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| 1 And the man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man with the help of 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 again she bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
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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 in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto 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 also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And Jehovah had respect unto Abel and to his offering: |
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 unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, 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 And Jehovah said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? And why is 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 If thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up? And if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door; and unto thee shall be its desire; but do thou rule 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 told Abel his brother. 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 And Jehovah said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: am I my brother’s keeper? |
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? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth 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 its mouth to receive thy brother’s blood 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 shall not henceforth yield unto thee its strength; a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth. |
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| 13 And Cain said unto Jehovah, My punishment is greater 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 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the ground; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth; and it will come to pass, that 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 Jehovah said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And Jehovah appointed a sign for Cain, lest any 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 And Cain went away from the face of Jehovah, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. |
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| 17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and 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 unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael; and Mehujael begat Methushael; and Methushael begat Lamech. |
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| 19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. |
Two wives – Violating the true marriage relations. R1615:1
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| 20 And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents and have cattle. |
Jabal – Kakan of the Abydos tablet. PD21/30
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| 21 And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and pipe. |
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| 22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of copper and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. |
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23 And Lamech said unto his wives:Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
Ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech:
For I have slain a man to my wounding,
And a young man to my hurt:
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24 If Cain shall be avenged seven-fold,
Truly Lamech seventy and seven-fold. |
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| 25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For, said she, God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel; for 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 there was born a son; and he called his name Enosh. Then began men to call upon the name of Jehovah. |
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