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| 1 Now, the man, having come to know Eve his wife,–she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a Man, even Yahweh! |
And bare Cain – Cain means "Acquired;" no doubt Eve considered that in him she had acquired the promised seed or deliverer. R2776:6
The period of gestation was one of much mental distress to his mother; she doubtless marked him with discontent and selfishness. R5150:3
With so noble a parentage, he must have been a great man in many ways. R5150:3
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| 2 And she went on to bear his brother, Abel,–and Abel became a feeder of sheep, whereas, Cain, was a tiller of the round. |
His brother Abel – Abel means "Nourisher" or "Feeder," and probably signifies that he was looked to as a helper in the battle for bread. R2777:1
It is fair to suppose that Abel was born under more favorable conditions than was Cain; by that time Adam and Eve were more reconciled to their fate. R5150:3
Cain was a tiller – The children of the first man were evidently far above monkeys and apes. R3927:3
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| 3 So it came to pass, after certain days, that Cain brought in, of the fruit of the ground, a present to Yahweh: |
In process of time – Both sons having in the meantime doubtless reared large families. R3927:3
That Cain – Typified fleshly Israel and the tare class. R2778:3
Fruit of the ground – Typifying offerings of works. R2778:3
Not acceptable to God because it could not show the necessity of a blood sacrifice. HG508:1
Unto the LORD – The children of the first man were not worshipers of idols, or of the sun, moon or stars. R3927:3
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| 4 Abel, also, even, he, brought in, of the firstlings of his sheep, and of their fat,–and Yahweh approved of Abel, and of his present; |
And Abel – Typifying spiritual Israel and the wheat class. R2778:4
"The Non-Resistant One" in the Abydos tablet. PD21/30
And of the fat – Symbol of loving zeal. T57
Our best powers. T45
Respect unto Abel – Because he had first sought the mind of the Lord: "By faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice." (Heb. 11:4). R1614:2
To his offering – Because it typified the necessity of the death of a redeemer as a sacrifice for sins. A57; PD12/20; R5200:3
Doubtless manifesting his acceptance by fire, as in the case of Elijah's offering in the presence of the priests of Baal. R2777:2
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| 5 but, of Cain and his present, he approved not,–and it angered Cain greatly, and his countenance fell. |
Had not respect – This teaches that without shedding of blood there can be no remission of sins. PD12/20; Q609:2
Cain was very wroth – Instead of appealing to the Lord to know why his sacrifice was not acceptable. R3928:3
He did not have the proper respect for God. R5151:2; Q609:2
And – Instead of humbly and lovingly congratulating his brother and profiting by the knowledge gained. R2777:4, R5151:2
His countenance fell – Doubtless knowing of his parents' hopes that he should be the deliverer and being therefore filled with pride, chagrin and envy toward his younger brother. R2777:2
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| 6 So then Yahweh said unto Cain,–Wherefore hath it angered thee, and wherefore hath thy countenance fallen? |
Why art thou wroth? – The inability to be angry under proper cause would imply imperfection; but Cain had no just cause to be angry with his brother. R3928:2
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| 7 Shall it not, if thou do right, be lifted up? But, if thou do not right, at the entrance, a sin-bearer is lying,–Unto thee, moreover, shall be his longing, though, thou, rule over him. |
Sin – The spirit of Satan, which if received will displace the right spirit. R3928:4
Lieth at the door – Crouching, ready to spring into your heart at the next misstep. R3928:4, R5151:2
If thou doest not well – Now that you know what would be acceptable as a sacrifice. HG508:1
Shall be his desire – Satan's desire. R3929:2
Shalt rule over him – Cain's proper course would have been to resist the devil. R5151:2, R3929:2
You can get the victory over this wrong attitude if you but desire. R3042:5; HG508:2
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| 8 And Cain said unto Abel his brother [Let us go into the field]. And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. |
And Cain – Illustrating hatred of one's brother -- murder. R3044:2; SM223:2
That Cain – Probably thinking thus to remove his rival. R2777:3
He allowed anger, malice, hatred and strife to burn in his heart, and thus became a murderer. PD12/20
And slew him – Satan's first attempt to destroy the woman's seed. R5848:1*
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| 9 Then said Yahweh unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not, the keeper of my brother, am, I? |
1 know not – The sin of murder led to the sins of lying and insolence. R1614:3
My brother's keeper – Every member of the New Creation is his brother's keeper. "We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (1 John 3:16) "And to love our neighbor R3929:4
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| 10 And he said, What hast thou done? With a voice, the shed-blood of thy brother is crying out to me from the ground. |
Thy brother's blood – The blood is the life. (Lev. 17:11) R3930:2
Crieth unto me – Figuratively cries for vengeance. R3930:1
Sooner or later the divine penalty will be meted out. R5151:4
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| 11 Now, therefore, accursed, art thou,–from the ground, which hath opened her mouth, to receive the shed-blood of thy brother at thy hand. |
Cursed – God condemned the sinner; but nothing indicates bitterness or hatred on God's part. R5150:3
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| 12 Though thou till the ground, it shall not go on to give its vigour to thee,–A wanderer and a fugitive, shalt thou be in the earth. |
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| 13 And Cain said unto Yahweh–Greater is my punishment than I can bear. |
Than I can bear – A haughty, proud, ambitious and self confident spirit is the one which leads at last to disappointment. R2778:5
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| 14 Lo! thou has driven me out, this day, from off the face of the ground, And, from thy face, shall I be hid,–So shall I become a wanderer and a fugitive in the earth, And it shall come to pass, whosoever findeth me, will slay me. |
And from thy face – Indicating that he appreciated God's favor. R1614:5
Shall I be hid – If there be even a slight disposition to penitence, God fosters and cherishes it. R1614:5
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| 15 And Yahweh said to him–Not so! whosoever slayeth Cain, sevenfold, shall it be avenged. So Yahweh set, for Cain, a sign, that none finding him should smite him. |
A mark – He was birth marked with a selfish disposition. R5150:3, R5700:6; PD12/21
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| 16 So Cain went forth from the presence of Yahweh,–and dwelt in the land of Nod, eastward of Eden. |
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| 17 And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived, and bare Enoch,–Now it happened that he was building a city, so he called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. |
His wife – Undoubtedly one of his sisters. R3042:4; Q46:2
He builded a city – A house or villa for himself and his family. R3944:2
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| 18 And there was born to Enoch, Irad, and, Irad, begat Mehujael,–and, Mehujael, begat Methusael,–and, Methusael, begat Lamech. |
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| 19 And Lamech took to himself two wives,–the name of the one, was Adah, and, the name of the second, Zillah. |
Two wives – Violating the true marriage relations. R1615:1
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| 20 And Adah bare Jabal,–he, was father of such as dwell in tents, and have cattle; |
Jabal – Kakan of the Abydos tablet. PD21/30
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| 21 and, the name of his brother, was Jubal,–he, was father of everyone handling lyre and flute. |
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| 22 And, as for Zillah, she also, bare Tubal-Cain, a sharpener of every cutting instrument of bronze and iron,–and, the sister of Tubal-Cain, was Naamah. |
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| 23 Then said Lamech to his wives, Adah and Zillah! hear ye my voice, Ye wives of Lamech! give ear to my tale,–For, a man, have I slain, in dealing my wounds, Yea, a youth, in smiting my blows: |
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| 24 If, sevenfold, be the avenging of, Cain, Then, of Lamech, seventy and seven. |
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| 25 And Adam again knew his wife, and she bare a son, and called his name Seth,–For God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, because, Cain, slew him! |
Seth – His name indicates that his parents hoped he would be the promised seed. PD14/23
Indeed the hope that she might be the mother of the long-promised "seed of the woman" seems to have filled the heart of Eve's daughters all the way down to Mary. R1175:3
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| 26 And, to Seth–to him also, was born a son, and he called his name Enosh,–then, was a beginning made, to call on the name of Yahweh. |
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