INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 4 In this chapter an account is given of the two eldest children of Adam and Eve, their names and calling, Genesis 4:1 and of their different offerings to the Lord, and the different respect had unto them by him, which in Cain issued in wrath and envy, which appeared in his... [ Continue Reading ]
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 writers, who think he otherwise would not have observed the command, "be fruitful and multiply": bu... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHE AGAIN BARE HIS BROTHER ABEL,.... Or "added to bare" y, not directly or immediately, but perhaps the following year; though some have thought, because no mention is made of her conceiving again, that she brought forth Abel at the same time she did Cain, or that the birth of the one immediatel... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN PROCESS OF TIME IT CAME TO PASS,.... Or "at the end of days" c; which some understand of the end of seven days, at the end of the week, or on the seventh day, which they suppose to be the sabbath day, these sons of Adam brought their offerings to the Lord: but this proceeds upon an hypothesis... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ABEL, HE ALSO BROUGHT OF THE FIRSTLINGS OF HIS FLOCK,.... As he was a shepherd, his flock consisted of sheep; and of the firstlings of these, the lambs that were first brought forth, he presented as an offering to the Lord; and which were afterwards frequently used in sacrifice, and were a prope... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT UNTO CAIN AND TO HIS OFFERING HE HAD NOT RESPECT,.... Not because of the matter of it, as some have thought; but because it was not offered in faith and sincerity, but in a formal and hypocritical manner, without any regard to the Messiah and his sacrifice, and without any view to the glory of G... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO CAIN, WHY ART THOU WROTH? AND WHY IS THY COUNTENANCE FALLEN?.... Which was said not as being ignorant of his wrath and resentment, but to bring him to a conviction of his sin or sins, which were the cause of God's rejecting his sacrifice, and to repentance and amendment; and t... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU DOEST WELL, SHALT THOU NOT BE ACCEPTED?.... That is, either if thou doest thy works well in general, doest good works in a right way and manner, according to life will of God, and directed to his glory, from right principles, and with right views: so all the Targums, "if thou doest thy work... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CAIN TALKED WITH ABEL,.... Or "said", or "spoke unto" him l; either what the Lord God said to him in the foregoing verses, as Aben Ezra; or he spoke to him in a kind and friendly manner, and thereby got him to take a walk in the field with him. The Vulgate Latin version adds, "let us go abroad";... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO CAIN, WHERE IS ABEL THY BROTHER?.... Perhaps this was said to him the next time he came to offer, he not being with him: this question is put, not as being ignorant where he was, but in order to bring Cain to a conviction and confession of his sin, to touch his conscience with... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID,.... Not Cain, the last speaker, but the Lord God, WHAT HAST THOU DONE? what an heinous crime hast thou committed! how aggravated is it! I know what thou hast done; thou hast slain thy brother, thine own, thine only brother, a holy, righteous, and good man, who never gave thee any offen... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOW [ART] THOU CURSED FROM THE EARTH,.... From receiving benefit by it, and enjoying the fruits of it as before, and from having a settled dwelling in it, as is afterwards explained: WHICH HATH OPENED HER MOUTH TO RECEIVE THY BROTHER'S BLOOD FROM THY HAND; the blood of his brother, which was sh... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THOU TILLEST THE GROUND,.... Which was the business he was brought up in and followed, Genesis 4:2 IT SHALL NOT HENCEFORTH YIELD UNTO THEE HER STRENGTH; the earth had been cursed for Adam's sin, and was not so fruitful as in its original state; and now it was cursed again for Cain's sin; not t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CAIN SAID UNTO THE LORD,.... In the anguish of his spirit and the distress of his mind: MY PUNISHMENT IS GREATER THAN I CAN BEAR; thus complaining of the mercy of God, as if he acted a cruel part, inflicting on him more than he could endure; and arraigning his justice, as if it was more than he... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THOU HAST DRIVEN ME OUT THIS DAY FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH,.... Not from being upon the earth, or had chased him out of the world as a wicked man is at death, but from a quiet settlement in it, and from society and converse with the inhabitants of it; and especially he was driven from that... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO HIM,.... In order to satisfy him, and make him easy in this respect, that: he need not fear an immediate or bodily death, which was showing him great clemency and lenity; or in answer to his begging for death, "therefore", or as some render the word, taking them for two, "not... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CAIN WENT OUT FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD,.... Either from the place where the Lord was talking with him; or from the place where his glorious Majesty usually resided, where was some visible token of his presence, some stream of light and glory which showed him to be there, and which was at th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CAIN KNEW HIS WIFE,.... Who this woman was is not certain, nor whether it was his first wife or not; whether his sister, or one that descended from Adam by another of his sons, since this was about the one hundred and thirtieth year of the creation. At first indeed Cain could marry no other than... [ Continue Reading ]
AND UNTO ENOCH WAS BORN IRAD,.... But of neither of them is any other mention made, either in sacred or profane history; nor is it said how old Enoch was when Irad was born, nor how long he lived after; as is recorded of Adam, Seth, and their posterity: [AND] IRAD BEGAT MEHUJAEL, [AND] MEHUJAEL BEG... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LAMECH TOOK UNTO HIM TWO WIVES,.... He was the first we read of that introduced polygamy, contrary to the first institution of marriage, whereby only one man and one woman were to be joined together, and become one flesh, Genesis 2:24. This evil practice, though it began in the race of wicked Ca... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ADAH BARE JABAL,.... According to Hillerus m, this name, and Jubal and Tubal, after mentioned, all signify a river; why Lamech should call all his sons by names signifying the same thing, is not easy to say. HE WAS THE FATHER OF SUCH AS DWELT IN TENTS, AND [OF SUCH AS HAVE] CATTLE: not in a pro... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS BROTHER'S NAME WAS JUBAL,.... This was another son of Lamech by Adah, and his name differs only in one letter from his brother's; HE WAS THE FATHER OF ALL SUCH THAT HANDLE THE HARP AND ORGAN: he was the inventor of instrumental music, both of stringed instruments, such as were touched by th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ZILLAH, SHE ALSO BARE TUBALCAIN,.... Thought by many to be the same with Vulcan, his name and business agreeing; for the names are near in sound, Tubalcain may easily pass into Vulcan; and who, with the Heathens, was the god of the smiths, and the maker of Jupiter's thunderbolts, as this was an... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LAMECH SAID UNTO HIS WIVES, ADAH AND ZILLAH,.... Confessing what he had done, or boasting what he would do should he be attacked; or in order to make his wives easy, who might fear from his fierceness and cruelty; and the murders he had committed, or on account of Abel's murder, Genesis 4:15 tha... [ Continue Reading ]
IF CAIN SHALL BE AVENGED SEVENFOLD, TRULY LAMECH SEVENTY AND SEVENFOLD. Which if understood of him as confessing and lamenting his sin of murder, the sense is, if Cain was so severely punished for killing one man, of how much sorer punishment am I deserving, and shall have, who have killed two perso... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ADAM KNEW HIS WIFE AGAIN,.... The Targum of Jonathan adds, at the end of a hundred and thirty years after Abel was killed, see Genesis 5:3 but, according to Bishop Usher, Seth was born the same year, which is most probable. AND SHE BARE A SON, AND CALLED HIS NAME SETH, that is, "put, placed, se... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TO SETH, TO HIM ALSO THERE WAS BORN A SON,.... When he was an hundred and five years old, Genesis 5:6 and this is mentioned as a further proof and instance of God's goodness to Adam's family in this line, that there was a succession in it, where the true worship of God was kept, and from whence... [ Continue Reading ]