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| 1 And the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceiveth and beareth Cain, and saith, 'I have gotten a man by Jehovah;' |
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 addeth to bear his brother, even Abel. And Abel is feeding a flock, and Cain hath been servant of the ground. |
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 And it cometh to pass at the end of days that Cain bringeth from the fruit of the ground a present to Jehovah; |
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 and Abel, he hath brought, he also, from the female firstlings of his flock, even from their fat ones; and Jehovah looketh unto Abel and unto 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 and unto Cain and unto his present He hath not looked; and it is very displeasing to Cain, and his countenance is fallen. |
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 And Jehovah saith unto Cain, 'Why hast thou displeasure and why 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 Is there not, if thou dost well, acceptance and if thou dost not well, at the opening a sin-offering is crouching, and unto thee its desire, and thou rulest over it.' |
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 saith unto Abel his brother, ['Let us go into the field;'] and it cometh to pass in their being in the field, that Cain riseth up against Abel his brother, and slayeth 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 And Jehovah saith unto Cain, 'Where [is] Abel thy brother ' and he saith, 'I have not known; my brother's keeper 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 saith, 'What hast thou done the voice of thy brother's blood is crying unto 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 and now, cursed [art] thou from the ground, which hath opened her mouth to receive the blood of thy brother from thy hand; |
Cursed – God condemned the sinner; but nothing indicates bitterness or hatred on God's part. R5150:3
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| 12 when thou tillest the ground, it doth not add to give its strength to thee a wanderer, even a trembling one, thou art in the earth.' |
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| 13 And Cain saith unto Jehovah, 'Greater is my punishment than to be borne; |
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 hast driven me to-day from off the face of the ground, and from Thy face I am hid; and I have been a wanderer, even a trembling one, in the earth, and it hath been every one finding me doth 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 Jehovah saith to him, 'Therefore of any slayer of Cain sevenfold it is required;' and Jehovah setteth to Cain a token that none finding him doth slay him. |
A mark – He was birth marked with a selfish disposition. R5150:3, R5700:6; PD12/21
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| 16 And Cain goeth out from before Jehovah, and dwelleth in the land, moving about east of Eden; |
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| 17 and Cain knoweth his wife, and she conceiveth, and beareth Enoch; and he is building a city, and he calleth the name of the city, according to 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 born to Enoch is Irad; and Irad hath begotten Mehujael; and Mehujael hath begotten Methusael; and Methusael hath begotten Lamech. |
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| 19 And Lamech taketh to himself two wives, the name of the one Adah, and the name of the second Zillah. |
Two wives – Violating the true marriage relations. R1615:1
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| 20 And Adah beareth Jabal, he hath been father of those inhabiting tents and purchased possessions; |
Jabal – Kakan of the Abydos tablet. PD21/30
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| 21 and the name of his brother [is] Jubal, he hath been father of every one handling harp and organ. |
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| 22 And Zillah she also bare Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron; and a sister of Tubal-Cain [is] Naamah. |
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| 23 And Lamech saith to his wives: 'Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, give ear [to] my saying: For a man I have slain for my wound, Even a young man for my hurt; |
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| 24 For sevenfold is required for Cain, And for Lamech seventy and sevenfold.' |
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| 25 And Adam again knoweth his wife, and she beareth a son, and calleth his name Seth, 'for God hath appointed for me another seed instead of Abel:' for Cain had slain 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 a son hath been born, and he calleth his name Enos; then a beginning was made of preaching in the name of Jehovah. |
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