Bible Studies In The Word of God

GENESIS 4

 

 

Verse 1. Knew. Referring to Num. 31:17; Judg. 19:25; 1 Sam. 1:19 and various other places we learn this use of the word is a Biblical way of referring to the relations of the two sexes. Gotten a man from the Lord. We do not know how long after the events of chapter one until the man and woman began living as husband and wife. We do know that they were in that chapter commanded to multiply. But without any previous experience or history of others, there would be nothing in even the sexual desire to suggest to the couple that their act would result in offspring. But God has never told man to do or accomplish any result without informing him as to the means. Therefore, we have the necessary inference that when he commanded the pair to reproduce he also told them how it was to be accomplished. That the man had been given a counterpart of himself for the purpose of reproduction and hence this was his provision for obeying the command to multiply. Therefore it was natural for Eve to explain the coming of the child to be from the Lord.

Verse 2. Note that in one short verse we have the statement of the birth, growth to maturity and establishment of an occupation of life. This shows the brief nature of the Bible against the complaint that Is sometimes heard, namely, that the Bible is such a long drawn out volume and thus so tedious. It is rather the most concise, yet thorough document In all literature.

Verses 3-5. In this particular place we are not told why God respected the offering of Abel but rejected that of Cain. But other passages will give us light. In Heb. 11:4 we are told Abel offered his sacrifice “by faith.” And in Rom. 10:17 we are told that faith comes by hearing the word of God. Then, since Abel offered his sacrifice by faith and since faith comes by hearing the word of God, we conclude that the word of God had told them what, to offer. Abel offered what he had been told to offer while Cain offered something else. It is not. a question of whether the ground product that Cain offered was a good quality but the trouble was that God had not told him to offer that at all, but to offer an offering from the animals.

Verses 6, 7. This passage taken as a whole means that had Cain been doing the thing he should he would have been blessed of God. And since he was the older of the two brothers he would have had priority over the other. But since he was disobedient, the respon-sibility for sin was laid at his door.

Verse 8. Cain selected a time when they were not In presence of others to slay his brother. That this was his plan is seen by the falsehood he uttered to the Lord In the following verse.

Verse 9. He not only falsified about the whereabouts of bis brother, but offered as defense the idea that he was not his brother’s keeper. Many people have since taken that attitude. When they are urged to do something for the sake of others and it is something they do not wish to bother about, they will offer the same thing In one form or another. They will speak as if they will not be to blame if others do not look after themselves. But, while It is true that a man’s neglect to take proper care of his own interests will be charged up against himself, it is also true that others who could have done something about It but did not will also be to blame.

Verse 10. Stood crieth. By considering verses 15, 24 Paul says the blood of Christ “speaketb better things than that of Abel." That is because the blood of Christ speaks or cries for mercy while the blood of Abel cried for vengeance.

Verses 11, 12. From the earth. This does not mean that Cain was to be sent away in the sense of out of the earth for the last line says he Is to be a fugitive in the earth. But it means that his punishment was to be produced from or by the earth. That would be accomplished by the failure of the earth to yield to him the ex¬pected fruit of his labor. Yes, this same ground that kindly received the innocent blood of his murdered brother would be his instrument of punishment.  Fugitive. This is from a word that means to be unsettled and not be allowed to have any abiding place. He was to be tossed to and fro and become the object of hatred wherever he went, He would not be permitted to dwell in any desired locality that would have God represented in any favorable circumstance. In this sense was he to be banished from God. Cain understood this to be the meaning of the language of God as expressed by him in following.

Verse 13, 14. The last word of this​ passage is used as including Cain and his descendents since no one man could be slain more than once. But he understood that on account of his wandering, uncertain manner of life, the public would consider him in about the same way they would a vicious beast and seek to slay him. But God did not wish to have that extent of punishment imposed on him. See following paragraph.

Verse 15. Mark. This is from UWTH and Strong defines it as “a signal (literally or figuratively), as a flag, bea¬con, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence." From this we see that the mark placed on Cain was not necessarily some physical blemish stamped on his body as is the popular impression. What it was we do not know, only, there was some kind of unusual sign or token placed in his hands for use in identifying him with the implied information to the public that no one was to molest him bodily. And that if anyone did so molest him, vengeance might be taken on the would-be attacker.

Verse 16. From the presence. See notes on verses 11, 12.

Verse 17. Knew his wife. Consult the references given at verse 1. This merely means that at this place Cain and his wife had intimate relations with the result that a son, Enoch, was born. Since Adam and Eve were the first human pair and to be the ancestors of all other human beings, the conclusion is inevitable that Cain’s wife was his sister. Whatever objections that came later against such intimate marriage might Indicate, at this early stage of man's existence God would overrule all obstacles.

Verses 18-22. This is a simple statement of the rapid production of Cain’s son and grandsons and of their developing Into various trades.

Verses 23, 24. To my hurt. The marginal reading is "In my hurt.” The idea is that a man had made an attempt on Lamech’s life and he had defended himself by slaying his would-be murderer, He justifies himself by referring to the protection that had been offered Cain. If Cain, the man so wicked as to be banished from the presence of God, was entitled to veangeful treatment of his attackers, certainly Lamech who Is not under any such demotion would be entitled to much more protection.

Verse 25, 26. Note the marginal reference here gives ub "call themselves by the name of the Lord.” This is significant. Since Cain has been banished from the peaceful presence of the Lord It would be considered that his seed could not claim much nearness of relation with the Lord. By the same token, the descendents of Seth, the one taking the place of righteous Abel who was slain, would feel entitled to call themselves by His name. This, then, is doubtless the beginning of recognition of two distinct classes of human beings referred to in 6:1 and which will be considered in its proper connection.