NT3.

2013

OLD TESTAMENT

3. Cain and Abel

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Introduction

Background

Having been expelled with Adam from Eden, after their disobedience, Eve gives birth twice
with great discomfort. Cain, whose name roughly signifies ‘craftsman’ (even though he’s a
farmer) turns out to be a rather crafty fellow indeed, unlike his brother Abel, a shepherd. Like
any first child, Cain has grown used to special treatment, so when he and his brother make
offerings to God and God pays attention only to Abel’s, Cain is enraged. Thus, hatred among
men (not to mention sibling rivalry) is born, and it results in another new invention: murder.

There is no explicit explanation given in the story as to why Cain’s offering was not
considered good enough by God. Perhaps the message is that we should not question God,
and once we do, then things start to go wrong.

In Christianity, comparisons are sometimes made between the death of Abel and that of Jesus,
the former thus seen as being the first martyr. In Matthew 23:35 Jesus speaks of Abel as
"righteous", and the Epistle to the Hebrews states that "The blood of sprinkling ... [speaks]
better things than that of Abel".(Hebrews 12:24) The blood of Jesus is interpreted as bringing
mercy; but that of Abel as demanding vengeance (hence the curse and mark).

There are lots of similarities between the punishments Cain is given and the punishments
Adam and Eve are given. Adam and Cain are both told they will struggle to tend to the
ground. Both Cain and his parents were banished from their home. Both were cared for
despite their punishments: Adam and Eve were clothed by God and Cain is protected by a
‘mark’.

Genesis 3 can be seen as the ‘root’ of all evil, and Genesis 4 as the ‘fruit’ of this evil.

‘J’ is the writer of this story

Passage

Genesis 4:1-16

Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said,
“With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” Later she gave birth to his brother
Abel.

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of
the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat
portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his
offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and
his face was downcast.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what
is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your
door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. ”

Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field,
Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the
ground. 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. ”

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.”

But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times
over. ” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So
Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Commentary

vv 6-7 Even though Cain’s offering had been rejected, God was still very much concerned
about his welfare. God pointed to the temptation to do evil which God knew was lurking in
Cain’s heart.

Cain took no notice of God’s concern and so the first murder took place. In the Fall story,
God appeared to Adam and Eve immediately after the wrongdoing. In that story He asked the
whereabouts of Adam and Eve. Here again he appeared immediately after the crime.

v 9 God asks Cain where Abel is and Cain lies by saying he doesn’t know and answers ‘Am I
my brother’s keeper?’ This has become a saying and means ‘Don’t blame me if anything
happens to him because I am not responsible for his welfare. God asks the question because
he thought the very opposite is true. We are responsible for our brothers’ and sisters’ welfare.

v 10 The Jews believed there were two ways in which a man could die: by loss of breath or by
loss of blood. Both breath and blood belonged to God. Therefore, Abel’s blood, his life which
belonged to God, was crying out to God from the ground. It could not simply be hidden and
the evidence buried as Cain had tried to do. This adds to the drama. The blood doesn’t just
belong to the victim; it was God’s property – which is why he turned up at the scene of the
crime so soon.

Questions

Short questions

Q1: What is justice? (2)

Q2: What is sin? (2)

Q3: What sacrifice did Abel offer? (2)

Q4: What is sacrifice? (2)

Describe questions

Q6: Describe what happened after Cain brought his offering. (6)

Q7: Describe the conversations Cain had with God. (6)

Q8: Outline the events that led to Cain’s murder of Abel. (6)

Q9: Outline the story of Cain and Abel. (6)

Q10: Explain what the story of Cain and Abel teaches about the nature of God. (6)

Q11: Explain why Cain killed Abel. (6)

Q12: Explain why Cain’s sacrifice was rejected by God. (6)

Q13. Explain what this story teaches about sin and anger. (6)
Essay questions

Q14: ‘We are more like Cain than Abel’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.
(7)

Q15: ‘Capital punishment should be given for murder.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to
support your answer. (7)

Q16: ‘No one ever acts with entirely pure motives.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support
your answer. (7)

Q17: ‘It wasn’t Cain’s fault he sinned; it was due to the Fall of Adam and Eve.’ Do you
agree? Give reasons to support your answer. (7)