Bible Study Genesis Verse By Verse

[Beetow]

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● Gen 4:3-4a . . It came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering
to The Lord of the fruit of the ground. And Abel, on his part also brought of the
firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions.

It's evident from Heb 11:4 that what's taking place here was a legitimate part of a
God-given religion.

It's commonly assumed that Abel's offering was slain; but there isn't enough
evidence in this section to support it. Noah's offerings were obviously slain because
they're listed as burnt on an altar (Gen 8:20). But Abel's offering is not said to end
up the same way.

FAQ: How did Abel get the fat out of his animal without killing it?

REPLY: The Hebrew word for "fat" is somewhat ambiguous. It can mean fleshy
material, and it can also refer to prosperity, abundance, and/or the best of the
best; for example:

"Take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the
best of the land of Egypt and you shall eat the fat of the land." (Gen 45:18)

This all tells me that Abel not only offered an animal from among his blue ribbon
stock, but he picked out the choicest one of them all.

There's no indication in this scene suggesting their oblations were sacrifices for sin.
The Hebrew word for their offerings is from minchah (min-khaw') and means: to
apportion, i.e. bestow; a donation; euphemistically, tribute; specifically a sacrificial
offering (usually bloodless and voluntary).

Since the offerings were minchah type offerings-- essentially gifts and/or tributes
rather than atonements --it would be unwise to insist Abel slew his firstling and/or
burned it to ashes. In point of fact, holocaust offerings go by the name of 'olah (o
law') instead of minchah; for example Gen 22:2.

Ancient rabbis understood the brothers' offerings to be a "first fruits" kind of
oblation.

T. And it was at the end of days, on the fourteenth of Nisan, that Kain brought of
the produce of the earth, the seed of cotton (or line), an oblation of first things
before the Lord; and Habel brought of the firstlings of the flock. (Targum Jonathan)

Seeing as how Cain was a farmer, then in his case, an amount of produce was the
appropriate first fruits offering, and seeing as how Abel was an animal husbandman,
then in his case a head of livestock was appropriate.

I think it's safe to assume the brothers were no longer boys, but rather, responsible
men in this particular scene because God is going to treat them that way.

This incident is not said to be the very first time they brought gifts to God. The
brothers (and very likely their parents too), probably had been bringing gifts for
many years; ever since they were kids. And up to this point, apparently both men
were doing everything right and God was just as much pleased with Cain and his
gifts as He was with Abel and his gifts.

● Gen 4:4b-5a . .The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain
and his offering he did not look with favor.

Regardless of whether their offerings were correct, the first thing The Lord did was
look upon the men themselves. He looked with favor upon Abel but not with favor
upon Cain. In other words; Abel was the kind of man whom God approves whereas
Cain was the kind of man whom God disapproves
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[Beetow]

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● Gen 4:5b . . Cain was much distressed and his face fell.

Cain was a whole lot worse than distressed. He was blazing mad. The Hebrew word
basically means to blaze up, i.e. to get hot under the collar. Cain is actually in a
passionate rage over this and certainly in no mood for a lecture.

● Gen 4:6 . . And The Lord said to Cain: Why are you distressed, and why is your
face fallen?

God made a sincere effort to talk things over with Cain and reconcile their
differences; but Cain didn't respond; he was too busy sulking in a black pout.

● Gen 4:7a . . If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?

Cain believed in the existence of a supreme being; that was good, and his ritual
was timely; that was good too. But Cain's piety was flawed, i.e. his personal
conduct didn't satisfy God's expectations, ergo: Cain's ways tainted his offering
and made it unacceptable.

FAQ: How could Cain possibly know God's requirements without a written code to
inform him?

REPLY: Luke 11:49-51 says that Cain's kid brother Abel was a prophet; so Cain at
least had a verbal source, which is adequate enough when it's coming from an
inspired man.

Cain's situation is well illustrated by Isa 1:11-20. Moses' people were offering all
the covenanted sacrifices, they were praying up a storm, and observing all the God
given feasts and holy days. He rejected all of it, even though He himself required it,
because the people's personal conduct was unbecoming.

"The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Jehovah." (Prv 15:8)

FAQ: In what way might Cain's piety have been lacking?

REPLY: Well, my first guess would be bad blood between him and his younger
sibling. (Matt 5:23-24) And his attitude was deplorable; Cain was insolent and
rude; even to his maker. (Gen 4:9) Plus; Abel was a man of faith whereas Cain
wasn't (Heb 11:4)

● Gen 4:7b . . But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door;

This is the very first instance in the Bible of the word "sin". The Hebrew word
basically means an offense; as in repeat offender. In other words; not just an
occasional slip-up, but a life style.

● Gen 4:7c . . it desires to have you, but you must master it.

This is the first mention of self control in the Bible. In other words: God created
humanity with the capability to choose bad ways for itself; but that's only half the
story. God also created humanity with the capability to choose good ways for itself;
so He wasn't requiring something impossible from Cain like touching his right elbow
with the thumb of his right hand.

* Christians are not exempt from self control.

"Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not
offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer
yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer
the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness." (Rom 6:12-13)

"If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not
live by the truth." (1John 1:6)
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[Beetow]

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NOTE: I kinda suspect Cain wasn't always the jerk he's portrayed but probably
started out just as pious as his kid brother.

For example: one of my brothers and I were only eleven months apart. We were
born of the same mother and father, grew up in the same home, ate the same
foods, had the same friends, were equally educated and equally catechized; and
while still in elementary school, my brother served our church as an altar boy. But
as we grew older, he became strange.

During an evening service in church back in the 1950s, the priest instructed
everyone to stand and promise God we would do our best to live a good life. Well;
my brother stood, but didn't promise. Later I asked him why? He replied: "There's
some things I want to do."

I was deeply disturbed and totally mystified by the transformation that came over
my brother. But in time, the differences in our attitudes helped me in my
understanding the differences between Cain & Abel and Esau & Jacob.

● Gen 4:8a . . Now Cain talked with Abel his brother;

Cain probably complained to his brother that God was unfair. But the poor man
couldn't have picked a worse sounding board because Abel was a prophet (Luke
11:50-51). In Cain's dispute with the Lord, Abel no doubt took God's side in it. That
was too much. There's no way a man like Cain was going to take a lecture from his
own kid brother. Abel's popularity with God was bad enough, but preaching would
only make it worse and add insult to injury.

● Gen 4:8b . . and when they were in the field, Cain set upon his brother Abel and
killed him.

Whether or not Cain premeditated his brother's death that day is difficult to tell.
The Hebrew word translated "killed" means to smite with deadly intent. So the
attack on his kid brother, whether premeditated or not, was definitely meant to end
Abel's life rather than to just rough him up and teach him a lesson.

NOTE: According to 1John 3:12, Cain's motive was primarily envy; roughly defined
as painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another. In other
words; Cain had a serious problem with sibling rivalry.

How Cain planned to explain Abel's death to his parents isn't stated. He couldn't
very well blame it on a carnivorous predator since man and beast were on friendly
terms prior to the Flood. It's my guess he set up the crime scene to make it look
like an accident but then too, in light of verse 10, Cain may have buried Able; that
way he'd be reported as a missing person instead of possibly murdered.

● Gen 4:9 . . The Lord said to Cain: Where is your brother Abel? And he said: I
don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?

Ouch! This religious man's reaction to the object of his worship is as unexpected as
the murder he'd just committed. Cain worshipped the true God, and his rituals were
correct and timely; yet Cain was insolent and responded to his maker's inquiry with
a lie and a sarcastic rejoinder. It's not too difficult to appreciate God's refusal of this
man's recent offering.

● Gen 4:10 . .Then He said: What have you done? Hark, your brother's blood cries
out to me from the ground!

Whether or not human blood actually has an audible voice isn't nearly important as
to what it might be saying. And in this case with Cain, it certainly couldn't be good.
_

 

[Beetow]

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● Gen 4:11-12 . .Therefore, you shall be more cursed than the ground which
opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. If you till the soil,
it shall no longer yield its strength to you. You shall become a ceaseless wanderer
on earth.

Ceaseless wandering was an inevitable consequence of the inability to raise an
adequate amount of your own food in that day and age. Nobody was eating meat
yet, so the soil was pretty much it as far as nourishment went.

Cain went on to become a very hungry, very overworked man. Wherever he tried to
farm, the ground would respond in such a way as to act infertile. The curse was
leveled right at his diet and the source of his food. Up till now, Cain had been a
successful. But no amount of agricultural wisdom would ever restore his once green
thumb. Cain had crossed over a line and there was no going back.

Since Cain could no longer sustain himself by farming, it would be difficult to settle
down and build himself a home; so he was forced to become migratory and forage
for seasonal foods.

Though the Bible doesn't say; it would seem to me a reasonable assumption that
the curse upon Cain extended to his posterity (cf. Num 14:18).

Up ahead we'll see that they became renowned as an industrial society rather than
agrarian. As time went by, and the Adams family multiplied and spread out; Cain's
community no doubt traded with them using income from the sale of manufactured
goods to barter for the foods that they were unable to grow for themselves.
Dependence upon commercial food may not be ideal; but it's certainly better than
going hungry.

● Gen 4:13a . . Cain said to the Lord: My punishment is too great to bear.

Cain's punishment was relatively lenient. In point of fact, it wasn't punishment at
all, it was discipline. It's true that Cain would struggle to survive; but at least he
was allowed to live. His kid brother was dead. How was that fair?

FAQ: How did Cain get off with only a slap on the wrist? Why didn't God report
Cain's deed to Adam to have his son stand trial for murder?

REPLY: The Bible requires capital punishment for murder (Gen 9:5-6). However;
Adam couldn't prosecute Cain for murder because it wasn't a crime in his day. In
other words; the codified laws of God aren't retroactive. (Deut 5:2-3, Rom 4:15,
Rom 5:13, and Gal 3:17)

FAQ: Well then, why didn't God step in and prosecute Cain for murder?

REPLY: It's important to note that Gen 9:5-6 doesn't apply in God's association with
man, rather; in man's association with man. And on top of that; God's association
with man has never been based solely upon strict rules and regulations because
Christ was reckoned crucified prior to the cosmos (Mic 5:2, 1Pet 1:18-21 & Rev
13:8) thus allowing God quite a bit of latitude in His association with Cain. (cf. Rom
3:25)

● Gen 4:14 . . anyone who meets me may kill me.

Cain's natural sense of right and wrong knew that the only way to balance the
scales of justice for taking his kid brother's life was to forfeit his own. However, up
to that point in God's association with humanity, He had not yet given any official
instructions related to criminal justice. So then, were somebody to go after Cain
and execute him for the crime of murder, they would be taking the law into their
own hands; which is a very serious thing to do.

● Gen 4:15 . . The Lord said to him: I promise, if anyone kills Cain, sevenfold
vengeance shall be taken on him. And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest anyone
who met him should kill him.

The characteristics of that mark are currently unknown but the mark was clear
enough to anyone who saw it that God would strongly disapprove of their taking
Cain's life in retribution for his brother's even though "eye for an eye" is the right
thing to do-- but as yet it wasn't the lawful thing to do.
_

 

[Beetow]

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● Gen 4:16a . . Cain left the presence of The Lord

Cain's departure wasn't a forced eviction as had been the Adams' departure from
the garden. And even though the Adams were driven from the garden, they weren't
driven from God. The family kept that connection and brought up their boys to keep
it too.

Cain's self-imposed exile has the aura of a dreadful finality. He renounced God, and
his native religion, and was content to forego its privileges so that he might not be
under its control. He forsook not only his kin but also their worship, and cast off all
pretenses to the fear of God-- apparently putting out of his mind God's statement:
"If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?"

Gen 4:16a is a terrible epitaph upon the tombstone of Cain's life, and you can
almost feel the concussion of a dreadful thud as the mighty doors of perdition close
solidly behind him; sealing his passage into permanent darkness.

Why didn't God plead with Cain to stay in touch? Because that would be like
throwing good money after bad. Cain's potential as man of God was sketchy to
begin with.

Of all the things that Cain had done up to this point, walking out on God was his
worst mistake. Yes, he would have to scrounge for food; but that was just a bump
in the road; not the end of the road. People need to think that over. No matter how
harsh your circumstances are, and no matter what life has thrown in your face, loss
of contact with your maker is much worse. It is wise to stay in touch with God even
if your life is a train wreck and God seems oblivious to your circumstances.

"The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast
love. He will not contend forever, or nurse His anger for all time . . As a father has
compassion for his children, so The Lord has compassion for those who fear Him.
For He knows how we are formed; He is mindful that we are dust." (Ps 103:8-14)

● Gen 4:16b . . and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

The Hebrew word for "Nod" basically means wandering, vagrancy or exile. Precisely
how Nod got its name, or where it was located is unknown; and this is the only
place in the entire old testament where that word is found so we can't compare it
with other uses.

● Gen 4:17a . . Cain knew his wife,

Cain married one of his siblings: he kinda had to because all human life owes it
beginnings to the first couple.

"Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living."
(Gen 3:20)

"From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole
earth." (Acts 17:26)

● Gen 4:17b . . and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he then founded a city, and
named the city after his son Enoch.

The "city" probably wasn't the kind we're used to thinking. The Hebrew word for it
simply means a community, in the widest sense; even of a mere encampment or
post.

Seeing as how Cain was stuck with vagrancy and wandering, then his city was very
likely nothing more than a migratory village at first. I'd imagine it didn't take long
for his clan to discover they could do very well as a commercial center in lieu of
agriculture, and thus allow for them to establish a permanent settlement sort of like
one of the frontier towns of the olde American west.
_

 

[GeneZ]

Some believe that the first verse is telling us that God created the heavens and earth out of nothing.
IOW, the first verse is not simply a declaration of who created the heavens and earth but is actually speaking of the heavens and earth at that point coming into existence.
Science deputes that idea.
I tend to accept the science.

Well then?

If God did not create [bara] the heavens and earth, out from nothing?
Then the heavens and earth would have to have been eternally existing.
Then you could date nothing with science.
For, how could anyone?
If anything thing existing, had no beginning?
The earth would have no age....

God gave us a brain to think with.
Not to simply memorize and repeat with.

Grace and peace ......

 

[Beetow]

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● Gen 4:18-19 . .To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael
begot Methusael, and Methusael begot Lamech. Lamech took to himself two wives:
the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah.

In Hebrew; Adah's name means ornament. It's not unusual for people to name
their little girls after precious and/or semi-precious stones like Jewel, Pearl, Crystal,
Ruby, Jade, Emerald, Sapphire, and Amber.

Zillah's name means shade (or shadow), whether literal or figurative. Shade is a
good thing in sunny locales so Zillah's name may have been associated with
shelter, protection, peace, serenity, and rest-- as in Song 2:3.

Lamech's marriages are the very first incidence of polygamy in the Bible; and I
have yet to see a passage in the old testament where God forbids it other than the
restrictions imposed upon Jewish monarchs. (Deut 17:17 cf. 2Sam 12:8)

Aside from the obvious sensual benefits men derive from harems; polygamy does
have its practical side. The gestation period for human life is nine months. At that
rate, it would take a man many years to build up his clan to a respectable size. But
with multiple wives, he could speed things up considerably. In primitive cultures,
large families are very influential, and their numbers crucial to survival and self
preservation.

"Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are sons born to a man in his youth. Happy is
the man who fills his quiver with them; they shall not be put to shame when they
contend with the enemy in the gate." (Ps 127:4-5)

● Gen 4:20 . . Adah bore Jabal; he was the ancestor of those who dwell in tents
and amidst herds.

This is the Bible's very first mention of man-made portable shelters. Tents, teepees,
wigwams, etc; make it possible to roam long distances in relative comfort while
searching for foods and pastures.

Abraham and Sarah were housed in portable shelters the whole time they lived in
Canaan. With portable shelters, Enochville could be a mobile community, staying in
one place only long enough to deplete its natural resources before moving on to
better diggings to invade, plunder, exploit, litter, and pollute.

Jabal wasn't the father of animal husbandry as the passage seems to suggest. Abel
was already tending flocks before Jabal was born (Gen 4:2). Dwelling "amidst"
herds describes the lifestyle of North America's early plains Indians; whose
livelihood depended a great deal upon wild buffalo. Though they followed the herds,
the Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, Crow, Blackfoot, Comanche, and Shoshone,
et el; didn't actually raise any of their own livestock like on a ranch.

Dwelling amidst herds is a nomadic way of life rather than one that's domesticated;
hence the need for portable shelters; and the herds (e.g. deer, elk, wild goats,
antelope, wildebeests, et al) would provide fabric for not only the tents, but also for
shoes and clothing; which would need replacement quite often.

One of Lewis' and Clark's complaints, when they were passing through the Oregon
territory, was that moccasins rotted off their feet in the Northwest's climate. Even
without rot, the soles of moccasins are not all that resistant to wear. Buckskins,
manufactured from Elk hide and/or deerskin, fared little better.
_

 

[Beetow]

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● Gen 4:21 . . And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the ancestor of all
who play the lyre and the pipe.

The word for "ancestor" basically which means father, in a literal and immediate, or
figurative and remote, application. In this particular case, it wouldn't mean literal
kin, but likely analogous to an inventor who is the first to introduce a new concept
which then later becomes widely adopted.

The word for "lyre" basically pertains to twanging. So the actual instrument itself is
difficult to identify. It could have been a harp. But then again, it may have even
been something as simple as a string stretched between a washtub and a broom
stick.

* String can be spun from plant fibers. For example the Kumeyaay (Koom'-yi)
people of southern California made surprisingly strong, sturdy twine for bows and
baskets from agave leaves.

The word for "pipe" basically means a reed-instrument of music. In that culture, it
could very well have been something as simple as a tube whistle made from a
single hollow section of plant stem; or several of those bundled together like a Pan
flute.

● Gen 4:22a . . As for Zillah, she bore Tubal-cain, who forged all implements of
copper and iron.

Copper, in its natural form, is too soft and pliable for practical purposes; but it's a
classification of metals called work-hardening. In other words, by pounding or
rolling cold copper, its mechanical properties can be greatly improved. It probably
didn't take Mr. Tubal-cain long to figure that out.

Adding a little tin to copper produces bronze, which is much stronger and tougher
than pure copper.

Copper's advantage in cooking is its natural heat conduction, which is very fast as
compared to iron and/or steel. It's also an excellent conductor of electricity, but
unless they were bottling lightening in those days, copper's electrical properties
would have to wait for future exploitation.

Iron, though stronger and harder than copper, is relatively soft and pliable in its
natural condition too; but with the addition of small amounts of carbon, it becomes
steel, which is quite a bit tougher than natural iron. Whether Tubal-cain figured that
out is difficult to know for sure but if perchance he worked with a forge, it didn't
take him long to figure out that some residue from his fires mixed with iron
produced a much better product.

● Gen 4:22b . . And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

Her name basically means pleasant, amiable, or agreeable. A girl named Joy would
probably fit that category. Na'amah suggests that the people of Enochville were
content with their way of life.

So all in all, Enochville, though unproductive in agriculture, prospered through
manufacturing and commerce instead; trading the goods and services of their
industrial base for much needed produce; the same way that most urbanites still do
even today. People in towns and cities typically don't support themselves directly
from nature. They earn a medium of exchange in some sort of skill or profession,
then trade it with merchants to buy the things they need to survive.

The technological, and cultural, level of early Man was very high. It's interesting
that the identifying marks which evolutionary anthropologists use to denote the
emergence of a stone age culture into a civilized society were extant prior to the
Flood-- animal husbandry, agriculture, crafts, urbanization, music, mining,
and metallurgy. All these civilizational technologies emerged very early: within just
a few generations of Adam; rather than thousands upon thousands of years of
human development.

I'm not saying there were never any "stone-age" peoples. Obviously there were.
But though Cain's community may have started out as nomads, by Noah's day they
were past primitive conditions and actually pretty well advanced.

It's too bad the Flood wiped early Man off the map. Who can tell what he might
have accomplished had his progress not been interrupted. (cf. Gen 11:6)
_