Cain

a possession; a spear. (1.) The first-born son of Adam and Eve (Gen. 4). He became a tiller of the ground, as his brother Abel followed the pursuits of pastoral life. He was "a sullen, self-willed, haughty, vindictive man; wanting the religious element in his character, and defiant even in his attitude towards God." It came to pass "in process of time" (marg. "at the end of days"), i.e., probably on the Sabbath, that the two brothers presented their offerings to the Lord. Abel's offering was of the "firstlings of his flock and of the fat," while Cain's was "of the fruit of the ground." Abel's sacrifice was "more excellent" (Heb. 11:4) than Cain's, and was accepted by God. On this account Cain was "very wroth," and cherished feelings of murderous hatred against his brother, and was at length guilty of the desperate outrage of putting him to death (1 John 3:12). For this crime he was expelled from Eden, and henceforth led the life of an exile, bearing upon him some mark which God had set upon him in answer to his own cry for mercy, so that thereby he might be protected from the wrath of his fellow-men; or it may be that God only gave him some sign to assure him that he would not be slain (Gen. 4:15). Doomed to be a wanderer and a fugitive in the earth, he went forth into the "land of Nod", i.e., the land of "exile", which is said to have been in the "east of Eden," and there he built a city, the first we read of, and called it after his son's name, Enoch. His descendants are enumerated to the sixth generation. They gradually degenerated in their moral and spiritual condition till they became wholly corrupt before God. This corruption prevailed, and at length the Deluge was sent by God to prevent the final triumph of evil. (See ABEL T0000015.) (2.) A town of the Kenites, a branch of the Midianites (Josh. 15:57), on the east edge of the mountain above Engedi; probably the "nest in a rock" mentioned by Balaam (Num. 24:21). It is identified with the modern Yekin, 3 miles south-east of Hebron.

You Might Also Like:

Cain image
Read More

Noah's Ark

Have you ever heard the story of Noah's Ark? It's a famous story from the Bible about a man named Noah who built a huge boat to save himself and the a...

Cain image
Read More

Tower of Babel

Have you ever heard the story of the Tower of Babel? It's a story from the Bible about a group of people who wanted to build a tower that reached all ...

Cain image
Read More

Ten Plagues

Have you ever heard about the Ten Plagues in the Bible? It's a fascinating story about how God showed His power to the Pharaoh of Egypt and freed the ...

Cain image
Read More

Ten Commandments

Have you ever heard about the Ten Commandments in the Bible? These are ten rules that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai to guide the Israelites and all...

Cain image
Read More

12 Tribes of Israel

Have you ever heard about the 12 Tribes of Israel in the Bible? These tribes were the descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob, who was later named Isr...

Cain image
Read More

Ministry of Jesus

Have you ever heard about the Ministry of Jesus in the Bible? Jesus was a great teacher and healer who spent three years traveling throughout Israel, ...

Cain image
Read More

Early Church

Have you ever heard about the Early Church in the Bible? After Jesus' death and resurrection, his followers began to spread his teachings throughout t...

Cain image
Read More

Abraham

Today, let's learn about one of the most important figures in the Bible, Abraham. Abraham's story is told in the book of Genesis and is considered a f...

Cain image
Read More

Moses

Let's learn about another important figure in the Bible, Moses. The story of Moses is told in the book of Exodus and is a central part of the history ...

Cain image
Read More

Joshua

Let's talk about Joshua, another important figure in the Bible. The story of Joshua is told in the book of Joshua, which follows the book of Deuterono...

Cain image
Read More

David

David is one of the most well-known figures in the Bible, and his story is told in several books of the Old Testament, including 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel...

Cain image
Read More

Solomon

Solomon was the son of King David and Bathsheba, and he was known for his great wisdom and wealth. When David was near death, he declared that Solomon...

Cain image
Read More

Jesus

Jesus is the central figure of the Christian faith, and his life and teachings have had a profound impact on the world. Jesus was born in Bethlehem to...

Cain image
Read More

Paul

Paul, also known as Saul of Tarsus, is one of the most important figures in the history of Christianity. Originally, Paul was a persecutor of Christia...

Cain image
Read More

Israel

Israel is a land that is rich in history and culture, and it plays an important role in the Bible. In the Old Testament, Israel was the promised land ...

Cain image
Read More

Egypt

Egypt is a country that is steeped in history and culture, and it plays an important role in the Bible. In the Old Testament, Egypt is prominently fea...

Cain image
Read More

Assyria

Assyria was a powerful empire that played an important role in the ancient Near East and in the Bible. In the Old Testament, Assyria is known for its ...

Cain image
Read More

Babylon

Babylon was a great ancient city in Mesopotamia, located in what is now modern-day Iraq. It was the capital of the Babylonian Empire and is mentioned ...