Theology… is learned not only libraries, but in hospitals and at weddings and grave-sites; it requires not only study and reflection but love, pathos, and existential ache; and one may deepen as a theologian not only through insight and epiphany but through hearing a delightful strain of music, experiencing a stab of nostalgic longing, or tasting the self-abandonment of falling in love. – John Calvin
Genesis
Genesis 1,2,3 has become a major project. More about this later.
Genesis 4
Cain and Abel
1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain (gotten, acquired), and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD (Jehovah, the self-Existant, eternal).
וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם H120 ve·Ha·’a·Dam, And Adam יָדַ֖ע H3045 ya·Da’ had אֶת־ H853 ‘et- חַוָּ֣ה H2332 chav·Vah Eve אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ H802 ish·To; his wife וַתַּ֙הַר֙ H2029 vat·Ta·har and she conceived וַתֵּ֣לֶד H3205 vat·Te·led and gave אֶת־ H853 ‘et- קַ֔יִן H7014 Ka·yin, Cain וַתֹּ֕אמֶר H559 vat·To·mer and said קָנִ֥יתִי H7069 ka·Ni·ti I have gotten אִ֖ישׁ H376 ‘ish a man אֶת־ H854 ‘et- from יְהוָֽה׃ H3068 Yah·weh. the LORD
Eve refers to her baby as “a man.” Could this indicate contempt for Adam? He was the man who named the animals, cared for the garden in Eden, but when it came to obeying the Lord, he let his wife dictate to him. His obedience to her cost them their place in Eden. Could she have despised him for this, because he was a man of peace, not wishing to upset his wife? Her concept of a man could be what we today call a ’man’s man,’ one who works hard, plays hard, and does not tolerate having his toes stepped on. Belligerent, entitled, and determined, ready to go into action at a moment’s notice. What a slap in the face of Adam. No wonder Cain was all too ready to kill his brother Abel when God rejected his offering. Was he afraid that Abel would usurp his place as firstborn? It is an attitude of heart displayed by his descendant Lamech (see Genesis 4:23). Some translations change the word ‘man’ to ‘man-child’, but it begs the question why use ‘ish’ אִ֖ישׁ, which means man, and not use the Hebrew ‘ben’בֵּן, then the verse would read ‘קָנִ֥יתִי H7069 ka·Ni·ti I have gotten אִ֖ישׁ H1121 ben’בֵּן son H854 ‘et- from יְהוָֽה׃ H3068 Yah·weh. the LORD? To add fuel to the fire, she said she had “gotten a man from the Lord”. What is the implication of this about the character of Adam? Eve was delighted with Cain. She did not acknowledge Adam’s role in conception.
The Contempory Torah, JPS, 2006 renders the verse and comments: Now the human knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gained a person* with the help of יהוה.” *a person or “someone new.” Unlike “man” in contemporary English, Hebrew. ’ish can include infants in its denotative scope (range), as here and in Isaiah. 66.13. NJPS “male child”; trad. “man.”
2 And she again bore his brother Abel (breath, vapor, transitory, indicating the shortness of life, see James 4:14). And Abel was a keeper of sheep (herdsman, shepherd, pastor), but Cain was a tiller (to serve, till, enslave) of the ground.
3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground (as) an offering unto the LORD.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings (firstborn) of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5 But unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect. And Cain was very wroth (to glow, to grow warm, to blaze, anger, jealousy), and his countenance (face, forefront, showbread) fell.
Why did God not respect Cain’s offering? Was it the offering itself or perhaps the heart behind the offering?
Psalm 51:16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Cain’s attitude was not right.
6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth (to glow, to grow warm, to blaze, anger, jealousy)? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? and if you do not do well, sin lies (waits, lurks, repose) at the door. And unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Sin is always looking for an opportunity to enter one’s life. Sin desires to dominate Cain, but God orders him to rule over it. Cain was the firstborn, and if the evil one could control Cain, upon Adam’s death, he would control God’s creation.
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 (smite, destroy, kill, murder) him.
9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where [is] Abel your brother? And he said, I know not: [Am] I my brother’s keeper (guard, watch over, protector, a hedge around him)?
10 And He said, What have you done? the voice of your brother’s blood calls to Me from the ground.
11 And now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened her mouth to receive your brother’s (Abel) blood from your hand;
12 When you till (work, bring into subservience) the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto you her strength (fruit, substance, wealth); a fugitive and a vagabond you will be in the earth.
13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment [is] greater than I can bear.
14 Behold, You have driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from Your face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond (wander, flee, disappear) in the earth; and it shall come to pass, [that] every one that finds me shall slay (smite, kill) me.
15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slays Cain, vengeance (grudge, avenge, punish) shall be taken on him sevenfold (seven times). And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
What that mark is we are not told but evidently it was something that people would recognize.
16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
The Descendants of Cain
17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch (initiated, teacher, dedicated): and he built a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
18 And unto Enoch was born Irad (fugitive, wild ass): and Irad begat Mehujael (destroyed by God, struck by God): and Mehujael begat Methusael (man who is of God, asking for death, died enquiring): and Methusael begat Lamech (powerful, destroyer, one who overthrows).
Their names tell the story of their lives.
19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one [was] Adah (ornament, beauty, pleasure), and the name of the other Zillah (shadow, shade, shadow of darkness or protection).
20 And Adah bare Jabal (leading, flowing, a river, moving or gliding away): he was the father (fore-father) of such as dwell in tents, and [of such as have] cattle.
21 And his brother’s name [was] Jubal (joyful sound, music, jubilee): he was the father (fore-father) of all such as handle the harp and organ.
22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain (coming from Cain, production, forged work), an instructor of every artificer (fabricator, mechanic) in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain [was] Naamah (pleasant, sweetness).
23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt (blueness, wound, stripe, bruise).
The spirit of Cain seems to have flowed through his descendants. The belligerence, entitlement, the easily offended.
24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
God protected Cain. Lamech thought he could do better on his own.
What a contrast to Jesus. Lamech sought revenge on anyone who wronged him seventy-seven times; Jesus advocated forgiveness. Lamech must have been in Jesus’ thoughts when He uttered the following words:
Matt.. 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? V22: Jesus said unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
(See also Chapter 5:31 and the significance of the number seven)
Seth and Enosh
25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bore a son, and called his name Seth (compensation, substitute, replacement, appointed): For God, [said she], has appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos (man in his frailty, feeble, mortal): then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.
People began to realize that they would die one day. Suddenly a relationship with God was important. In between the birth of Seth and Enos, we have a record of Cain’s progeny. Their names tell a story:
Irad (fugitive, wild ass): Mehujael (destroyed by God, struck by God): Methusael (man who is of God, asking for death, died enquiring): Lamech (powerful, destroyer, one who overthrows). Life had become wild and cheap.
The death of Abel must have been a shock for the family of Adam, who had never experienced the death of a human. Suddenly, hardship and death were their lot because of disobedience to God. Now they wanted to maintain a close relationship with the Lord. Death is the great equalizer.