereign over life and death (Deut. 32:39), personally commuted Cain’s death penalty. However, in so doing, God implied the gravity of Cain’s sin and implied he was worthy of death by declaring that “the voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me [for vengeance] from the ground” (v. 10). Nonetheless, even Cain seemed to recognize that he was worthy of death, and he asked God for protection (v. 14). Finally, God’s promise to protect Cain from vengeance implies capital punishment would be taken on any who took Cain’s life (cf. v. 15). So, Cain’s case is the exception that proves the rule, and by no means does it argue against capital punishment as established by God (see comments on John 8:3–11). Walter Kaiser - 4:17 Where Did Cain Get His Wife? Up to this point in Genesis we only know about Adam and Eve, and Cain and Abel. But the most obvious answer to this common question must be that Adam and Eve had other children, including daughters. Indeed, Genesis 5:4 plainly says as much, “[Adam] had other sons and daughters.” Cain must have married his sister. But to admit this is to raise a further difficulty: was he thereby guilty of incest? At least two things can be said in response to this reproach. First, if the human race was propagated from a single pair, as we believe the evidence indicates, such closely related marriages were unavoidable. The demand for some other way of getting the race started is an unfair expectation. In the second place, the notion of incest must be probed more closely. At first the sin of incest was connected with sexual relationships between parents and children. Only afterward was the notion of incest extended to sibling relationships. By Moses’ time there were laws governing all forms of incest (Lev 18:7–17; 20:11–12, 14, 17, 20–21; Deut 22:30; 27:20, 22, 23). These laws clearly state that sexual relations or marriage is forbidden with a mother, father, stepmother, sister, brother, half brother, half sister, granddaughter, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, aunt, uncle or brother’s wife. The Bible, in the meantime, notes that Abraham married his half sister (Gen 20:12). Therefore, the phenomenon is not unknown in Scripture. Prior to Moses’ time, incest in many of the forms later proscribed were not thought to be wrong. Thus, even Moses’ own father, Amram, married an aunt, his father’s sister, Jochebed (Ex 6:20). In Egypt, the routine marriage of brothers and sisters among the Pharaohs all the way up to the second century made the Mosaic law all the more a radical break with their Egyptian past. The genetic reasons for forbidding incest were not always an issue. Close inbreeding in ancient times was without serious or any genetic damage. Today, the risk of genetic damage is extremely high. Since the genetic possibilities of Adam and Eve were very good, there were no biological reasons for restricting marriages to the degree that it became necessary to do later. (Go to page 71 of Hard Sayings) Norman Geisler - GENESIS 4:17—How could Cain marry a relative without committing incest? PROBLEM: If Cain married his sister, this is incest, which the Bible condemns (Lev. 18:6). Furthermore, incestuous marriages often produce genetically defective children. SOLUTION: First, there were no genetic imperfections at the beginning of the human race. God created a genetically perfect Adam (Gen. 1:27). Genetic defects resulted from the Fall and only occurred gradually over long periods of time. Further, there was no command in Cain’s day not to marry a close relative. This command (Lev. 18) came thousands of years later in Moses’ day (c. 1500 B.C.). Finally, since the human race began with a single pair (Adam and Eve), Cain had no one else to marry except a close female relative (sister or niece). Related Resources: How did Cain die? What happened to Cain? | GotQuestions.org Genesis 4:18 Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael became the father of Methushael, and Methushael became the father of Lamech. Lamech - Ge 5:21 36:2 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries ENOCH'S FAMILY TREE CAIN'S LINE CONTINUED Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael became the father of Methushael, and Methushael became the father of Lamech. - Lamech was the seventh from Adam and was likely a contemporary of the godly Enoch who was also the seventh from Adam (Ge 5:3-21), the Spirit again showing us the division of all mankind into righteous by faith, and unrighteous by unbelief. Notice the pairings in the family tree above (Cain/Seth, Enoch/Enos, Irad/Cainan, Mehujael/Mahalaleal, Lamech/Enoch). The most detailed description of Cain's offspring is Lamech who was an arrogant, godless, polygamist and murder who presents a striking contrast with godly Enoch who "walked with God and he was not, for God took him." (Ge 5:24). In sum, we have a striking juxtaposition between the way of Cain (Jude 1:11) and the way of Seth, a foreshadowing of the agelong juxtaposition of ungodly, unrighteous men and women and godly, righteous men and women and as the line goes "neary the twain shall meet." THOUGHT - When you begin to grasp the vast differences and destinies between unbelievers and believers, does it not stir you heart to seek like never before to be holy as He is holy (1Pe 1:16) and to pursue peace with all men and holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Heb 12:14)? Beloved, we are aliens and strangers (1Pe 1:1, 2:11) and our citizenship is in heaven (Php 3:20-21). The wide chasm between the lineage of Cain and the lineage of Seth can only be bridged by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Father, may You Holy Spirit enable each of us to live progressively more and more set apart lives from this crooked and perverse generation (Php 2:15) and give us manifold supernatural opportunities to throw out "Gospel life rafts," so that many might be rescued from darkness to light (Col 1:13, Acts 26:18) and from the wrath to come (1Th 1:10). In Jesus' Name. Amen. Note that this Enoch is to be distinguished from Enoch, the son of Jared and father of Methuselah (Ge 5:18-24) and who "walked with God" and was translated directly to heaven without the experience of death because of his faith (Ge 5:24; Heb. 11:5f). Mehujael means "smitten by God," a fitting name for the descendant of the first murderer who was cursed by God. THOUGHT- Fathers beware that your sinful lifestyle may be passed on to your lineage and last for generations! In the family tree above, the line of Cain, through Enoch ends with 4 names discussed in the following passages, but after this the line of Cain is never mentioned again, and unlike most early genealogies, none of his descendants become the ancestors of peoples. LAMECH [ISBE] LAMECH - la'-mek (lemekh; Lamech, "a strong youth"?): (1) The name is first mentioned in Gen 4:18-24. Here Lamech, the son of Methushael, is named as the last of the descendants of Cain. He was the father of Jabel, Jubal, Tubal-cain, and Naamah. As the husband of two wives, namely, Adah and Zillah, he furnishes the first recorded instance of polygamy. It is very instructive to note that this "father of polygamy" at once becomes the first blustering tyrant and a braggadocio; we are fully permitted to draw this conclusion from his so-called "swordlay" (Gen 4:23 f). He does not put his trust in God, but in the weapons and implements invented by his sons, or rather these instruments, enhancing the physical and material powers of man, are his God. He glories in them and misconstrues the Divine kindness which insured to Cain freedom from the revenge of his fellow-men. (2) Another Lamech. is mentioned in Gen 5:25,28 (compare 1Chr 1:3; Lk 3:36), the son of Methuselah and the father of Noah. His words (Gen 5:29) show the great difference between this descendant of Seth and the descendant of Cain. While the one is stimulated to a song of defiance by the worldly inventions of his sons, the other, in prophetical mood, expresses his sure belief in the coming of better times, and calmly and prayerfully awaits the period of comfort and rest which he expected to be ushered in by his son Noah. William Baur QUESTION - Who was Lamech in the Bible? ANSWER - The Bible mentions two different men by the name of Lamech, both in the book of Genesis. The first Lamech was the son of Methushael, and the second Lamech was the son of Methuselah. Although the men shared a name and had fathers with names that sound very much alike, that is where their similarities end. The first Lamech was a wicked descendant of Cain. After Adam and Eve were forced out of the Garden of Eden as a punishment for their sin, they had children. Two of their sons were Cain and Abel. The Bible tells us that both men offered God a sacrifice, and God accepted Abel’s sacrifice but rejected Cain’s (Genesis 4:3–5). Out of jealousy, Cain murdered Abel in cold blood. God punished Cain by cursing him and sending him away to live as a fugitive (verses 11–12). When Cain complained about the severity of the punishment, God marked Cain and promised that anyone who harmed him would receive punishment sevenfold (verse 15). Cain settled in the land of Nod and eventually begat children (Genesis 4:16–18) who continued the trend of sin. Lamech son of Methushael was Cain’s great-great-great grandson, and he followed Cain’s disobedient and murderous ways. Lamech married two wives—the Bible’s first mention of polygamy—and he committed murder. Another man struck and wounded Lamech in some way, and Lamech killed him for this seemingly small offense. Afterward, he boasted of his sin to his two wives and exulted in that he suffered no consequences: “If Cain is avenged seven times, / then Lamech seventy-seven times” (verse 24). This Lamech was the father of Tubal-Cain (verse 22). The other Lamech was a descendant of Seth. After Cain’s banishment Eve bore another son and named him Seth. In contrast to Cain’s sinful line, Seth’s descendants were known for righteousness. Enoch, Seth’s great-great-great grandson, walked so closely with God that God took him directly to heaven when Enoch was 365 years old (Genesis 5:22–24). Enoch’s son Methusaleh (the oldest man recorded in the Bible) continued the righteous line and fathered Lamech (verse 25). When Lamech was 182 years old, he fathered his own son and named him Noah, a name that sounds like the Hebrew word for “comfort.” Lamech said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed” (Genesis 5:29). Lamech looked forward to the day when the curse on the ground would be ended by God’s promised Savior (cf. Genesis 3:15). After Lamech died, his son Noah was known as a righteous man in a world filled with great sin and perversion (Genesis 6:90). Noah and his family were saved from the flood God sent to judge the earth and thus were able to continue the line of promise. Thousands of years later, Jesus Christ would be born into the line of Seth through Lamech (Luke 3:37). Lamech’s godly hope that the curse would end was realized in Jesus, whose death and resurrection abolished the reign of sin and death.GotQuestions.org Genesis 4:19 Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah. two wives - Ge 2:18,24 Mt 19:4-6,8 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 19:4-6 And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 5 and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’? 6 “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” LAMECH THE FIRST BIGAMIST! Lamech took to himself two wives (ishshah): the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah - We immediately see Lamech's rebellious spirit at taking two wives, instead of one! Adam's sin virus was spreading in manifold ways and it will continue to do so until the Righteous One returns, for as Paul said men will be "inventors of evil." (Ro 1:30+). And with the internet today, we are seeing new forms of practicing evil that would have boggled even Paul's mind (in my opinion). Theology of Work summarizes the last half of chapter 4 - The remainder of chapter 4 follows Cain’s descendants for seven generations to Lamech, whose tyrannical deeds make his ancestor Cain seem tame. Lamech shows us a progressive hardening in sin. First comes polygamy (Gen. 4:19), violating God’s purpose in marriage in Genesis 2:24 (cf. Matt. 19:5–6). Then, a vendetta that leads him to kill someone who had merely struck him (Gen. 4:23–24). Yet in Lamech we also see the beginnings of civilization. Division of labor—which spelled trouble between Cain and Abel—brings a specialization here that makes certain advances possible. Some of Lamech’s sons create musical instruments and ply crafts using bronze and iron tools (Gen. 4:21–22). The ability to create music, to craft the instruments for playing it, and to develop technological advances in metallurgy are all within the scope of the creators we are created to be in God’s image. The arts and sciences are a worthy outworking of the creation mandate, but Lamech’s crowing about his vicious deeds points to the dangers that accompany technology in a depraved culture bent on violence. The first human poet after the Fall celebrates human pride and abuse of power. Yet the harp and the flute can be redeemed and used in the praise of God (1 Sam. 16:23), as can the metallurgy that went into the construction of the Hebrew tabernacle (Exod. 35:4–19, 30–35). QUESTION - Why did God allow polygamy / bigamy in the Bible? See associated video. ANSWER - The question of polygamy is an interesting one in that most people today view polygamy as immoral while the Bible nowhere explicitly condemns it. The first instance of polygamy/bigamy in the Bible was that of Lamech in Genesis 4:19: “Lamech married two women.” Several prominent men in the Old Testament were polygamists. Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, and others all had multiple wives. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (essentially wives of a lower status), according to 1 Kings 11:3. What are we to do with these instances of polygamy in the Old Testament? There are three questions that need to be answered: 1) Why did God allow polygamy in the Old Testament? 2) How does God view polygamy today? 3) Why did it change? 1) Why did God allow polygamy in the Old Testament? The Bible does not specifically say why God allowed polygamy. As we speculate about God’s silence, there is at least one key factor to consider. Due to patriarchal societies, it was nearly impossible for an unmarried woman to provide for herself. Women were often uneducated and untrained. Women relied on their fathers, brothers, and husbands for provision and protection. Unmarried women were often subjected to prostitution and slavery. So, it seems that God may have allowed polygamy to protect and provide for the women who could not find a husband otherwise. A man would take multiple wives and serve as the provider and protector of all of them. While definitely not ideal, living in a polygamist household was far better than the alternatives: prostitution, slavery, or starvation. In addition to the protection/provision factor, polygamy enabled a much faster expansion of humanity, fulfilling God’s command to “be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth” (Genesis 9:7). Men are capable of impregnating multiple women in the same time period, causing humanity to grow much faster than if each man was only producing one child each year. 2) How does God view polygamy today? Even while allowing polygamy, the Bible presents monogamy as the plan that conforms most closely to God’s ideal for marriage. The Bible says that God’s original intention was for one man to be married to only one woman: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife [not wives], and they will become one flesh [not fleshes]” (Genesis 2:24). While Genesis 2:24 is describing what marriage is, rather than how many people are involved, the consistent use of the singular should be noted. In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, God says that the kings were not supposed to multiply wives (or horses or gold). While this cannot be interpreted as a command that the kings must be monogamous, it can be understood as declaring that having multiple wives causes problems. This can be clearly seen in the life of Solomon (1 Kings 11:3-4). In the New Testament, 1 Timothy 3:2, 12 and Titus 1:6 give “the husband of one wife” in a list of qualifications for spiritual leadership. There is some debate as to what specifically this qualification means. The phrase could literally be translated “a one-woman man.” Whether or not this phrase is referring exclusively to polygamy, in no sense can a polygamist be considered a “one-woman man.” While these qualifications are specifically for positions of spiritual leadership, they should apply equally to all Christians. Should not all Christians be “above reproach...temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money” (1 Timothy 3:2-4)? If we are called to be holy (1 Peter 1:16), and if these standards are holy for elders and deacons, then they are holy for all. Ephesians 5:22-33 speaks of the relationship between husbands and wives. When referring to a husband (singular), it always also refers to a wife (singular). “For the husband is the head of the wife [singular] … He who loves his wife [singular] loves himself. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife [singular], and the two will become one flesh....Each one of you also must love his wife [singular] as he loves himself, and the wife [singular] must respect her husband [singular].” While a somewhat parallel passage, Colossians 3:18-19, refers to husbands and wives in the plural, it is clear that Paul is addressing all the husbands and wives among the Colossian believers, not stating that a husband might have multiple wives. In contrast, Ephesians 5:22-33 is specifically describing the marital relationship. If polygamy were allowable, the entire illustration of Christ’s relationship with His body (the church) and the husband-wife relationship falls apart. 3) Why did it change? It is not so much God’s disallowing something He previously allowed as it is God’s restoring marriage to His original plan. Even going back to Adam and Eve, polygamy was not God’s original intent. God seems to have allowed polygamy to solve a problem, but it is not the ideal. In most modern societies, there is absolutely no need for polygamy. In most cultures today, women are able to provide for and protect themselves—removing the only “positive” aspect of polygamy. Further, most modern nations outlaw polygamy. According to Romans 13:1-7, we are to obey the laws the government establishes. The only instance in which disobeying the law is permitted by Scripture is if the law contradicts God’s commands (Acts 5:29). Since God only allows for polygamy, and does not command it, a law prohibiting polygamy should be upheld. Are there some instances in which the allowance for polygamy would still apply today? Perhaps, but it is unfathomable that there would be no other possible solution. Due to the “one flesh” aspect of marriage, the need for oneness and harmony in marriage, and the lack of any real need for polygamy, it is our firm belief that polygamy does not honor God and is not His design for marriage. GotQuestions.org Norman Geisler - Genesis 4:19 Does the Bible approve of polygamy? ADDRESSED IN 1 Kings 11:1—How could God allow Solomon to have so many wives when he condemns polygamy? PROBLEM: First Kings 11:3 says Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. And yet the Scriptures repeatedly warn against having multiple wives (Deut. 17:17) and violating the principle of monogamy—one man for one wife (cf. 1 Cor. 7:2). SOLUTION: Monogamy is God’s standard for the human race. This is clear from the following facts: (1) From the very beginning God set the pattern by creating a monogamous marriage relationship with one man and one woman, Adam and Eve (Gen. 1:27; 2:21–25). (2) Following from this God-established example of one woman for one man, this was the general practice of the human race (Gen. 4:1) until interrupted by sin (Gen. 4:23). (3) The Law of Moses clearly commands, “You shall not multiply wives” (Deut. 17:17). (4) The warning against polygamy is repeated in the very passage where it numbers Solomon’s many wives (1 Kings 11:2), warning “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you.” (5) Our Lord reaffirmed God’s original intention by citing this passage (Matt. 19:4) and noting that God created one “male and [one] female” and joined them in marriage. (6) The NT stresses that “Each man [should] have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband” (1 Cor. 7:2). (7) Likewise, Paul insisted that a church leader should be “the husband of one wife” (1 Tim. 3:2, 12). (8) Indeed, monogamous marriage is a prefiguration of the relation between Christ and His bride, the church (Eph. 5:31–32). Polygamy was never established by God for any people under any circumstances. In fact, the Bible reveals that God severely punished those who practiced it, as is evidenced by the following: (1) Polygamy is first mentioned in the context of a sinful society in rebellion against God where the murderer “Lamech took for himself two wives” (Gen. 4:19, 23). (2) God repeatedly warned polygamists of the consequences of their actions “lest his heart turn away” from God (Deut. 17:17; cf. 1 Kings 11:2). (3) God never commanded polygamy—like divorce, He only permitted it because of the hardness of their hearts (Deut. 24:1; Matt. 19:8). (4) Every polygamist in the Bible, including David and Solomon (1 Chron. 14:3), paid dearly for his sins. (5) God hates polygamy, as He hates divorce, since it destroys His ideal for the family (cf. Mal. 2:16). In brief, monogamy is taught in the Bible in several ways: (1) by precedent, since God gave the first man only one wife; (2) by proportion, since the amount of males and females God brings into the world are about equal; (3) by precept, since both OT and NT command it (see verses above); (4) by punishment, since God punished those who violated His standard (1 Kings 11:2); and, (5) by prefiguration, since marriage is a typology of Christ and His bride, the church (Eph. 5:31–32). Simply because the Bible records Solomon’s sin of polygamy does not mean that God approved of it. Related Resource: Why did God allow Solomon to have 1,000 wives and concubines? Gotquestions Genesis 4:20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. the - Ge 4:21 1Ch 2:50-52 4:4,5 Joh 8:44 Ro 4:11,12 father - 1 Sa 10:12. dwell - Ge 4:2 25:27 Jer 35:9,10 Heb 11:9 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries JABAL FOUNDER OF TENT DWELLERS Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock - "he was the first of those who live in tents and keep livestock." (Ge 4:20NET) "he was the father of the nomadic herdsmen" (Gen 4:20 CSB) Jabal is thought by some to mean stream or stream of water but we cannot be dogmatic. NET NOTE on father - Heb “father.” In this passage the word “father” means “founder,” referring to the first to establish such lifestyles and occupations. JABAL [ISBE] - ja'-bal (yabhal, meaning uncertain): In Gen 4:20, a son of Lamech by Adah. He is called `the father of those who dwell in tents and (with) herds.' So Gunkel, Gen3, 52, who says that the corresponding word in Arabic means "the herdsman who tends the camels." Skinner, Gen, 120, says that both Jabal and Jubal suggest yobhel, which in Phoenician and Hebrew "means primarily `ram,' then `ram's horn' as a musical instrument, and finally `joyous music' (in the designation of the year of Jubilee)." Genesis 4:21 His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. father - Ro 4:11,12 the harp - Ge 31:27 Job 21:12 Isa 5:12 Am 6:5 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries JUBAL PRODUCER OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe - The production of musical instruments is certainly not evil and is a gift of the grace of God, for it is by music that believers can rejoice and praise His holy Name on earth and in Heaven (cf Rev 5:9+, Rev 15:3-4+). Jubal - Lamech's son by Adah; invented the harp and organ (pipe), i.e. stringed and wind instruments (Genesis 4:21). Brother of Jabal, the beginner of pastoral life. The connection herein is implied between nomadic life and music, which can be practiced in the leisure afforded by such a life. Pan and Apollo, to whom the Greeks attributed the invention of the pipe and lyre respectively, were represented as shepherds. Related Resources: What does the Bible say about music? | GotQuestions.org Genesis 4:22 As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. bronze - Ex 25:3 Nu 31:22 De 8:9 33:25 2Ch 2:7 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT As for Zillah - Zillah was Lamech's second wife. She also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah - "who heated metal and shaped all kinds of tools made of bronze and iron. (Ge 4:22NET) "He became an expert in forging tools of bronze and iron.: (Gen 4:22NLT) Tubal-cain was the first "blacksmith." The fact that Lamech's sons, Jabal, Jubal and Tubal-Cain were allowed to achieve progress in various areas is clearly another evidence of the grace of God, even on a line that is destined eventually for perdition. HCSB - Tubal-cain’s metallurgical advances in creating bronze (made by combining copper and tin) and smelting iron would prove crucial for crafting tools and weapons. (See context in CSB Study Bible) NET NOTE on forger - The traditional rendering here, “who forged” (or “a forger of”) is now more commonly associated with counterfeit or fraud (e.g., “forged copies” or “forged checks”) than with the forging of metal. The phrase “heated metal and shaped [it]” has been used in the translation instead. QUESTION - Who was Tubal-Cain in the Bible? ANSWER - Tubal-Cain (“Tubalcain” in the KJV) is the name of a pre-flood descendant of Cain. Tubal-Cain was the son of Lamech and Zillah. His half-brothers were Jubal and Jabal; his sister’s name was Naamah. The two elements of his name mean “producer” and “smith,” and he is associated with the origin of metal working. “Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. Zillah also had a son, Tubal-cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron” (Genesis 4:19–22). These verses say that Lamech and his wives produced four children. Each of their sons is listed with a cultural accomplishment. Jabal raised lifestock, Jubal played musical instruments, and Tubal-Cain forged tools out of bronze and iron. The reference here may be to copper and iron. It seems that Tubal-Cain was the world’s first coppersmith. What can we learn from this section of Scripture? We learn that God used the disobedient descendants of Cain to significantly impact history through their discoveries, inventions, art, and industry. The cultural contributions of Tubal-Cain are an illustration of the grace of God at work. GotQuestions.org Genesis 4:23 Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, Listen to my voice, You wives of Lamech, Give heed to my speech, For I have killed a man for wounding me; And a boy for striking me; Listen - Nu 23:18 Jdg 9:7 I have slain a man to my wounding. or, I would slay a man in my wound, etc. Ge 49:6 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries LAMECH BOASTS OF MURDER Lamech said to his wives (ishshah), "Adah and Zillah, Listen to my voice, You wives (ishshah) of Lamech, Give heed to my speech - Lamech barks out two commands to his wives which reminds us of part of the curse in Ge 3:16 that the husband would "rule over" his wife (in this case wives). While Lamech's sons were contributing to the society (implements by Tubal-Cain, music by Jubal), Lamech was giving evidence of the rapid decline of the society into sin. This devolution of society would continue until God finally "flushed" the evil down the drain (so to speak) in the global flood! THOUGHT - These notes are being written in 2022 in a time of rapid devolution of society in America. As one theologian has said, we are no longer just post-Christian, but are now proudly pagan! One has to wonder if God might not be preparing once again to "vacuum" the earth (aka, Rapture) in preparation for a renewed earth ruled by Christ? HCSB - Lamech’s so-called “Song of the Sword,” the longest recorded speech by a human being to this point in the Bible (21 Hebrew words), represents the dark climax of the Cainite genealogy. His level of retaliation against a man and a young man goes far beyond the biblical limits (Ex 21:23–25), and his boast of killing for vengeance foreshadows the conditions that led to the flood in Noah’s day (Gen 6:11).(See context in CSB Study Bible) Lamech's "Song of the Sword" (Genesis 4:23-24) (See Wikipedia article - most of it is fiction so use your Holy Spirit discretion) Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, Listen to my voice, You wives of Lamech, Give heed to my speech, For I have killed a man for wounding me; And a boy for striking me; If Cain is avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.” John