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Scofield's Bible Commentary

Genesis 4:1

Cain

Cain ("acquisition") is a type of the mere man of the earth. His religion was destitute of any adequate sense of sin, or need of atonement. This religious type is described in 2 Peter 2. Seven things are said of him:

(1) he worships in self-will

(2) is angry with God

(3) refuses to bring a sin offering

(4) murders his brother

(5) lies to God

(6) becomes a vagabond

(7) is, nevertheless, the object of the divine solicitude.

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See also Genesis 4:1 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    CHAPTER IV _The birth, trade, and religion of Cain and Abel_, 1-7. _Cain murders his brother Abel_, 8. _God calls him into judgment for it_, 9, 10. _He is cursed_, 11, 12. _He despairs_, 15, 14....

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    - Section IV - The Family of Adam - Cain and Abel 1. קין _qayı̂n_, Qain (Cain), “spear-shaft,” and קנה _qānah_, “set up, establish, gain, buy,” contain the biliteral root קן _qan_, “set up, erect, g...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 4 After the Fall and the Two Seeds _ 1. Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1)_ 2. Their offerings (Genesis 4:3) 3. The divine remonstrance (Genesis 4:6) 4. Abel slain by his brother ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    The Story of Cain and Abel. This belongs to the J cycle of stories, but apparently not to the same stratum as Genesis 4:3, for it is assumed that the earth has a population from which Cain fears venge...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    CAIN. acquisi _t_. _o_ n. A MAN. Hebrew. _'ish_. (See App-14.) Literally "a man, even Jehovah". Revised Version "with the help of", in italics. Hebrew. _'ish 'eth Jehovah._ Compare Luke 2:11....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Cain … gotten_ Heb. _ḳanah_, to get. The word "Cain" does not mean "gotten"; but Eve's joyful utterance gives a popular etymology, which derived the proper name from the verb whose pronunciation it r...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    GENESIS 4:1. _AND ADAM KNEW HIS WIFE,_ &C.— All the speculations respecting this passage might have been spared, if the words had been rendered, _Adam_ HAD _known his wife Eve,_ a translation which th...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PART SEVENTEEN THE BEGINNING OF TRUE RELIGION (Genesis 4:1-15) 1. _Preliminary Definitions_ It is doubtful that there is a more ambiguous word in our language today than the word religion. It has li...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND ADAM KNEW EVE HIS WIFE; AND SHE CONCEIVED, AND BARE CAIN, AND SAID, I HAVE GOTTEN A MAN FROM THE LORD._ AND ADAM KNEW EVE HIS WIFE - Murphy translates 'the man;' but there is no good reason for t...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    4:1 Cain, (a-12) Acquisition....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    ADAM] RV 'the man.' CAIN] Heb. _Kayin,_ 'a spear,' in Arabic 'smith' (see Genesis 4:22). Here connected with _Kanah,_ 'gotten,' or 'acquired.' The Hebrews attached a great importance to names, which w...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    CAIN AND ABEL. THE DESCENDANTS OF CAIN The narrative, which forms part of the Primitive document, impressively shows how sin, having once appeared, became hereditary in the human race, and speedily de...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 4 CAIN KILLS ABEL V1 Adam had sex with his wife Eve and she became *pregnant. Her son Cain was born. She said, ‘I have gained a man by the *Lord’...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Eve said, ‘By the *Lord’s help’. So Adam and Eve still knew God. And God still helped them. But they did not meet God as they had done in the garden....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    IV. THE FOUNDING OF THE FAMILY, AND COMMENCEMENT OF THE NON-PARADISIACAL LIFE. (1) SHE... BARE CAIN, AND SAID... — In this chapter we have the history of the founding of the family of Cain, a race god...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ הָ֣ אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת ־חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתֹּ֑ו

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CAIN AND ABEL Genesis 4:1 IT is not the purpose of this narrator to write the history of the world. It is not his purpose to write even the history of mankind. His object is to write the history of r...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    OFFERINGS BY CAIN AND ABEL Genesis 3:22; Genesis 4:1 It was good that man should be driven from Eden. Soft comfort enervates. The natives of the South Sea Islands are moral pulp. Man goes forth from...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The degeneration of the first man and woman was transmitted, the firstborn being manifestly an inheritor of the fallen nature of his parents. His mother named him Cain, intimating a hope that the seed...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    Even though Adam and Eve had sinned and been driven out of the garden, there were moments of joy. Eve conceived and bore Cain. She said, "I have gotten a man from the Lord" (Genesis 4:1). Her statemen...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she (a) conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man (b) from the LORD. (a) Man's nature, the estate of marriage, and God's blessing were not utterly abolis...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Through God. Hebrew may signify also: "even God," as if she thought this was the promised seed, who, as Onkelos paraphrases it, would serve the Lord. (Calmet) --- So little could she foresee the futur...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    CONTENTS This chapter begins that subject, which all succeeding history hath been manifesting, of the distinction between the church and the world. Abel and Cain form the great head of each, and their...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    There is one characteristic of divine revelation to which attention may be profitably called as a starting point. We have to do with facts. The Bible alone is a revelation of facts, and, we can add (n...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    1._And Adam knew his wife Eve_. Moses now begins to describe the propagation of mankind; in which history it is important to notice that this benediction of God, “Increase and multiply,” was not aboli...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    But grace could work. The grace of a God above the evil of man, and Abel approaches Him by faith. Hereon follows the separation of the families of God and of the enemy, of the world and of faith. Abel...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND ADAM KNEW EVE HIS WIFE,.... An euphemism, or modest expression of the act of coition. Jarchi interprets it, "had known", even before he sinned, and was drove out of the garden; and so other Jewish...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. Ver. 1. _I have gotten a man from the Lord._] Or, that famous man, the Lord; as if she had b...

  • Jonathan Edwards' Notes On The Scriptures

    Gen. 4:1. "And Adam knew his wife, and she conceived and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord." In Eve's expressing herself thus, it is probable she had an eye to what God said, that...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Adam and Eve had many _sons and daughters, Genesis 5:4_: but Cain and Abel seem to have been the two eldest. Cain signifies _possession;_ for Eve, when she bare him, said, with joy, and thankfulness,...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The birth, trade, and religion of Cain and Abel. 8 The murder of Abel. 9 The curse of Cain. 17 Enoch the first citie. 19 Lamech and his two wiues. 25 The birth of Seth, 26 and Enos. 1 AND Ada...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And Adam knew Eve, his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. In the order of natural procreation, according to the blessing which the Lord had pronounced...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The Offerings of Cain and Abel...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    SECOND SECTION _Cain and Abel. The Cainites. The ungodly Worldliness of the First Civilization._ GENESIS 4:1-26 1And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived, and bare Cain [the gotten, or possessi...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    CAIN AND ABEL Adam and Eve, having acquired a sinful nature, could only communicate the same nature to their children. Their firstborn was named Cain, which means "smith" or "fabricator," one who plan...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-7 When Cain was born, Eve said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. Perhaps she thought that this was the promised seed. If so, she was wofully disappointed. Abel signifies vanity: when she thought...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    GENESIS CHAPTER 4 The birth of Cain and Abel, and their employment, GENESIS 4:1. Cain's offering, GENESIS 4:3. Abel's sacrifice, and God's acceptance, GENESIS 4:4. Cain's rejected; his discontent,...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    & Genesis 5:1-32 As each section of the Book of Genesis opens before us, we are furnished with fresh evidence of the fact that we are travelling over, what a recent writer has well termed, "the seed-...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Genesis 4:1 Adam H120 knew H3045 (H8804) H853 Eve H2332 wife H802 conceived H2029 (H8799) bore...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘And the man knew Eve his wife and she conceived and bore Cain (qayin from the stem qon), saying, “I have obtained (qanithi from the stem qanah) a man with Yahweh.” ' “KNEW” is a regular euphemism for...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE STORY OF CAIN AND ABEL (GENESIS 4:1 TO GENESIS 5:1 A). Genesis 4:1. The Sin of Cain TABLET III It is quite clear that this section once existed separately from Genesis 2-3. The immediate and last...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Genesis 4 I. From the story of Cain we gather the following thoughts: I. Eve's disappointment at the birth of Cain should be a warning to all mothers. Over-estimate of children may be traced somet...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: First sons of Adam, Cain and Abel. Murder of Abel. First civilization. Birth of Seth. CHARACTERS: Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, Seth. CONCLUSION: Attainment can never take the place of Atonement....

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Genesis 4:1. _I have gotten._ קניתי _kaniti,_ from the root _kana,_ he possessed. The LXX have betrayed their ignorance of the Eternal Word, or Wisdom, by frequently rendering this word _created._ God...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground_ THE STORY OF CAIN AND ABEL I. RELIGION ACTUATED MEN IN THE VERY EARLIEST TIMES. II. THE MERE NATURAL RELIGION IS ESSENTIALLY DEFECT...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Genesis 4:1. Gotten a man from the Lord.] Or, perhaps, “Gotten a man, even Jehovah.” The rendering of the A. V. is no doubt the one more generally followed. Leeser and Murphy have, “f...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION GENESIS 4:1 Exiled from Eden, o'er, canopied by grace, animated by hope, assured of the Divine forgiveness, and filled with a sweet peace, the first pair enter on their life experience of...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Lets turn to Genesis Chapter four. Adam and Eve have been expelled from the Garden of Eden because of their disobedience to God. And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    knew. Numbers 31:17 Cain. I have. Genesis 4:25 Genesis 3:15 Genesis 5:29 1 John

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    CAIN AND ABEL Genesis 4:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS It falls to our lot to connect the links between our last study and today's. 1. WE HAVE ADAM NAMING HIS WIFE, "EVE." Here is the Scripture: "And Adam ca...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    SEEING CHRIST IN CAIN AND ABEL Genesis 4:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS 1. Cain and Abel came by natural generation. The only human beings God ever created were Adam and Eve. They were created with the power...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters, Genesis 5:4. But Cain and Abel seem to have been the two eldest. Cain signifies possession; for Eve when she bare him said with joy and thankfulness, and grea...

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