GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 4:2 The fact that God HAD REGARD FOR ABEL AND HIS OFFERING, but not for Cain, does not mean that shepherds are better than farmers or that animal offerings are better than plant offerings. Both kinds of offerings will be part of the later Levitical system (for offerings of TH... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 4:6 The Lord’s words challenge Cain to do better. He still has the possibility of pleasing God. To do so, however, he must overcome the power of SIN, which is like a wild beast seeking to devour him. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 4:9 AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER? Cain denies any knowledge about his brother and shows no sign of remorse. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 4:10 Because his brother’s blood cries out to God FROM THE GROUND, Cain will no longer be able to cultivate the soil. As seen throughout Scripture, human sin has an impact on the fertility of the earth (compare Genesis 3:17). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 4:13 Cain will be alienated from both the ground and God. He will become A FUGITIVE AND A WANDERER ON THE EARTH. He fears that others will have such a dread of him that anyone who sees him WILL KILL him. The precise nature of the MARK ON CAIN is not known, except that it must... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 4:17 CAIN KNEW HIS WIFE. Presumably, Cain married his sister, since the whole human race descends from Adam and Eve (see Genesis 5:4). The later laws forbidding this practice, such as Leviticus 18:9, would not have been relevant yet. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsBy... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 4:18 LAMECH’s immediate descendants are associated with animal breeding, music, and metalwork. Whereas Abel is linked to sheep (v. Genesis 4:2), JABAL raised LIVESTOCK, which probably included cattle and donkeys, and possibly camels. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsBy... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 4:23 Lamech KILLED A MAN merely for WOUNDING or STRIKING him. His response is out of proportion to the injury. SEVENFOLD... SEVENTY-SEVENFOLD. Lamech says that his vengeful response makes him safer than Cain, who had only God’s protection (v. Genesis 4:15). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 4:25 ANOTHER OFFSPRING. Compare “her offspring” (Genesis 3:15). AT THAT TIME PEOPLE BEGAN TO CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD. This suggests that the birth of Seth marks a new beginning for humanity. It probably refers to public worship, initially within Adam’s own family circl... [ Continue Reading ]