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| 1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. |
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 again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller 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 in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. |
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 the LORD 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 the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
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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, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt 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 talked with 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 the LORD 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 art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her 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 her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. |
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| 13 And Cain said unto the LORD, 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 earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall 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 the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill 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 out from the presence of the LORD, 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 Methusael: and Methusael 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 of such as 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 organ. |
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| 22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructor of every artificer in copper and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain 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 sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. |
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| 25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. |
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 Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD. |
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