Gênesis 4
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gênesis 4
Wiersbe - All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players,” wrote Shakespeare. “They all have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.” Remember those familiar words from English Lit 101? Shakespeare was right: we have many roles to play in life as from time to time we relate to various people and confront different circumstances. The important thing is that we let God write the script, choose the cast, and direct the action. If we disregard Him and try to produce the drama ourselves, the story will have a tragic ending. That’s what ruined Cain, the first human baby born on the stage of Planet Earth: He ignored God’s script, “did his own thing,” and made a mess out of it. Genesis 4 focuses the spotlight on Cain; he’s mentioned thirteen times, and seven times Abel is identified as “his [Cain’s] brother.” As you consider Cain’s life and some of the roles he played, you will better understand how important it is for us to know God and do His will. (See context in The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: Old Testament) The man had relations (yada; Lxx - ginosko = know experientially, intimately) with his wife (ishshah) Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain (Qayin) - The sinful couple had disobeyed the command not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Ge 2:17+) but now they obey God's commands to be fruitful and multiply (Ge 1:28+). Had relations is literally "knew Eve" (as in Ge 4:1KJV) and is the Hebrew verb yada which means to know intimately and is used here euphemistically to describe sexual relations in marriage. The old KJV's "know" is an excellent euphemism for sexual intercourse for it describes an intimate relationship with ardor and passion, as well as mutuality and oneness. Yada is used 3 more times in chapter 4 - Ge 4:9 of knowledge (making the point in word studies to always check the context!) and Ge 4:17, 25 of marital relations. Eve's name means life giver, life-producer, life giving and she now lives up to her name (recall how Biblical names often convey some truth about the person so named). The words "with the help" (see note below) are not in the Hebrew text (NAS is helpful as it puts added words in ITALICS. The popular ESV makes one think it was in the original text). However, the literal rendering is "by the LORD" (Ge 4:1YLT) and the Greek has "through (dia) the Lord," so the addition of "with the help of the LORD," is certainly justified. We know that all births are ordained by the LORD and are a gift from Him. (Ps 127:3) Cain (Qayin) means acquisition, possession, maker or possibly "spear," for some writers feel his Hebrew name "Qayin" is derived from qayin the word for spear, a word which is only used one time in the OT (2Sa 21:16 - spear). nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; -- Acts 17:25+ Derek Kidner points out that "Eve’s cry of faith, here as in Ge 4:25, lifts the situation out of the rut of the purely natural, to its true level (as faith always does: 1Ti 4:4, 5), whether she is touching on the oracle of Ge 3:15 or not." (See context in Genesis - TOTC or borrow Genesis: an introduction and commentary) Robert Neighbour - The only human beings God ever created were Adam and Eve. They were created with the power to propagate their race. Every human being upon the earth came forth from the first created pair. Cain and Abel received from their parents a sinful nature. The one was not good and the other bad. They were both alike evil. A bitter fountain cannot give forth sweet water, and both were sons of Adam and Eve. Cain and Abel were children of death and not of life. We read in the Scripture, “As in Adam all die.” Again it is written, “As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin.” Death passed upon all men both physically and spiritually. Every son of Adam and Eve has a dying body. (Wells of Living Water) Sadly as we learn later, John writes that "Cain...was of the evil one (HIS "FATHER" WAS THE DEVIL) and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous." (1Jn 3:12+) In other words, Cain was a physical child of Adam and Eve, but his spiritual father was Satan (Jn 8:44). THOUGHT - As discussed below, the second son Abel was a child of God by faith (Heb 11:4+). So here we see the great divide of every soul ever born on earth - they either follow the way of Cain (Jude 1:11+) or they follow the way of Abel (Heb 11:4+, Heb 11:6+). Both sons came from the same pure stock (albeit both sinners), but their subsequent spiritual trajectories were diametrically (and eternally) different! This is a mystery we cannot fully understand. However this does help explain how some children from a godly family grow into godly offspring, whereas others remain intractably ungodly. Abel chose the small gate and narrow road that led to eternal life, but Cain chose the wide gate and broad way ("the way of Cain" - Jude 1:11+) that led to his eternal destruction. (Mt 7:13,14+).
Gênesis 4
Wiersbe - see context in The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: Old Testament) Abel (01893) (Hebel related to hebel 01892 = Vanity ,futility, idols, breath, delusion, worthless, emptiness as in Eccl 1:2) Gilbrant - Abel was the second son of Adam. His name means "breath" or "vapor." Mentioned throughout Genesis 4, Abel's name perhaps derives from Eve's realization that life outside the Garden of Eden would not last forever. Abel was the brother of Cain. He was a shepherd, whose offering of the firstborn and the fat of the flock pleased Yahweh, unlike his brother Cain's offering. Homocide entered humanity in its second generation, as humans had barely left the Garden. Jesus called Abel a righteous man. His death stemmed from his worship of God. Abel, then, was the first martyr, killed because of the jealousy of the unrighteous. (See Matt. 23:33-36; Luke 11:50-51). (Complete Biblical Library) Abel - 5x - Gen. 4:2; Gen. 4:4; Gen. 4:8; Gen. 4:9; Gen. 4:25 Abel - Ηebel . Second of Adam and Eve's sons, Genesis 4: Abel means "vanity" or "weakness", "vapor" or "transitoriness". Cain means "possession"; for Eve said at his birth, "I have gotten as a possession a man from Jehovah," or as the Hebrew (eth ) may mean, "with the help of Jehovah"; she inferring the commencement of the fulfillment of the promise of the Redeemer (Genesis 3:15) herein. On the contrary, Abel's weakness of body suggested his name: moreover prophetic inspiration guided her to choose one indicative of his untimely death. But God's way is here from the first shown, "My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 11:34. The cause of Cain's hatred was "because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous" (1 John 3:12). Envy of the godly was "the way of Cain" (Judges 1:11). "Faith" was present in Abel, absent from Cain (Hebrews 11:4); consequently the kind of sacrifice (the mode of showing faith) Abel offered was "much more a sacrifice" (Wycliffe; so the Greek) than Cain's. "By faith Abel offered unto God a much more sacrifice than Cain," i.e. one which had more of the true virtue of sacrifice; for it was an animal sacrifice of the firstlings of the flock, a token of the forfeiture of man's life by sin, and a type of the Redeemer to be bruised in heel that He might bruise the serpent's head. God's having made for man coats of skin presupposes the slaying of animals; and doubtless implies that Abel's sacrifice of an animal life was an act of faith which rested on God's command (though not expressly recorded) that such were the sacrifices He required. If it had not been God's command, it would have been presumptuous will worship (Colossians 2:23), and taking of a life which man had no right over before the flood (Genesis 9:2-4). Cain in self-righteous unbelief, refusing to confess his guilt and need of atonement (typified by sacrifice), presented a mere thank offering of the first fruits; not, like Abel, feeling his need of the propitiatory offering for sin. So "God had respect unto Abel (first) and (then) to his offering." "God testified of his gifts" by consuming them with fire from the shekinah or cherubic symbol E. of Eden ("the presence of the Lord": Genesis 4:16; Genesis 3:24), where the first sacrifices were offered. Thus" he obtained witness that he was righteous," namely, with the righteousness which is by faith to the sincere penitent. Christ calls him "righteous": Matthew 23:35. Abel represents the regenerate, Cain the unregenerate natural man. Abel offered the best, Cain that most readily procured. The words "in process of time" (Genesis 4:3 margin), "at the end of days," probably mark the definite time appointed for public worship already in paradise, the seventh day sabbath. The firstling and the fat point to the divine dignity and infinite fullness of the Spirit in the coming Messiah. "By faith he being dead yet speaketh" to us; his "blood crying from the ground to God" (Genesis 4:10) shows how precious in God's sight is the death of His saints (Psalms 116:15; Revelation 6:10). The shedding of Abel's blood is the first, as that of Jesus is the last and crowning guilt which brought the accumulated vengeance on the Jews (Luke 11:51; Matthew 23:34-35-38). There is a further avenging of still more accentuated guilt, of innocent blood yet coming on "them that dwell on the earth". (Revelation 11). In Hebrews 12:24, it is written "Christ's blood of sprinkling speaketh better things than that of Abel," namely, than the blood of Abel's animal sacrifice. For Abel's is but the type, Christ's the antitype and one only true propitiatory sacrifice. To deny the propitiation would make Cain's offering to be as much a sacrifice as Abel's. Tradition makes the place of his murder and grave to be near Damascus. (Fausset's Bible Dictionary) 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 - 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 ABEL [ISBE] - a'-bel (hebhel; Abel; Westcott and Hort, The New Testament in Greek Habel; etymology uncertain. Some translation "a breath," "vapor," "transitoriness," which are suggestive of his brief existence and tragic end; others take it to be a variant of Jabal, yabhal, "shepherd" or "herdman," Gen 4:20. Compare Assyrian ablu and Babylonian abil, "son"): The second son of Adam and Eve. The absence of the verb harah (Gen 4:2; compare verse 1) has been taken to imply, perhaps truly, that Cain and Abel were twins. 1. A Shepherd: "Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground," thus representing the two fundamental pursuits of civilized life, the two earliest subdivisions of the human race. On the Hebrew tradition of the superiority of the pastoral over agricultural and city life, see The Expositor T, V, 351 ff. The narrative may possibly bear witness to the primitive idea that pastoral life was more pleasing to Yahweh than husbandry. 2. A Worshipper: "In process of time," the two brothers came in a solemn manner to sacrifice unto Yahweh, in order to express their gratitude to Him whose tenants they were in the land (Gen 4:3,4. See SACRIFICE). How Yahweh signified His acceptance of the one offering and rejection of the other, we are not told. That it was due to the difference in the material of the sacrifice or in their manner of offering was probably the belief among the early Israelites, who regarded animal offerings as superior to cereal offerings. Both kinds, however, were fully in accord with Hebrew law and custom. It has been suggested that the Septuagint rendering of Gen 4:7 makes Cain's offense a ritual one, the offering not being "correctly" made or rightly divided, and hence rejected as irregular. "If thou makest a proper offering, but dost not cut in pieces rightly, art thou not in fault? Be still!" The Septuagint evidently took the rebuke to turn upon Cain's neglect to prepare his offering according to strict ceremonial requirements. dieles (Septuagint in the place cited.), however, implies nathach (nattach), and would only apply to animal sacrifices. Compare Ex 29:17; Lev 8:20; Jdg 19:29; 1 Ki 18:23; and see COUCH. 3. A Righteous Man: The true reason for the Divine preference is doubtless to be found in the disposition of the brothers (see CAIN). Well-doing consisted not in the outward offering (Gen 4:7) but in the right state of mind and feeling. The acceptability depends on the inner motives and moral characters of the offerers. "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent (abundant, pleiona) sacrifice than Cain" (Heb 11:4). The "more abundant sacrifice," Westcott thinks, "suggests the deeper gratitude of Abel, and shows a fuller sense of the claims of God" to the best. Cain's "works (the collective expression of his inner life) were evil, and his brother's righteous" (1 Jn 3:12). "It would be an outrage if the gods looked to gifts and sacrifices and not to the soul" (Alcibiades II.149E.150A). Cain's heart was no longer pure; it had a criminal propensity, springing from envy and jealousy, which rendered both his offering and person unacceptable. His evil works and hatred of his brother culminated in the act of murder, specifically evoked by the opposite character of Abel's works and the acceptance of his offering. The evil man cannot endure the sight of goodness in another. 4. A Martyr: Abel ranks as the first martyr (Mt 23:35), whose blood cried for vengeance (Gen 4:10; compare Rev 6:9,10) and brought despair (Gen 4:13), whereas that of Jesus appeals to God for forgiveness and speaks peace (Heb 12:24) and is preferred before Abel's. 5. A Type: The first two brothers in history stand as the types and representatives of the two main and enduring divisions of mankind, and bear witness to the absolute antithesis and eternal enmity between good and evil. M. O. Evans Genesis 4:3 So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. LXE And it was so after some time that Cain brought of the fruits of the earth a sacrifice to the Lord. BGT καὶ ἐγένετο μεθ᾽ ἡμέρας ἤνεγκεν Καιν ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν τῆς γῆς θυσίαν τῷ κυρίῳ KJV And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. NET At the designated time Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering to the LORD. CSB In the course of time Cain presented some of the land's produce as an offering to the LORD. ERV And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. ESV In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, NIV In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. NLT When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the LORD. NRS In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, YLT And it cometh to pass at the end of days that Cain bringeth from the fruit of the ground a present to Jehovah; GWN Later Cain brought some crops from the land as an offering to the LORD. NKJ And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. NAB In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the soil, NJB Time passed and Cain brought some of the produce of the soil as an offering for Yahweh, ASV And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto Jehovah. DBY And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to Jehovah. BBE And after a time, Cain gave to the Lord an offering of the fruits of the earth. BHT wa|yühî miqqëc yämîm wayyäbë´ qaºyin miPPürî hä|´ádämâ minHâ lyhwh(la|´dönäy) in the course of time - Heb. at the end of days, Either at the end of the year, or of the week, i.e., on the Sabbath. 1Ki 17:7 Ne 13:6 the fruit of the ground - Lev 2:1-11 Nu 18:12 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries CAIN'S OFFERING OF FRUIT So it came about in the course of time - NET = "At the designated time." It seems highly unlikely that both brothers would have spontaneously and independently inaugurated what amounts to an act of worship. The fact that both brothers brought offerings to God indicates that somehow they had received instructions on how this was to be carried out. We can only speculate but the fact is God does not give us the details. NET NOTE - Heb “And it happened at the end of days.” The clause indicates the passing of a set period of time leading up to offering sacrifices. that Cain brought an offering (minchah) to the LORD of the fruit of the ground - It is ironic that the first offering mentioned in the Bible is not accepted by Yahweh1 Cain's gift to God was the fruit of the ground, but it does not say these were first-fruits which one might have expected, especially in light of the fact that Abel brought his firstborn. However there is otherwise nothing inherently negative about Cain's offering. God did not reject Cain's offering because it was fruit and not meat. God rejected it because of the "rotten fruit" in Cain's heart. God always looks at the heart (1Sa 16:7, 2Chr 16:9, Ps 7:9, Jer 17:10). In Ps 51 David wrote "For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. (THIS IS WHAT GOD LOOKS AT - THE "OFFERER" -- HIS HEART -- AND SECONDARILY AT THE OFFERING!) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." (Ps 51:16-17, cf Isa 57:15) Cain was merely discharging a duty, checking off a "spiritual box," for as John later writes his deeds were evil (EVIDENCE OF HIS EVIL HEART), while Abel's deeds were righteous (FROM A RIGHT HEART). (1Jn 3:12+) Abel's righteous deeds did not save him, but were an outflow of his heart of belief in Yahweh (Heb 11:4+). In sum, the first two offspring of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, are prototypes of every person who would ever be born. Two hearts. Two ways. Two destinies! The content of the offering (vegetables, as opposed to animals) was not the critical issue, but rather the attitude of the offerer. -- NET NOTE NET NOTE on offering - The Hebrew term מִנְחָה (minkhah, “offering”) is a general word for tribute, a gift, or an offering. It is the main word used in Lev 2 for the dedication offering. This type of offering could be comprised of vegetables. The content of the offering (vegetables, as opposed to animals) was not the critical issue, but rather the attitude of the offerer. David Thompson - The phrase “in the course of time” seems to refer to a special time when both of these men were aware of offerings they needed to present to the LORD...The word “offering” is a Hebrew word which refers to something offered as a gift to God. What this immediately tells us is that both work and worship are an important part of a life properly related to God. Cain brought fruit of the ground as an offering and Abel brought the fattest of his flock of sheep . Both brought things that pertained to their specific work and both brought offerings on the basis of their specific faith (Hebrews 11:4). Both boys had the same parents, both worked for a living, both were interested in worshipping the LORD and bringing an offering to the LORD, but one was interested in pleasing the LORD on His terms and the other wanted it on his own terms. Offering (04503) minchah means a gift (given to another without compensation = Ge 32:13, 2Ki 8:8), tribute ( payment by one ruler or nation to another in acknowledgment of submission or as the price of protection = Jdg 3:14, 2Sa 8:2; Hos 10:6) or offering (as a gift offered to God). The most common sense by far in the OT is as an offering (usually "grain offering" in the NAS but it could refer to animal offerings Ge 4:3-5 or "sacrifices" in general Isa 19:21). Minchah is translated most often (152x) simply as offering. The first use is in Genesis 4 describing the offerings of Cain and Abel. Genesis 4:4 Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; LXE And Abel also brought of the first born of his sheep and of his fatlings, and God looked upon Abel and his gifts, BGT καὶ Αβελ ἤνεγκεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τῶν πρωτοτόκων τῶν προβάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν στεάτων αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπεῖδεν ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ Αβελ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ KJV And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: NET But Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock– even the fattest of them. And the LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering, CSB And Abel also presented an offering-- some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, ERV And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: ESV and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, NIV But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, NLT Abel also brought a gift-- the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his gift, NRS and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, YLT and Abel, he hath brought, he also, from the female firstlings of his flock, even from their fat ones; and Jehovah looketh unto Abel and unto his present, GWN Abel also brought some choice parts of the firstborn animals from his flock. The LORD approved of Abel and his offering, NKJ Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, NAB while Abel, for his part, brought one of the best firstlings of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, NJB while Abel for his part brought the first-born of his flock and some of their fat as well. Yahweh looked with favour on Abel and his offering. ASV And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And Jehovah had respect unto Abel and to his offering: DBY And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat. And Jehovah looked upon Abel, and on his offering; BBE And Abel gave an offering of the young lambs of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord was pleased with Abel's offering; BHT wüheºbel hëbî´ gam-hû´ miBBükörôt cö´nô ûmë|Helbëhen wayy캚a` yhwh(´ädönäy) ´el-heºbel wü´el-minHätô NAS And Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; NIRV But Abel brought the fattest parts of some of the lambs from his flock. They were the male animals that were born first to their mothers. The LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering. RSV and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, the firstlings - Ex 13:12 Nu 18:12,17 Pr 3:9 Heb 9:22 1Pe 1:19,20 Rev 13:8 fat - Lev 3:16,17 the LORD had regard for Abel - Ge 15:17 Lev 9:24 Nu 16:35 Jdg 6:21 1Ki 18:24,38 1Ch 21:26 2Ch 7:1 Ps 20:3 Heb 11:4 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries YAHWEH ACCEPTS ABEL'S GIFT Abel (Hebel) , on his part also brought of the firstlings (bekor; Lxx - prototokos = firstborn) of his flock and of their fat portions - The NET translation begins this passage with a "but" (as does the NIV - Ge 4:4NIV) - "But Abel brought some...." (Ge 4:4NET), and their note on this verse explains that the Hebrew clause "stresses the contrast between Cain's offering and Abel's." Some commentaries favor Abel bringing his firstlings as evidence of his faith, and that is certainly possible. As discussed below clearly Abel's offering in some way was related to his faith. The offering of the firstlings or first born acknowledged that all the productivity of the flock was from the Lord and all belonged to Him. NET NOTE on firstlings...fat portions - Two prepositional phrases are used to qualify the kind of sacrifice that Abel brought: “from the firstborn” and “from the fattest of them.” These also could be interpreted as a hendiadys: “from the fattest of the firstborn of the flock.” Another option is to understand the second prepositional phrase as referring to the fat portions of the sacrificial sheep. In this case one may translate, “some of the firstborn of his flock, even some of their fat portions” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). And the LORD had regard (shaah) for Abel and for his offering (minchah: Lxx - epeidon ) - Why did Yahweh accept Abel's offering? In a word it was because of Abel's faith. The writer of Hebrews explains "By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous (cf Abram Ge 15:6+), God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks." (Heb 11:4+) So what does it mean that Abel offered by faith? The implication is that he faithfully followed divine directions for bringing offerings to God (even though Scripture is silent on how he and Cain knew they were to bring offerings to God). In a word, Abel obeyed God. Faith that is genuine is faith that obeys. We say in the NT that faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone. The writer of Hebrews adds that "without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." (Heb 11:6+) It follows that since Abel's offering pleased the LORD, he had genuine faith. Note that Hebrews 11:4+ says "he was righteous," and we know that the only way to be righteous before God, is by genuine faith. We see this portrayed in the life of Abraham, the father of faith, Moses recording that Abraham "believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness." (Ge 15:6+)
Gênesis 4
Wiersbe - Controlling Anger - We may have righteous anger against sin (Mark 3:5; Eph. 4:26), but too often our anger is itself sinful. Jesus warned that anger could be the first step toward murder (Matt. 5:21–26). We must ask the Holy Spirit to help us control anger (Prov. 15:18; 16:32), manifest love to those who offend us (Matt. 5:43–48), and learn to practice forgiveness (Eph. 4:26–32). (See context in With the Word: The Chapter-by-Chapter Bible Handbook) Henry Blackaby on Genesis 4:6–8NKJV The most dangerous decisions are made in the heat of anger. Anger makes us reckless and causes us to foolishly disregard the possible results of our actions. Only after we have cooled down do we recognize the damage we have done. Cain was furious! His kid brother, Abel, could apparently do no wrong. Their parents always seemed pleased with Abel and disappointed in Cain. Even God appeared to favor Abel over his older brother. Finally, Cain’s jealousy boiled over into rage, and he lost perspective. That’s when he made an irrational decision: if he couldn’t match up to his brother, he’d get rid of him! Of course Cain should have realized that he couldn’t hide a murder from God. However, anger blinded him to the point that even when God warned him of the outcome of his diabolical plan he took no notice! At that moment he didn’t care what the consequences would be. When you allow yourself to become angry and lose your self-control, you are in great danger. No one can make you angry. It is a choice you make. Anger is never your only option: you can choose to forgive; you can decide to change your attitude; you can even pray for the one who has provoked you. Do you sometimes find that being angry at someone else is easier than making changes in your own life? When you find your heart is filled with rage, go immediately to God. Ask him to remove the anger from your heart and to replace it with patience, forgiveness, and love. Through his Holy Spirit, God will warn you, as he did Cain, of the danger in acting out your anger. Be wiser than Cain was, and you won’t have to live with regret. (The Experience: Day by Day with God: A Devotional) David Rudolph in The Voice of the Lord: Messianic Jewish Daily Devotional Sin is crouching at the door—it wants you, but you can rule over it (Gen. 4:7). Rabbi Isaac comments on the phrase, “Sin is crouching at the door,” saying, “At first it is like a [passing] visitor, then like a guest [who stays longer], and finally like the master of the house” (Genesis Rabbah 22:6). God warns Cain that he must resist sin and master it, or else it will master him. Like his parents, Adam and Eve, Cain encounters a clear choice: obedience and blessing, or disobedience and death. And like his parents, he makes the wrong choice. We may also see the choice clearly enough, yet find ourselves without the strength to make the right decision. God’s intention is to provide the means to obey his Word. Once we choose God’s way, the power will be there, as it would have been even for Cain. With the coming of the Messiah, it became clear that we could have the power to master sin. As Sha’ul (Saul; i.e., Paul) says, “For sin will not have authority over you; because you are not under legalism but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). God’s grace does not give us the freedom to sin, but the power in Messiah to rule over the sin that crouches at our door. Today I Will … examine my heart for any excuses I still use to justify sinful behavior in my life. I will not allow sin to rule me, but I will master it through Messiah (ED: HIS SPIRIT - Ro 8:13). Do well (do good, do right) (03190)(yatab) means to be good, to be well, to be pleasing. To be made well, happy, cheerful, joyful. Lifted up (07613)(seet from nasa = to lift, to carry). exaltation, dignity, swelling, uprising. Baker - A feminine noun indicating honoring, elevation, dignity. It refers in general to a lifting up of someone or something: of the dignity given to the firstborn (Ge. 49:3); of a high office or place in society (Ps. 62:4); of God's unsurpassed exaltedness (Job 13:11; 31:23); of an infection, skin swelling (Lev. 13:2, 10, 19, 28, 43; 14:56); of Leviathan's stirring himself up (Job 41:25); of an approving, uplifting look, recognition (Gen. 4:7). II. A feminine noun indicating swelling. This is an expansion or enlargement of a person's flesh or skin because of an infection or irritation, a condition that was diagnosed by the priests (Lev. 13:2, 10, 19, 28, 43; 14:56). (Complete Word Study Dictionary- Old Testament ) Seeth - 14x in 13v - authority(1), dignity(1), high position(1), lifted(1), majesty(2), raises(1), swelling(7). Gen. 4:7; Gen. 49:3; Lev. 13:2; Lev. 13:10; Lev. 13:19; Lev. 13:28; Lev. 13:43; Lev. 14:56; Job 13:11; Job 31:23; Job 41:25; Ps. 62:4; Hab. 1:7 Crouching (07257)(rabas) means stretch oneself out, lie down, lie stretched out, to lie down, to lay something down. It has the connotation of "repose" or "rest from exertion" rather than sleep. Figuratively of sin lying down, crouching at the door (Ge 4:7), of a curse resting on a person (Dt 29:20). Rabats describes animals lying down (Ge 49:9, Ex 23:5), birds sitting on eggs (Dt 22:6) Rabas describes the "lying" of many living things, figurative of people as sheep (Ezek 34:14); of the needy person (Isa14:30), of flocks (Isa 13:20, Hiphil), of sheep (Ge 29:2), of the lion (Ge 49:9), of the leopard and goat in tranquility together (Isa11:6), of the nesting mother bird (Dt. 22:6). In its causative stem rabas means to lay, to set stones (Isa. 54:11); to cause one's flock to lie down to rest (Song 1:7). Rabats - 30x/30v - crouching(1), lay down(2), lead them to rest(1), lie down(15), lies(2), lies down(1), lying(3), lying down(1), rest(2), set(1), sitting(1). Gen. 4:7; Gen. 29:2; Gen. 49:9; Gen. 49:14; Gen. 49:25; Exod. 23:5; Num. 22:27; Deut. 22:6; Deut. 29:20; Deut. 33:13; Job 11:19; Ps. 23:2; Ps. 104:22; Song. 1:7; Isa. 11:6; Isa. 11:7; Isa. 13:20; Isa. 13:21; Isa. 14:30; Isa. 17:2; Isa. 27:10; Isa. 54:11; Jer. 33:12; Ezek. 19:2; Ezek. 29:3; Ezek. 34:14; Ezek. 34:15; Zeph. 2:7; Zeph. 2:14; Zeph. 3:13 Desire (08669) teshuqah is a feminine noun meaning longing, urge, craving, desire and refers to an urge to control or dominate. In Genesis 4:7 the desire is that which sin has for Cain, a desire to control for the sake of evil, but Cain must have mastery over it. The meaning in Ge 3:16 is debated - Some feel teshuqah in Ge 3:16 refers to sexual desire, because the passage discusses the relationship of a wife to her husband, and also because teshuqah is used in a romantic sense in Song 7:10. Master (4910)(mashal) means to reign, or to have dominion over. Baker writes that "Although its general tone communicates leadership and authority, its specific nuance and connotation are derived from the context in which it appears. In the creation narratives on the fourth day, God created the great luminaries. The greater luminary was to rule the day, and the lesser was to rule the night (Gen. 1:18). It is also applied to people who rule: a servant over his master’s household (Ge 24:2); a king over his country (Josh. 12:5); or his people (Jdg. 8:22, 23); a people over another people (Jdg. 14:4). God is also said to rule over His people (Jdg 8:23); not over His adversaries (Isa. 63:19); over the nations (2 Chr. 20:6; Ps. 22:28[29]); over Jacob (Ps. 59:13); over all things (1Chr. 29:12)." Mashal - 73v - Usage: dominion(1), gain control(1), govern(1), had charge(1), have authority(1), master(1), obtain dominion(1), really going to rule(1), rule(27), ruled(5), ruler(18), ruler's(2), rulers(6), rules(9), ruling(3), wielded(1). Ge 1:18; 3:16; 4:7; 24:2; 37:8; 45:8, 26; Genesis 4:1-7 A Worthy Offering If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. —Genesis 4:7 I was delighted when a mutual friend gave my neighbor a Bible. But my neighbor told me she stopped reading it because she couldn’t understand why God would be so unfair as to reject Cain’s offering. “After all,” she said, “as a farmer, he simply brought to God what he had. Did God expect him to buy a different kind of sacrifice?” Sadly, she had missed the point. It wasn’t that God didn’t like vegetables. Rather, He knew that Cain’s offering was masking an unrighteous attitude. Cain wasn’t fully committed to God, as expressed by the fact that he wasn’t living according to His ways. It’s easy to worship God on the outside while stubbornly keeping territory from Him on the inside. Jude writes about outwardly religious people who use religious activities to cover the reality of their sinful lives: “Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain” (Jude 11). We can faithfully serve God, sing His praises, and give sacrificially to His work. But God doesn’t want any of that without our hearts. Lord, may our worship and our praise, From hearts surrendered to Your ways, Be worthy offerings of love For all Your blessings from above. —Sper God won’t refuse a heart that is surrendered to Him. Genesis 4:1-16 Sin Crouches At The Door Sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it. —Genesis 4:7 The award-winning author John Steinbeck often used biblical themes in his novels. In his book East of Eden, he describes characters who illustrate the conflict of jealousy and revenge reflected in the story of Cain and Abel. Steinbeck shows how an angry heart burning with revenge doesn’t have to act a certain way. There’s always a choice. When Abel’s animal sacrifice received divine favor and Cain’s offering of fruit was rejected, Cain burned with anger (Gen. 4:1-6). But the Lord admonished him, “Sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it” (Ge 4:7). The original Hebrew words paint the picture of an animal crouching, ready to devour its prey. Cain’s anger and jealousy, if not brought under control, would “eat him up” and spill out in destructive behavior. Tragically, Cain gave in to his evil desires. It resulted in the first homicide and his departure from the presence of the Lord (Gen. 4:8-16). When faced with trials from without Or tempted from within, Rely upon the Lord for strength To turn away from sin. —Sper Control your anger, or it will control you. Genesis 4:8 Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Cain told Abel his brother- 2Sa 3:27 13:26-28 20:9,10 Ne 6:2 Ps 36:3 55:21 Pr 26:24-26 Mic 7:6 Lu 22:48 Cain rose - 2Sa 14:6 Job 11:15 Ps 24:3-6 139:19 Mt 23:35 Lu 11:51 1Jn 3:12-15 Jude 1:11 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Cain slaying Abel, by Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1600 Related Passages: Jude 1:11+ Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. 1 John 3:11-12+ For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; 12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. ADAM'S SIN SOON BEARS TRAGIC FRUIT Cain told Abel (Hebel) his brother - NET = "Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." (See technical note) This was the ultimate "small talk," for it was deliberate deceit and evidence that Cain had pre-meditated (a field would have no witnesses to his crime) that he would kill his brother (see premeditated murder), his anger finally culminating in a slaying of his own (and only) brother! Genesis 3 introduces the corrupt root (Sin - Sin principle - "virus" from Adam) and Genesis 4 the rotten fruit (anger giving way to murder), the cause in 3 and the effect in 4. NET NOTE on brother - The word “brother” appears six times in Ge 4:8–11, stressing the shocking nature of Cain’s fratricide (see 1 John 3:12). TECHNICAL NOTE - The Masoretic Text has simply “and Cain said to Abel his brother,” omitting Cain’s words to Abel. It is possible that the elliptical text is original. Perhaps the author uses the technique of aposiopesis, “a sudden silence” to create tension. In the midst of the story the narrator suddenly rushes ahead to what happened in the field. It is more likely that the ancient versions (Samaritan Pentateuch, LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac), which include Cain’s words, “Let’s go out to the field,” preserve the original reading here. After writing אָחִיו (’akhiyv, “his brother”), a scribe’s eye may have jumped to the end of the form בַּשָּׂדֶה (basadeh, “to the field”) and accidentally omitted the quotation. This would be an error of virtual homoioteleuton. In older phases of the Hebrew script the sequence יו (yod-vav) on אָחִיו is graphically similar to the final ה (he) on בַּשָּׂדֶה. (NET NOTE) And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed (harag; Lxx - apokteino) him - In the field presumably would be away from where Adam and Eve were so they could not intervene or witness the crime. Cain lost sight of the fact that God has all sight, all the time (Pr 15:3). It also worth noting how quickly Adam's sin spread, even resulting in one of the most heinous sins of taking the life of another person in the image of God! In a sense the death God had warned Adam about (Ge 2:17, Ge 3:19) had now become a reality. Sin is a good "mathematician" for it quickly multiplies as in Cain's case from envy/jealousy, to anger, to hatred, to murder, all evidence of his basic heart defect (Mt 15:19+, Mk 7:21-23+) It is sad that sin entered in Genesis 3 and murder or killing (harag) became a key word in Genesis 4 (Ge 4:8; Ge 4:14; Ge 4:15; Ge 4:23; Ge 4:25) reflecting the rapid descent of man's moral/ethical behavior in such a short amount of time. John writes "For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning (EVEN IN GENESIS?, that we should love (present tense - continually, as a lifestyle) one another; 12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one (SPIRITUAL SON OF SATAN) and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. (AKA - JEALOUSY, ENVY) 13 Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. (ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE "ABEL-LIKE" FAITH/DEEDS) 14 We know that we have passed out of death (SPIRITUAL DEATH) into (ETERNAL) life, because we love the brethren (ONE OF THE CLEAREST SIGNS ONE'S FAITH IS GENUINE - CAIN CLEARLY WAS NOT SAVED). He who does not love abides in death (ETERNAL DEATH). 15 Everyone who (present tense - continually, as a lifestyle) hates his brother is a murderer (IT IS A HEART ISSUE - Mt 5:21-26+); and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." (1Jn 3:11-15+). Victor Hamilton has an interesting note on parallels between Gen. 4 and Matt. 23:35 (par. Luke 11:51); Heb. 12:24 - Each of these NT verses uses Abel’s death as a foreshadowing of either Christ’s sufferings (Heb. 12:24) or the persecution of believers (Matt. 23:35). Abel is coupled with Zechariah (Matt. 23:35) as the first (Gen. 4) and last (2 Chr. 24:20–22) victims of murder mentioned in the OT. (Chronicles is the last book in the Hebrew canon.) Understandably Abel is characterized as “innocent” but Zechariah is simply named. (See context in The Book of Genesis - NICOT) Cuyler - On the summit of a hill in a Western State is a courthouse, so situated that the raindrops that fall on one side of the roof descend into Lake Erie, and thence, through the St. Lawrence, into the Atlantic. The drops on the other side trickle down from rivulet to river, until they reach the Ohio and Mississippi, and enter the ocean by the Gulf of Mexico. A faint breath of wind determines the destination of these raindrops for three thousand miles. So a single act determines, sometimes, a human destiny for all time and for eternity. Bishop Hall - Death did not first strike Adam, the first sinful man; nor Cain, the first hypocrite; but Abel, the innocent and righteous. The first soul that met with death overcame death: the first soul that parted from earth went to heaven. Death argues not displeasure; because he whom God loved best died first; and the murderer was punished while living. James Hastings - In Abel we have the first-fruits of the City of God; the fulness of the last and crowning beatitude; “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” “For not only,” says St. Augustine, “from the bodily presence of Christ and His Apostles but from righteous Abel unto the end of time, amidst the persecutions of the world, and the consolations of God, the Church advances onward in her pilgrimage.” So when a great man dies, For years beyond our ken The light he leaves behind him lies Upon the paths of men. Genesis 4:9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" Where is - Ge 3:9-11 Ps 9:12 know - Ge 37:32 Job 22:13,14 Ps 10:13,14 Pr 28:13 Joh 8:44 Ac 5:4-9 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passage: Genesis 3:9+ Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” The Body of Abel Found by Adam and Eve by William Blake, 1826 CAIN REPUDIATES RESPONSIBILITY FOR MURDER Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel (Hebel) your brother?" (cf God's question to Adam in Ge 3:9+) - God offers a rhetorical question (see similar tact with Adam). Whether Cain buried Abel's body or left it for the beasts to devour is not stated in the text, but in either case God knows where Abel's body is, and is looking to draw a confession out of Cain but without success. At least his father Adam confessed his sin (Ge 3:12)! And he said, "I do not know (yada; Lxx - ginosko = know experientially, intimately) - Of course he knew! "Liar, liar, pants on fire!" Notice how one sin (murder) leads to another sin (lying), a principle we all do well to remember (cf Ro 6:19 "as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness") THOUGHT- Quick confession and repentance may be uncomfortable, but is far better than attempting to cover sin. As Numbers 32:23b+ says "be sure your sin will find you out." Proverbs 28:13+ sum up the two approaches we can take to our sins "He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion." Kidner points out that "The truculent reply, equally in character, betrays a hardening in comparison with the shuffling answers (OF HIS PARENTS) in Ge 3:10ff." (See context in Genesis - TOTC or borrow Genesis: an introduction and commentary) Am I my brother's keeper?" - NET, CSB = "Am I my brother's guardian." GWT = "Am I supposed to take care of my brother?" Bold-faced callous indifference! This is an defiant, insolent rhetorical question to the Almighty, especially in view of what Cain had done. My brother's keeper is still used as an idiom meaning the person who is responsible for the actions, behavior, or whereabouts of someone (usually a close relative or friend, not necessarily a brother). Most commonly used to express frustration that such a responsibility is assumed to belong to one. NET NOTE on Am I my brother’s guardian? - Cain lies and then responds with a defiant rhetorical question of his own in which he repudiates any responsibility for his brother. But his question is ironic, for he is responsible for his brother’s fate, especially if he wanted to kill him. Wiersbe - The more you think about Cain’s sin, the more heinous it becomes. The murder wasn’t motivated by sudden passion; it was carefully premeditated. Cain didn’t kill a stranger in defense; he murdered his own brother out of envy and hatred. Furthermore, Cain did it after being at the altar to worship God and in spite of God’s warning and promise. Finally, once the horrible deed was done, Cain took it all very lightly and tried to lie his way out of it. (See context in The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: Old Testament) AN ILLUSTRATION Cain slew Abel, but Cain’s worst enemy was himself. - R E Neighbour - Wells of Living Water “There is an old Icelandic legend that contains its own lesson. There was a man who was constantly pursued by a terrible spirit which took the form of a dwarf: ‘His grain ricks were fired, his barns unroofed, his cattle destroyed, his lands blasted, and his first-born slain. So he lay in wait for the monster where it lived in the caves near his house, and in the darkness of night he saw it With a cry he rushed upon it, and gripped it about the waist, and it turned upon him and held him by the shoulder. ‘Long he wrestled with it, reeling, staggering, falling, and rising again, but at length a flood of strength came to him, and he overthrew it, and stood over it, covering it, conquering it, with his. right hand set hard at its throat. Then he drew his knife to kill it, and the moon shot through a rack of cloud, opening an alley of light about it, and he saw its face, and lo! the face of the evil dwarf was his own.’ “We ourselves are our own worst enemy. The greatest business that we ever have to do is with God. Sin leaves such a stain that there is no power in all the world that can cleanse it.” (ED: BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS CAN EXPUNGE IT FOREVER. AMEN!) Spurgeon from Am I My Brother's Keeper? - TO what a shameful pitch of presumptuous impudence had Cain arrived when he could thus insult the Lord God. If it had not been on record in the page of inspiration, we might almost have doubted whether a man could speak so impudently when actually conscious that God himself was addressing him. Men blaspheme frightfully, but it is usually because they forget God, and ignore his presence; but Cain was conscious that God was speaking to him. He heard him say, “Where is Abel thy brother?” and yet he dared, with the coolest impertinence, to reply to God, “I know not. Am I my brother’s keeper?” As much as to say—“Do you think that I have to keep him as he keeps his sheep? Am I also a shepherd as he was, and am I to take as much care of him as he did of a lame lamb?” The cool impudence of Cain is an indication of the state of heart which led up to his murdering his brother; and it was also a part of the result of his having committed that terrible crime. He would not have proceeded to the cruel deed of bloodshed if he had not first cast off the fear of God and been ready to defy his Maker. Having committed murder, the hardening influence of sin upon Cain’s mind must have been intense, and so at last he was able to speak out to God’s face what he felt within his heart, and to say, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” This goes a long way to explain what has puzzled some persons, namely, the wonderful calmness with which great criminals will appear in the dock. I remember to have heard it said of one who had undoubtedly committed a very foul murder, that he looked like an innocent man. He stood up before his accusers as calmly and quietly, they said, as an innocent man could do. I remember feeling at the time that an innocent man would probably not have been calm. The distress of mind occasioned to an innocent man by being under such a charge would have prevented his having the coolness which was displayed by the guilty individual. Instead of its being any evidence of innocence that a man wears a brazen front when charged with a great crime, it should by wise men be considered to be evidence against him. Well may he seem dispassionate and unmoved who has already been so unfeeling as to dip his hand in blood. If he was so hardened as to do the deed, it is not likely he will display much softness when the deed is brought home to him. Oh, dear friends, let us shun sin, if it were only for the evil effect which it has upon our minds. It is poison to the heart. It stultifies the conscience, drugs it, sends it to sleep; it intoxicates the judgment, and puts all the faculties as it were into a state of drunkenness, so that we become capable of a monstrous bravery, and a blind impertinence, which makes us mad enough to dare insult God to his face. Save us, O God, from having our hearts hammered to the hardness of steel by sin; and daily keep us by thy grace sensible and tender before thee, trembling at thy word. (Excerpt from sermon Am I My Brother's Keeper?) Andrew Fuller - Genesis 4:9 - We have seen the tragical end of righteous Abel; but what becomes of the murderer? Probably he had hid the dead body of his brother to elude detection; but God will find him out. Jehovah said to Cain, “Where is Abel, thy brother?” What a cutting question! The words thy brother would remind him of the tender ties of flesh and blood which he had broken; and if he had any feeling of conscience left in him, must pierce him to the quick. But oh how black, how hardened is the state of his mind! Mark his answer. First, The falsehood of it—“I know not.” We feel astonished that a man can dare to lie in the presence of his Maker; yet how many lies are uttered before him by formalists and hypocrites! Secondly, The insolence of it—“Am I my brother’s keeper?” This man had no fear of God before his eyes; and where this is wanting, regard to man will be wanting also. Even natural affection will be swallowed up in selfishness. Supposing he had not known where his brother was, it did not follow that he had no interest in his preservation; but he did know, and instead of being his keeper, had been his murderer (See The Works of the Rev. Andrew Fuller) F B
Gênesis 4
Wiersbe - Adam and Eve had run to hide when they heard God’s voice (Ge 3:8), but God heard Abel’s voice crying from the ground and Cain couldn’t hide. The shedding of innocent blood pollutes the land (Nu 35:30–34+) and that blood cries out for justice (Job 16:18; Isa. 26:21; Rev. 6:9–10) (The plaque outside “The Chamber of Destruction” holocaust museum on Mount Zion in Jerusalem reads, “Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out!”). Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden, and Cain became a rejected wanderer in the earth.....Righteous Abel (Matt. 23:35) speaks to God’s people today both by his sacrifices (Heb. 11:4) and by his shed blood (Heb. 12:24). In the latter passage, the writer contrasts the blood of Christ and the blood of Abel. The blood of Abel speaks from the earth, but Christ’s blood speaks from heaven. Abel’s blood cries out for justice, but Christ’s blood speaks of justice satisfied on the cross. Abel’s blood declared Cain’s guilt and made him a wanderer, but Christ’s blood speaks of grace and forgiveness and reconciles believing sinners to God. (HALLELUJAH! AMEN!) (See context in The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: Old Testament) Kidner - We ourselves speak of wrongs that ‘cry out’ to be righted. The New Testament concurs with the Old in this, and develops the metaphor (e.g. Rev. 6:9, 10; Luke 18:7, 8), which should still however be read as metaphor. In striking contrast, the blood of Jesus cries out for grace (Heb. 12:24). (See context in Genesis - TOTC or borrow Genesis: an introduction and commentary) Westermann on your brother's blood is crying to Me - This is one of the monumental sentences in the Bible. It needs no explanation and retains its validity through the centuries for each generation. The most important word in the sentence is ילא, “to me.” It is no empty sentence that the blood of the victim cries out; there is someone there to whom it cries out. Cain cannot hide his deed. [Genesis, vol. 1, p. 305] Kenneth Matthews - Ironically, though Abel never talks in Genesis, his testimony of faith continues to speak, and his voice cries out for revenge against the unrighteous who oppose God’s work among the saints (Heb 11:4). Although it is Abel’s blood that convicts the sinner, it is the blood of Christ that makes adequate reparations for the sins of the unrighteous, offering forgiveness and not vengeance, speaking a better word (Heb 12:24) (See context in Genesis 1-11:26 - New American Commentary)
Gênesis 4
Wiersbe - Lamech’s brand of violence spread (Ge 4:5, 11–12), and by the time of the Flood, only eight people believed God’s warning and acted upon it by faith. The rest were destroyed. (See context in The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: Old Testament) The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. -- 1 John 2:17+ Genesis 4:25 Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, "God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel, for Cain killed him." LXE And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore a son, and called his name Seth, saying, For God has raised up to me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. BGT ἔγνω δὲ Αδαμ Ευαν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκεν υἱὸν καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Σηθ λέγουσα ἐξανέστησεν γάρ μοι ὁ θεὸς σπέρμα ἕτερον ἀντὶ Αβελ ὃν ἀπέκτεινεν Καιν KJV And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. NET And Adam had marital relations with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth, saying, "God has given me another child in place of Abel because Cain killed him." CSB Adam was intimate with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, for she said, "God has given me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him." ERV And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For, said she, God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel; for Cain slew him. ESV And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, "God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him." NIV Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him." NLT Adam had sexual relations with his wife again, and she gave birth to another son. She named him Seth, for she said, "God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed." NRS Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, for she said, "God has appointed for me another child instead of Abel, because Cain killed him." YLT And Adam again knoweth his wife, and she beareth a son, and calleth his name Seth, 'for God hath appointed for me another seed instead of Abel:' for Cain had slain him. GWN Adam made love to his wife again. She gave birth to a son and named him Seth, because she said, "God has given me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him." NKJ And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, "For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed." NAB Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son whom she called Seth. "God has granted me more offspring in place of Abel," she said, "because Cain slew him." NJB Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she gave birth to a son whom she named Seth, 'because God has granted me other offspring', she said, 'in place of Abel, since Cain has killed him.' ASV And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth. For, said she, God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel; for Cain slew him. DBY And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son, and called his name Seth: ...For God has appointed me another seed instead of Abel, because Cain has slain him. BBE And Adam had connection with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son to whom she gave the name of Seth: for she said, God has given me another seed in place of Abel, whom Cain put to death. BHT wayyëºda` ´ädäm `ôd ´et-´išTô waTTëºled Bën waTTiqrä´ ´et-šümô šët Kî šä|t-lî ´élöhîm zeºra` ´aHër TaºHat heºbel Kî hárägô qäºyin NIRV Adam made love to his wife again. She gave birth to a son and named him Seth. She said, "God has given me another child. The child will take the place of Abel, because Cain killed him." RSV And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, "God has appointed for me another child instead of Abel, for Cain slew him." and named - Ge 5:3,4 1Ch 1:1 Lu 3:38 Seth - Heb. Sheth; i. e. appointed, or put God - Ge 4:1-3,8,10,11 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries SETH'S FAMILY TREE SETH - GOD'S APPOINTED REPLACEMENT FOR ABEL After godless Lamech's boastful poem, nick-named "The Song of the Sword," the Spirit juxtaposes the bright light of the godly line of Seth from whom the Messiah would one day come. There could hardly be a striking contrast between darkness that dominates Genesis 4 and the light at the end of the Chapter. Matthews notes that there is "an even sharper distinction between Cain’s offspring and that of Seth: Cain’s firstborn and successors pioneer cities and the civilized arts, but Seth’s firstborn and successors pioneer worship." Adam (adam) had relations (yada; Lxx - ginosko = know experientially, intimately) with his wife (ishshah) again - KJV has "Adam knew his wife again" where knew (yada) is a euphemism for sexual relations. This procreative event would bring forth the third son of Adam. And she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth (Sheth) - Seth was the third son of Adam and Eve and nis name means appointed, put, placed, set, or granted. This meaning is suggested by the explanation in the last clause (beginning with "for"), as Scripture frequently gives a name and then "explains" the meaning of the name. For example in Mt 1:21+ the angel tells Joseph that his wife Mary "will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, (Iesous - "Jehovah saves") for (term of explanation) He will save His people from their sins.” Allen Ross - In the line from Seth there was faith. Seth himself was a provision from God, according to Eve’s statement of faith.(See context in The Bible Knowledge Commentary) For (term of explanation), she said, "God has appointed (shith) me another offspring in place of Abel - Appointed me another is another way of saying God had given Eve a replacement for Abel. Thus Eve again (Ge 4:1) acknowledged God as the giver of children. The sovereign God gives children (Ps 127:3) and here He gives Seth thus assuring the line of the Messiah would be kept intact. As Luke would later record regarding Jesus Christ - "When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli....the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God." (Lk 3:23, 38+). NET NOTE on the words Seth and appointed - the name שֵׁת (shet) and the verb שָׁת (shith, “to place, to appoint, to set, to grant”) form a wordplay (paronomasia). For (term of explanation) here explaining why there needed to be a replacement for righteous Abel. Cain killed (harag; Lxx - apokteino) him - Poor Eve, and the pain she must have felt as she experienced the immutable principle that the "wages of sin is death." (Ro 6:23+) In killing Abel, Cain, the firstborn forfeited his place in the line of the Messiah. Sin always has consequences, and in God's perfect justice, some of our sins have seemingly greater consequences than other sins! The moral of the story is DON'T COMMIT SIN! Or to say it another way "look before you leap!" Adam (man) (0120) adam usually refers to mankind in the collective sense (Ge 1:26, 27). It is also a proper noun, Adam, the first man whom God created (Ge 2:20). ’Adam is translated “persons” in Nu 31:28, 30, 35, 40. It can refer to any given person, whether male or female (Lv13:2). Wife (0802) ishshah means woman, wife, female, betrothed one, bride. Ishshah is one who is a female human being regardless of her age or virginity. The basic meaning is a female, as opposed to a male. Although the deriv. of 'ishshah is uncertain and no linguistic etymology appears to be involved, Adam makes a beautiful play on words in Gen. 2:23 in the passage where the word is first used, "This is now bone of my bones . . . she shall be called Woman [ishshah], because she was taken out of man ['ish]." All uses of ishshah in Genesis - Gen. 2:22; Gen. 2:23; Gen. 2:24; Gen. 2:25; Gen. 3:1; Gen. 3:2; Gen. 3:4; Gen. 3:6; Gen. 3:8; Gen. 3:12; Gen. 3:13; Gen. 3:15; Gen. 3:16; Gen. 3:17; Gen. 3:20; Gen. 3:21; Gen. 4:1; Gen. 4:17; Gen. 4:19; Gen. 4:23; Gen. 4:25; Gen. 6:2; Gen. 6:18; Gen. 7:2; Gen. 7:7; Gen. 7:13; Gen. 8:16; Gen. 8:18; Gen. 11:29; Gen. 11:31; Gen. 12:5; Gen. 12:11; Gen. 12:12; Gen. 12:14; Gen. 12:15; Gen. 12:17; Gen. 12:18; Gen. 12:19; Gen. 12:20; Gen. 13:1; Gen. 14:16; Gen. 16:1; Gen. 16:3; Gen. 17:15; Gen. 17:19; Gen. 18:9; Gen. 18:10; Gen. 18:11; Gen. 19:15; Gen. 19:16; Gen. 19:26; Gen. 20:2; Gen. 20:3; Gen. 20:7; Gen. 20:11; Gen. 20:12; Gen. 20:14; Gen. 20:17; Gen. 20:18; Gen. 21:21; Gen. 23:19; Gen. 24:3; Gen. 24:4; Gen. 24:5; Gen. 24:7; Gen. 24:8; Gen. 24:15; Gen. 24:36; Gen. 24:37; Gen. 24:38; Gen. 24:39; Gen. 24:40; Gen. 24:44; Gen. 24:51; Gen. 24:67; Gen. 25:1; Gen. 25:10; Gen. 25:20; Gen. 25:21; Gen. 26:7; Gen. 26:8; Gen. 26:9; Gen. 26:10; Gen. 26:11; Gen. 26:34; Gen. 27:46; Gen. 28:1; Gen. 28:2; Gen. 28:6; Gen. 28:9; Gen. 29:21; Gen. 29:28; Gen. 30:4; Gen. 30:9; Gen. 30:26; Gen. 31:17; Gen. 31:35; Gen. 31:50; Gen. 32:22; Gen. 33:5; Gen. 34:4; Gen. 34:8; Gen. 34:12; Gen. 34:21; Gen. 34:29; Gen. 36:2; Gen. 36:6; Gen. 36:10; Gen. 36:12; Gen. 36:13; Gen. 36:14; Gen. 36:17; Gen. 36:18; Gen. 36:39; Gen. 37:2; Gen. 38:6; Gen. 38:8; Gen. 38:9; Gen. 38:12; Gen. 38:14; Gen. 38:20; Gen. 39:7; Gen. 39:8; Gen. 39:9; Gen. 39:19; Gen. 41:45; Gen. 44:27; Gen. 45:19; Gen. 46:5; Gen. 46:19; Gen. 46:26; Gen. 49:31 Knew (03045) yada to know, to learn, to perceive, to discern, to experience, to confess, to consider, to know people relationally, to know how, to be skillful, to be made known, to make oneself known, to make to known. Used as a description of intimate relations is Ge 4:1, Ge 4:17, Ge 4:25, Ge 38:26, Jdg 11:39, 1Sa 1:19). Knowing God means knowing Him on the spiritual level in the closest personal way. Yada in Genesis - Gen. 3:5; Gen. 3:7; Gen. 3:22; Gen. 4:1; Gen. 4:9; Gen. 4:17; Gen. 4:25; Gen. 8:11; Gen. 9:24; Gen. 12:11; Gen. 15:8; Gen. 15:13; Gen. 18:19; Gen. 18:21; Gen. 19:5; Gen. 19:8; Gen. 19:33; Gen. 19:35; Gen. 20:6; Gen. 20:7; Gen. 21:26; Gen. 22:12; Gen. 24:14; Gen. 24:16; Gen. 24:21; Gen. 25:27; Gen. 27:2; Gen. 28:16; Gen. 29:5; Gen. 30:26; Gen. 30:29; Gen. 31:6; Gen. 31:32; Gen. 33:13; Gen. 38:9; Gen. 38:16; Gen. 38:26; Gen. 39:6; Gen. 39:8; Gen. 41:21; Gen. 41:31; Gen. 41:39; Gen. 42:23; Gen. 42:33; Gen. 42:34; Gen. 43:7; Gen. 43:22; Gen. 44:15; Gen. 44:27; Gen. 45:1; Gen. 47:6; Gen. 48:19 Seth (08352)(Sheth from shith) means appointed, put, placed, set, or granted. Gilbrant - The proper noun "Seth" occurs nine times in the OT as the name of the third son of Adam. Eve named her son Seth for she said, "God has appointed me another seed instead of Abel" (Gen. 4:25). Seth was the father of Enosh (Ge 4:26). Adam was 130 years old when Seth was born (Ge 5:3), and he lived 800 years beyond Seth's birth (Ge 5:4). Seth was 105 years old when his son Enosh was born (Ge 5:6), and he lived 807 years beyond Enos' birth (Ge 5:7f). The KJV spells the name "Sheth" in 1 Chr. 1:1. He was an ancestor of Noah and was in the line of Jesus Christ. Sheth - 9v - Seth(8), Sheth(1). Gen. 4:25; Gen. 4:26; Gen. 5:3; Gen. 5:4; Gen. 5:6; Gen. 5:7; Gen. 5:8; Num. 24:17; 1 Chr. 1:1 Appointed (07896)(shith) means "to set, to put, to lay." The most frequent object of shith is heart (10x) - "to set the heart" (Ex 7:23 Job 7:17 Ps 62:10 Pr 22:17 Pr 24:32 Jer 31:21). Baker says shith "basically means to place or put something somewhere: hostility between the serpent and the seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15); to appoint or replace something (Gen. 4:25); to place or put sheep in a separate area (Gen. 30:40); to appoint or establish a person in an official position (Gen. 41:33; Ps. 21:6[7]; 132:11; Isa. 5:6; 26:1; Jer. 22:6). It is used of God's setting or establishing the earth on its foundations (1 Sam. 2:8). To set one's hand on a person's eyes at death means to close them (Gen. 46:4). It indicates merely placing one's hand on a person (Gen. 48:14, 17). To set one's heart on something means to pay attention to it (Ex. 7:23; 2 Sam. 13:20; Jer. 31:21). The phrase šît̠ leb̠addô means to set apart (Gen. 30:40). The phrases to set one's hand to means to help or to have a common goal (Ex. 23:1); to blame someone means to set sin upon them (Num. 12:11). It takes on the sense of to make, to constitute something as: to make someone turn the shoulder (Ps. 21:12[13]); to make something like something else, e.g., Israel like a land of hunting, a wilderness (Jer. 2:15; Hos. 2:3[5]); to make or appoint darkness (Ps. 104:20). It refers to appointing a feast (Jer. 51:39); or of setting, putting one's refuge in the Lord (Ps. 73:28). God sets, defines Israel's borders (Ex. 23:31). (Complete Word Study Dictionary- Old Testament ) Shith - 80v - account(1), apply(1), appoint(1), appointed(1), bring(1), cast(1), close*(1), concern*(1), concerned*(1), consider*(1), demand(1), demanded(2), direct(1), fix(1), fixed positions(1), join(1), laid(5), lay(3), lays(1), made(5), make(11), make them turn(1), pay(2), perform(1), place(1), placed(1), put(9), reflected*(1), serve(1), set(17), sets(1), stop(1), take(2), took up fixed positions(1), turns(1), withdraw(1). Gen. 3:15; Gen. 4:25; Gen. 30:40; Gen. 41:33; Gen. 46:4; Gen. 48:14; Gen. 48:17; Exod. 7:23; Exod. 10:1; Exod. 21:22; Exod. 21:30; Exod. 23:1; Exod. 23:31; Exod. 33:4; Num. 12:11; Num. 24:1; Ruth 3:15; Ruth 4:16; 1 Sam. 2:8; 1 Sam. 4:20; 2 Sam. 13:20; 2 Sam. 19:28; 2 Sam. 22:12; 1 Ki. 11:34; Job 7:17; Job 9:33; Job 10:20; Job 14:13; Job 22:24; Job 30:1; Job 38:11; Job 38:36; Ps. 3:6; Ps. 8:6; Ps. 9:20; Ps. 12:5; Ps. 13:2; Ps. 17:11; Ps. 18:11; Ps. 21:3; Ps. 21:6; Ps. 21:9; Ps. 21:12; Ps. 45:16; Ps. 48:13; Ps. 62:10; Ps. 73:18; Ps. 73:28; Ps. 83:11; Ps. 83:13; Ps. 84:3; Ps. 84:6; Ps. 88:6; Ps. 88:8; Ps. 90:8; Ps. 101:3; Ps. 104:20; Ps. 110:1; Ps. 132:11; Ps. 139:5; Ps. 140:5; Ps. 141:3; Prov. 22:17; Prov. 24:32; Prov. 26:24; Prov. 27:23; Isa. 5:6; Isa. 15:9; Isa. 16:3; Isa. 22:7; Isa. 26:1; Jer. 2:15; Jer. 3:19; Jer. 13:16; Jer. 22:6; Jer. 31:21; Jer. 50:3; Jer. 51:39; Hos. 2:3; Hos. 6:11 QUESTION - Who was Seth in the Bible? ANSWER - Seth, a son of Adam and Eve (the third of their sons named in Scripture), was born after Cain murdered Abel (Genesis 4:8). Eve believed that God had appointed him as a replacement for Abel and named him Seth, which means “set in place of” (Genesis 4:25). Later, when Seth was 105 years old, his son Enosh was born (Genesis 4:26), and Enosh continues what is sometimes called “the godly line of Seth” that leads to Abraham. The story of Cain’s killing the righteous “seed” (Abel) and God’s raising up another “seed” (Seth) becomes the central theme of the divine plan. Evil is always attempting to rid the world of good, and God is always thwarting evil’s plans. There is always a Seth to replace Abel. It was through the seed of Seth that Jesus was born (Genesis 5:3–8, 1 Chronicles 1:1, Luke 3:38). After the birth of Seth’s son Enosh, the Bible tells us, “At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26), which confirms Eve’s foretelling of the purpose of Seth’s birth. The word call also means “to proclaim,” which refers to men testifying about God to one another. It was through Seth’s family that organized, corporate worship of the one true God began to enter the fallen world. Though the descendants of Seth are not the first in Adam’s line to develop inventions or advances in civilization, they are the first to praise and worship God. Unlike Cain’s descendants, Seth’s prove faithful to God. From Seth come the patriarchs, the nation of Israel, and eventually Christ. And it’s Christ who not only destroys Satan but also condemns sin and death (Luke 3:23–38). It was through Seth that the “Offspring of the Woman” came who would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). Seth is also mentioned in other works, including the Apocrypha (Sirah 49:16), the pseudepigraphical works, such as the Ascension of Isaiah, Jubilees, and the Life of Adam and Eve. His name is also recorded in some of the Gnostic texts, e.g., the Gospel of the Egyptians and the Second Treatise of the Great Seth. GotQuestions.org Genesis 4:26 To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD. LXE And Seth had a son, and he called his name Enos: he hoped to call on the name of the Lord God. BGT καὶ τῷ Σηθ ἐγένετο υἱός ἐπωνόμασεν δὲ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ενως οὗτος ἤλπισεν ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ KJV And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD. NET And a son was also born to Seth, whom he named Enosh. At that time people began to worship the LORD. CSB A son was born to Seth also, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of Yahweh. ERV And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enosh: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD. ESV To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD. NIV Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD. NLT When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. At that time people first began to worship the LORD by name. NRS To Seth also a son was born, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to invoke the name of the LORD. YLT And to Seth, to him also a son hath been born, and he calleth his name Enos; then a beginning was made of preaching in the name of Jehovah. GWN A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to worship the LORD. NKJ And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD. NAB To Seth, in turn, a son was born, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to invoke the LORD by name. NJB A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. This man was the first to invoke the name Yahweh. ASV And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enosh. Then began men to call upon the name of Jehovah. DBY And to Seth, to him also was born a son; and he called his name Enosh. Then people began to call on the name of Jehovah. BBE And Seth had a son, and he gave him the name of Enosh: at this time men first made use of the name of the Lord in worship. BHT ûlüšët Gam-hû´ yullad-Bën wayyiqrä´ ´et-šümô ´énôš ´äz hûHal liqrö´ Büšëm yhwh(´ädönäy) P NAS And to Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD. NIRV Seth also had a son. He named him Enosh. At that time people began to worship the LORD. RSV To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time men began to call upon the name of the LORD. To him - Ge 4:6-8 Enosh, to call upon the name of the Lord. or, call themselves by the name of the Lord. De 26:17,18 1Ki 18:24 Ps 116:17 Isa 44:5 48:1 63:19 Jer 33:16 Joe 2:32 Zep 3:9 Ac 2:21 11:26 Ro 10:13 1Co 1:2 Eph 3:14,15 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Genesis 12:8 Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. Genesis 13:4 to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD. Genesis 21:33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. Genesis 26:25 So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well. BEGIN TO CALL ON NAME OF THE LORD To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh - It is interesting that Seth's wife is not mentioned with a phrase like she gave birth to a son. Enosh means humanity, mortal man and Then - Or "at that time." Time phrase. Always ask "When?" or "What time?" Or even "Why now?" Enosh's birth seems to mark (a "birthmark" so to speak) a new beginning for mortal men when humanity began to call upon the name of the LORD. Men began to call upon the name of the LORD - There are several interpretations of this clause as shown by the variation in the translations - YLT = "then a beginning was made of preaching in the name of Jehovah" NET = "At that time people began to worship the LORD." NLT = "At that time people first began to worship the LORD by name." See note below. NET NOTE - Heb “call in the name.” The expression refers to worshiping the LORD through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 12:8; 13:4; 21:33; 26:25). Wenham says this "seems to be an umbrella phrase for worship, most obviously prayer and sacrifice. On this view Gen 4:26 is noting the origin of regular divine worship, just as the preceding verses have noted the origins of farming, music, and metallurgy. Though Cain and Abel offered sacrifice, this verse notes its reintroduction on a regular basis (cf. the other reintroductions in Ge 9:20; 10:8)." (See context in Genesis 1-15, Volume 1 - Page 116) Wiersbe - As the Cainites were gradually wandering away from the true worship of God, the Sethites were returning to Him (v. 26) and establishing again their worship of the Lord. Civilization today is Cainite in origin. It has such elements as agriculture, industry, arts, great cities, and religion without faith in the blood of Christ. Also, like Cain’s civilization of old, it will be destroyed. We still have boasting murderers like Lamech, and we still have people (like Lamech) who violate the sacred vows of marriage. “As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of man be” (Matt. 24:37, NKJV). Men still reject divine revelation and depend on their own human resources. The true Christian does not belong to this “world system” that is passing away (1 John 2:15–17), and should not get involved with it (Rom. 12:1–2; 2 Cor. 6:14–7:1). (See context in Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament) Norman Geisler - GENESIS 4:26—Did worship of God begin here or earlier? PROBLEM: According to this verse, people did not begin “to call on the name of the Lord” until the days of Enosh, the third son of Adam and Eve. Yet their first son, Abel, brought an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord before this time (Gen. 4:3–4). SOLUTION: The meaning of “call upon the name of the Lord” (in Gen. 4:26) is not clear. And what is not clear cannot be taken to contradict what is clear, namely, that Abel worshiped God before Enosh did. It is possible that calling on the Lord implied a regular, more solemn, and/or public worship of the Lord, or prayer (cf. Rom. 10:13) that was not practiced earlier. At any rate, there is no contradiction here, since it does not say that Abel or anyone else “called on the Lord” before this time—whatever it may mean. QUESTION - What does it mean to call upon the name of the Lord? ANSWER - The first mention in Scripture of people calling on the name of the Lord is Genesis 4:26: “Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of the LORD.” Here, to call on the name of the Lord means that people began to gather for corporate worship and seeking the help of the Creator. Cain’s family line is contrasted with Seth’s: descendants of Cain began to practice herding (verse 20), music production (verse 21), and metallurgy (verse 22). At the same time, the world was becoming more and more wicked (verses 19 and 23). Seth’s descendants stood out from their corrupt society in that they began to call on the name of the Lord. When Abram entered Canaan, he camped between Ai and Bethel. There, “he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 12:8). In other words, Abram publicly thanked God, praised His name, and sought His protection and guidance. Years later, Abraham’s son Isaac built an altar to the Lord in Beersheba and also “called on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 26:25). To call on the name of the Lord is to invoke His proper name “in audible and social prayer and praise” (Albert Barnes). To call on the name of the Lord is to approach Him in thanksgiving, worship, and petition, and in so doing proclaim the name of God. To call on the name of the Lord is to pray “in a more public and solemn manner” (Matthew Poole). Those who are children of God will naturally call on the name of the Lord. Calling on the name of the Lord is basic for salvation and presupposes faith in the Lord. God promises to save those who, in faith, call upon His name: “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved” (Romans 10:13; cf. Joel 2:32). Everyone who invokes the name of God for mercy and salvation, by or in the name of Jesus, shall be saved (Acts 2:21). “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12NLT). Using a person’s name expresses familiarity and helps connect one person to another. The first thing we do upon meeting someone is to extend a hand and introduce ourselves. This builds familiarity for future interactions. To call upon the name of the Lord is a sign of knowing Him and a way of connecting to Him. There is a difference between knowing about God and knowing Him personally. Calling on the name of the Lord indicates personal interaction and relationship. When we call upon the name of the Lord, as a form of worship, we recognize our dependence upon Him. What saves a person is not the action, per se, of “calling upon” the name of Jesus; what saves is God’s grace in response to one’s personal faith in the Savior being called upon. Calling on the name of the Lord is more than a verbal expression; it is also shown in the heart and in deed through repentance. “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out” (Acts 3:19). Calling on the name of the Lord is to be a lifelong pursuit (Psalm 116:2). God commands us to call on Him in times of trouble (Psalm 50:15). The one who “dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1) and has God’s promise of blessing: “‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him’” (verses 14–15). Those who refuse to call upon the name of the Lord are also described in Scripture, along with the results of their disobedience: “Will the workers of iniquity never learn? . . . They refuse to call upon the LORD. There they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to fear” (Psalm 53:4–5). Even as rebellious or ignorant people neglect to call upon the name of the Lord, He is willing to hear them and accept them. God wants to be found; He is ready to be known: “I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ to a nation that was not called by my name” (Isaiah 65:1ESV; cf. Romans 10:20). In 1 Corinthians 1:2, those who call upon the name of the Lord are identified as believers: “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours.” Calling on the name of the Lord is one of the marks of a Christian. In summary, those who call on the name of the Lord are those who recognize Him as Savior. Whether it is a first-time calling upon Jesus’ name for forgiveness of sins or a continuous calling as the relationship progresses and grows, giving Him lordship over our lives in surrender to His will, calling on the name of the Lord is vital to spiritual life. Ultimately, calling on the name of the Lord is a sign of humility and dependence on God our Creator and Redeemer. GotQuestions.org