Why the older brother killed the younger: the biblical story of Cain and Abel

Bible history and who wrote it

We often hear that there are many more bad stories in the Old Testament than good ones. And even words with a negative connotation prevail over those that awaken good and bright feelings in the heart.

The book of Genesis is like that. The story of the happy life of the first people quickly ends, and the story of pain, suffering and tears begins. In the fourth chapter of the book, Moses writes about how Cain destroyed his brother Abel.

“And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.” Cain and Abel in the Bible, Genesis 4, 8.

This happened after Cain sacrificed earthly fruits to the Almighty, and Abel sacrificed firstborn lambs. To the disappointment of the older brother, God accepted the younger brother’s sacrifice and rejected his gifts. Overwhelmed by selfish jealousy, Cain called Abel into the field and took his life there.

The story of the brothers[ | ]

Main article: Murder of Abel by Cain

Abel was a cattle breeder, and his brother Cain was a farmer. The conflict began with a sacrifice to God made by both brothers (these are the first sacrifices mentioned in the Bible). Abel sacrificed the firstborn heads of his flock, and Cain sacrificed the fruits of the ground.

And Abel was a shepherd of sheep, and Cain was a farmer. After some time, Cain brought a gift to the Lord from the fruits of the ground, and Abel also brought from the firstlings of his flock and from their fat. Gen. 4:2-4

God favorably accepted only Abel’s sacrifice:

And the Lord looked upon Abel and his gift, but did not look upon Cain and his gift. Cain became very upset, and his face fell. Gen. 4:4-5

After this, Cain killed Abel:

And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Gen. 4:8

At this point in the Bible, the topic of moral responsibility for one’s actions is raised for the first time, and also for the first time, even before Cain commits a crime, only after he displays feelings of envy, the word “sin” is pronounced[6]:

If you do good, don't you raise your face? and if you do not do good, then sin lies at the door; he attracts you to himself, but you dominate him. 4:7

You can also notice that Cain tried to hide the fact of what he had done before God:

And the Lord said to Cain: Where is Abel your brother? He said: I don’t know; Am I my brother's keeper? Gen. 4:9

The motif of God's preference for the younger brother is found elsewhere in the Bible - in the stories of Esau and Jacob, Joseph and his eleven older brothers, David and his older brothers. Abel is the first in this series[6].

In Judaism, there is a different point of view on the motives for the murder of Abel by Cain[7].

Murder of Abel by Cain.
Monreale Cathedral, mosaic

Briefly about the brothers' father and mother

The brothers' parents were the first people on earth, Adam and Eve. God settled them in the best place on the planet - the Garden of Eden. However, Satan sneaked into heaven under the guise of a serpent and deceived Eve.

He declared that people would be much happier if they resisted God's authority and gained independence from Him. Believing Satan, Eve ate the forbidden fruit and involved her husband in rebellion. After this, God kicked Adam and Eve out of Eden, and Cain and Abel were born with inherited sin.

Adam and Eve in world painting. Medieval miniature "Adam and Eve after the expulsion"

Notes

1. Midrash “Pirka D'Rabbi Eliezer (Pirka Rabbi Eliezer)” (ch. 21, 32a)
2. Papazyan A. A.
   Cain and Abel // Myths of the peoples of the world. Encyclopedia. (In 2 volumes.) / Ch. ed. S. A. Tokarev. — 2nd ed. - M.: "Soviet Encyclopedia", 1987. - T. 1. A - K. - P. 608. - 671 p. — “The biblical text of the legend about K. and Abel is very short and difficult to understand. This is partly due to the abundance of interpretations in post-biblical literature. The motif of the temptation of Eve by the serpent (Genesis 3, see “The Fall”), identified in post-biblical and Christian literature with Satan, probably underlies the legend about K.’s conception from Satan. This tradition is known among the church fathers (Epiphanius, Irenaeus, Tertullian) and in the midrashim (Pirke de r. Eliezer 32a).”

3. 	Events	Creation of Man | Fall | Expulsion from Paradise
   	Basic Concepts	Garden of Eden | Tree of the knowledge of good and evil | Tree of Life | Forbidden fruit | Original sin
   	In different sources	First person | Adam and Havva | Adam Rishon, Adam Kadmon
   	Children of Adam and Eve	Cain and Abel (Qabil and Habil) | Sif (Shis)

   from Arphaxad to Jacob	Arfaksad · (Kainan) · Salah · Eber · Peleg · Raghav · Seruch · Nahor · Terah · Abraham · Isaac · Jacob
   from Judah to David	Judah · Perez · Hezrom · Aram · Aminadab · Nahshon · Salmon · Boaz · Obed · Jesse · David

Why God Didn't Accept Cain's Sacrifice

According to the exact expression of John Chrysostom , conscience itself prompted Cain and Abel to thank God for His generosity.

“After some time, Cain brought a gift to the Lord from the fruits of the ground,

and Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord looked upon Abel and his gift,

but he did not look upon Cain and his gift. Cain was greatly saddened, and his face fell.”

(Gen.4:3-5)

At first glance, it is difficult to see the difference in their sacrifices, because of which God rejected the gifts of the older brother and accepted the offering of the younger.

Some have concluded that Abel's sacrifice demonstrated faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, who gave his life for us. That is, the firstborn animals were a symbol of the future sacrifice of Christ. Cain did not have such faith, and therefore his gift was rejected. Of course, Abel believed in the promised Messiah, but it cannot be said unequivocally that his sacrifice was connected precisely with faith in Him.

In addition, God commanded the Israelites to offer thanksgiving sacrifices. It is obvious that Cain's gift was not rejected because he did not believe in the Messiah. Most likely, the matter is different. The clue is found in the words about Abel's sacrifice:

“Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat.”

(Genesis 4:4)

He was the only member of the first family who showed sincere faith in the Creator and gratitude to Him. And Cain's offering was imbued with pride, vanity, arrogance and formal ritualism.

Of course, God does not need sacrifices. He is the Creator of everything we have. When we sacrifice something for Him, then, in essence, we are only returning what He gave. This is similar to how grateful and loving children give their parents the most delicious candy from a New Year's gift. But selfish children, who believe that their parents are obligated to provide for them, can, at best, give a couple of sticky caramels.

For parents, it is not the material value of the gift that is important, but the motives of the children.

“ Look how Scripture shows us his God-loving intention and what he brought not just from the sheep, but the “firstborn,” that is, dear, chosen, further, what from these firstborn (he brought) the most precious: “and from the fat them,” it is said, from the most pleasant, the best. Scripture does not notice anything like this about Cain, but only says that he brought “a gift from the fruits of the earth,” which, so to speak, came across, without any effort or analysis. I say again and will not stop saying: God accepts our offerings not because He needs them, but because He wants our gratitude to be expressed through them.”

John Chrysostom

Tradition preserves some details about Cain's sacrifice. These could be unripe grains and unripe fruits, unsuitable for food. Such gifts are not given out of ardent love for God.

Abel was aware of the sad situation in which humanity found itself. But it seems that he was primarily concerned not with the physical consequences of sin, but with the rupture of relations with God, the loss of people’s divine nature.

For Cain, sin was not a great tragedy. Perhaps at the moment of the sacrifice he first received a negative assessment of his personal qualities.

Noel Coypel, "Cain after the murder of Abel", 1663

Passage characterizing Cain

- I'll drink it, give me a bottle of rum! - Pierre shouted, hitting the table with a decisive and drunken gesture, and climbed out the window. They grabbed him by the arms; but he was so strong that he pushed the one who approached him far away. “No, you can’t persuade him like that,” said Anatole, “wait, I’ll deceive him.” Look, I bet you, but tomorrow, and now we're all going to hell. “We’re going,” Pierre shouted, “we’re going!... And we’re taking Mishka with us... And he grabbed the bear, and, hugging and lifting him, began to spin around the room with him. Prince Vasily fulfilled the promise made at the evening at Anna Pavlovna's to Princess Drubetskaya, who asked him about her only son Boris. He was reported to the sovereign, and, unlike others, he was transferred to the Semenovsky Guard Regiment as an ensign. But Boris was never appointed as an adjutant or under Kutuzov, despite all the efforts and machinations of Anna Mikhailovna. Soon after Anna Pavlovna's evening, Anna Mikhailovna returned to Moscow, straight to her rich relatives Rostov, with whom she stayed in Moscow and with whom her beloved Borenka, who had just been promoted to the army and was immediately transferred to guards ensigns, had been raised and lived for years since childhood. The Guard had already left St. Petersburg on August 10, and the son, who remained in Moscow for uniforms, was supposed to catch up with her on the road to Radzivilov. The Rostovs had a birthday girl, Natalya, a mother and a younger daughter. In the morning, without ceasing, trains drove up and drove off, bringing congratulators to the large, well-known house of Countess Rostova on Povarskaya throughout Moscow. The countess with her beautiful eldest daughter and guests, who never ceased replacing one another, were sitting in the living room. The Countess was a woman with an oriental type of thin face, about forty-five years old, apparently exhausted by children, of whom she had twelve. The slowness of her movements and speech, resulting from weakness of strength, gave her a significant appearance that inspired respect. Princess Anna Mikhailovna Drubetskaya, like a domestic person, sat right there, helping in the matter of receiving and engaging in conversation with the guests. The youth were in the back rooms, not finding it necessary to participate in receiving visits. The Count met and saw off the guests, inviting everyone to dinner. “I am very, very grateful to you, ma chere or mon cher [my dear or my dear] (ma chere or mon cher he said to everyone without exception, without the slightest shade, both above and below him) for himself and for the dear birthday girls . Look, come and have lunch. You will offend me, mon cher. I sincerely ask you on behalf of the whole family, ma chere.” He spoke these words with the same expression on his full, cheerful, clean-shaven face and with an equally strong handshake and repeated short bows to everyone, without exception or change. Having seen off one guest, the count returned to whoever was still in the living room; having pulled up his chairs and with the air of a man who loves and knows how to live, with his legs spread gallantly and his hands on his knees, he swayed significantly, offered guesses about the weather, consulted about health, sometimes in Russian, sometimes in very bad but self-confident French, and again with the air of a tired but firm man in the performance of his duties, he went to see him off, straightening the sparse gray hair on his bald head, and again called for dinner. Sometimes, returning from the hallway, he walked through the flower and waiter's room into a large marble hall, where a table for eighty couverts was being set, and, looking at the waiters wearing silver and porcelain, arranging tables and unrolling damask tablecloths, he called Dmitry Vasilyevich, a nobleman, to him. who was taking care of all his affairs, and said: “Well, well, Mitenka, make sure everything is fine. “Well, well,” he said, looking around with pleasure at the huge spread-out table. – The main thing is serving. This and that...” And he left, sighing complacently, back into the living room. - Marya Lvovna Karagina with her daughter! - the huge countess's footman reported in a bass voice as he entered the living room door. The Countess thought and sniffed from a golden snuffbox with a portrait of her husband. “These visits tormented me,” she said. - Well, I’ll take her last one. Very prim. “Beg,” she said to the footman in a sad voice, as if she was saying: “Well, finish it off!” A tall, plump, proudly looking lady with a round-faced, smiling daughter, rustling with their dresses, entered the living room. “Chere comtesse, il ya si longtemps... elle a ete alitee la pauvre enfant... au bal des Razoumowsky... et la comtesse Apraksine... j'ai ete si heureuse...” [Dear countess, how long ago... she should have been in bed, poor child... at the Razumovskys' ball... and Countess Apraksina... was so happy...] animated women's voices were heard, interrupting one another and merging with the noise of dresses and the moving of chairs. That conversation began, which is started just enough so that at the first pause you can stand up, rustle with your dresses, and say: “Je suis bien charmee; la sante de maman... et la comtesse Apraksine" [I am in admiration; mother’s health... and Countess Apraksina] and, again rustling with dresses, go into the hallway, put on a fur coat or cloak and leave. The conversation turned to the main city news of that time - about the illness of the famous rich and handsome man of Catherine's time, old Count Bezukhy, and about his illegitimate son Pierre, who behaved so indecently at an evening with Anna Pavlovna Scherer. “I really feel sorry for the poor count,” said the guest, “his health is already bad, and now this grief from his son will kill him!” - What's happened? - asked the countess, as if not knowing what the guest was talking about, although she had already heard the reason for Count Bezukhy’s grief fifteen times. - This is the current upbringing! “Even abroad,” said the guest, “this young man was left to his own devices, and now in St. Petersburg, they say, he did such horrors that he was expelled from there with the police. - Tell! - said the countess. “He chose his acquaintances poorly,” Princess Anna Mikhailovna intervened. - The son of Prince Vasily, he and Dolokhov alone, they say, God knows what they were doing. And both were hurt. Dolokhov was demoted to the ranks of soldiers, and Bezukhy’s son was exiled to Moscow. Anatoly Kuragin - his father somehow hushed him up. But they did deport me from St. Petersburg. - What the hell did they do? – asked the Countess. “These are perfect robbers, especially Dolokhov,” said the guest. - He is the son of Marya Ivanovna Dolokhova, such a respectable lady, so what? You can imagine: the three of them found a bear somewhere, put it in a carriage and took it to the actresses. The police came running to calm them down. They caught the policeman and tied him back to back to the bear and let the bear into the Moika; the bear is swimming, and the policeman is on him. “The policeman’s figure is good, ma chere,” shouted the count, dying of laughter. - Oh, what a horror! What's there to laugh about, Count? But the ladies couldn’t help but laugh themselves. “They saved this unfortunate man by force,” the guest continued. “And it’s the son of Count Kirill Vladimirovich Bezukhov who is playing so cleverly!” – she added. “They said he was so well-mannered and smart.” This is where all my upbringing abroad has led me. I hope that no one will accept him here, despite his wealth. They wanted to introduce him to me. I resolutely refused: I have daughters. - Why do you say that this young man is so rich? - asked the countess, bending down from the girls, who immediately pretended not to listen. - After all, he only has illegitimate children. It seems... Pierre is also illegal. The guest waved her hand. “He has twenty illegal ones, I think.” Princess Anna Mikhailovna intervened in the conversation, apparently wanting to show off her connections and her knowledge of all social circumstances. “That’s the thing,” she said significantly and also in a half-whisper. – The reputation of Count Kirill Vladimirovich is known... He lost count of his children, but this Pierre was beloved. “How good the old man was,” said the countess, “even last year!” I have never seen a more beautiful man. “Now he’s changed a lot,” said Anna Mikhailovna. “So I wanted to say,” she continued, “through his wife, Prince Vasily is the direct heir to the entire estate, but his father loved Pierre very much, was involved in his upbringing and wrote to the sovereign... so no one knows if he dies (he is so bad that they are waiting for it) every minute, and Lorrain came from St. Petersburg), who will get this huge fortune, Pierre or Prince Vasily. Forty thousand souls and millions. I know this very well, because Prince Vasily himself told me this. And Kirill Vladimirovich is my second cousin on my mother’s side. “He baptized Borya,” she added, as if not attributing any significance to this circumstance. – Prince Vasily arrived in Moscow yesterday. He’s going for an inspection, they told me,” the guest said. “Yes, but, entre nous, [between us],” said the princess, “this is an excuse, he actually came to Count Kirill Vladimirovich, having learned that he was so bad.” “However, ma chere, this is a nice thing,” said the count and, noticing that the eldest guest was not listening to him, he turned to the young ladies. – The policeman had a good figure, I imagine. And he, imagining how the policeman waved his arms, laughed again with a sonorous and bassy laugh that shook his entire plump body, as people laugh who have always eaten well and especially drunk. “So, please, come and have dinner with us,” he said. There was silence. The Countess looked at the guest, smiling pleasantly, however, without hiding the fact that she would not be at all upset now if the guest got up and left. The guest's daughter was already straightening her dress, looking questioningly at her mother, when suddenly from the next room several men's and women's feet were heard running towards the door, the crash of a chair being snagged and knocked over, and a thirteen-year-old girl ran into the room, wrapping something in her short muslin skirt, and stopped in the middle rooms. It was obvious that she accidentally, with an uncalculated run, ran so far. At the same moment a student with a crimson collar, a guards officer, a fifteen-year-old girl and a fat, ruddy boy in a children's jacket appeared at the door. The count jumped up and, swaying, spread his arms wide around the running girl. - Oh, here she is! – he shouted laughing. - Birthday girl! Ma chere, birthday girl! “Ma chere, il ya un temps pour tout, [Darling, there is time for everything,” said the countess, pretending to be stern. “You keep spoiling her, Elie,” she added to her husband. “Bonjour, ma chere, je vous felicite, [Hello, my dear, I congratulate you,” said the guest. – Quelle delicuse enfant! “What a lovely child!” she added, turning to her mother. A dark-eyed, big-mouthed, ugly, but lively girl, with her childish open shoulders, which, shrinking, moved in her bodice from fast running, with her black curls bunched back, thin bare arms and small legs in lace pantaloons and open shoes, I was at that sweet age when a girl is no longer a child, and a child is not yet a girl. Turning away from her father, she ran up to her mother and, not paying any attention to her stern remark, hid her flushed face in the lace of her mother’s mantilla and laughed. She was laughing at something, talking abruptly about a doll that she had taken out from under her skirt. – See?... Doll... Mimi... See. And Natasha could no longer speak (everything seemed funny to her). She fell on top of her mother and laughed so loudly and loudly that everyone, even the prim guest, laughed against their will. - Well, go, go with your freak! - said the mother, feigning angrily pushing her daughter away. “This is my youngest,” she turned to the guest. Natasha, taking her face away from her mother’s lace scarf for a minute, looked at her from below through tears of laughter and hid her face again. The guest, forced to admire the family scene, considered it necessary to take some part in it. “Tell me, my dear,” she said, turning to Natasha, “how do you feel about this Mimi?” Daughter, right? Natasha did not like the tone of condescension to childish conversation with which the guest addressed her. She did not answer and looked at her guest seriously. Meanwhile, all this young generation: Boris - an officer, the son of Princess Anna Mikhailovna, Nikolai - a student, the eldest son of the count, Sonya - the count's fifteen-year-old niece, and little Petrusha - the youngest son, all settled in the living room and, apparently, tried to keep within the boundaries of decency the animation and gaiety that still breathed from every feature of them. It was clear that there, in the back rooms, from where they all ran so quickly, they were having more fun conversations than here about city gossip, the weather and Comtesse Apraksine. [about Countess Apraksina.] Occasionally they glanced at each other and could hardly restrain themselves from laughing. Two young men, a student and an officer, friends since childhood, were the same age and both were handsome, but did not look alike. Boris was a tall, fair-haired young man with regular, delicate features of a calm and handsome face; Nikolai was a short, curly-haired young man with an open expression on his face. Black hairs were already showing on his upper lip, and his whole face expressed impetuosity and enthusiasm. Nikolai blushed as soon as he entered the living room. It was clear that he was searching and could not find anything to say; Boris, on the contrary, immediately found himself and told him calmly, jokingly, how he knew this Mimi doll as a young girl with an undamaged nose, how she grew old in his memory at the age of five and how her head was cracked all over her skull. Having said this, he looked at Natasha. Natasha turned away from him, looked at her younger brother, who, with his eyes closed, was shaking with silent laughter, and, unable to hold on any longer, jumped and ran out of the room as quickly as her fast legs could carry her. Boris didn't laugh. - You seemed to want to go too, maman? Do you need a carriage? – he said, turning to his mother with a smile. “Yes, go, go, tell me to cook,” she said, pouring out. Boris quietly walked out the door and followed Natasha, the fat boy angrily ran after them, as if annoyed at the frustration that had occurred in his studies. Of the young people, not counting the countess's eldest daughter (who was four years older than her sister and already behaved like a grown-up) and the young lady's guest, Nikolai and Sonya's niece remained in the living room. Sonya was a thin, petite brunette with a soft gaze, shaded by long eyelashes, a thick black braid that wrapped around her head twice, and a yellowish tint to the skin on her face and especially on her bare, thin, but graceful, muscular arms and neck. With the smoothness of her movements, the softness and flexibility of her small limbs, and her somewhat cunning and reserved manner, she resembled a beautiful, but not yet fully formed kitten, which would become a lovely little cat. She apparently considered it decent to show participation in the general conversation with a smile; but against her will, from under her long thick eyelashes, she looked at her cousin [cousin] who was leaving for the army with such girlish passionate adoration that her smile could not deceive anyone for a moment, and it was clear that the cat sat down only to jump more energetically and play with your sauce as soon as they, like Boris and Natasha, get out of this living room.

In simple words about why Cain killed Abel

Because the offering of the shepherd Abel turned out to be pleasing to God, in contrast to the gifts of his older brother, the farmer Cain. The reason is envy and more.

The cold-blooded murder of an innocent person, and even a brother, clearly goes beyond the limits of an adequate human reaction. It is also striking that he committed murder after God himself prompted him to renounce sin.

“And the Lord [God] said to Cain: Why are you upset? and why did your face droop?

If you do good, don’t you lift your face? and if you do not do good, then sin lies at the door; he attracts you to himself, but you dominate him.

And Cain said to Abel his brother, Let us go into the field. And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.” .

(Gen.4:6-8)

The name "Cain" is translated as "acquisition." This may have expressed the great hope placed on the child by his parents. The name "Abel" means "breath", "nothingness", "vanity". Apparently, by the time their second son was born, his parents had already given up hope of a quick return to Eden.

Be that as it may, in the biblical narrative, the first son of Adam and Eve appears as a fully formed sinner, whose conscience has long ceased to suggest the right decisions and actions, as well as to condemn its bearer for the crimes committed.

Here is what the Apostle John wrote about the reason for the murder of Abel:

“For this is the gospel which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,

not like Cain, who was of the evil one and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, but his brother’s deeds were righteous.”

(1 John 3:11,12)

What evil deeds is John talking about? The apostle thinks in the categories of Christian philosophy, where thoughts and feelings displeasing to God are equated with sinful actions. Christ spoke about this in the Sermon on the Mount, asserting that he who is angry with his brother in vain is subject to judgment.

Cain most likely despised his brother even before the murder. In deeply wicked people, hatred of the righteous is formed on an instinctive level. The reason is that the righteous is a living reproach to the conscience of the sinner.

Interesting fact

his extravagant friend Alcibiades the Greek philosopher
Socrates and declared that he hated him, because every time he met him, he understood what he himself should be like.
God's approval of Abel's sacrifice was the last straw for the first child born on earth and accepting the idea of ​​his great future.

In such a painful situation, Cain could begin to follow his brother's example and lead a righteous life. But he solved the problem differently, eliminating the source of his remorse. Cain experienced not repentant sorrow for his own sin, but a spirit of unbridled envy and enmity towards Abel. This led him to crime.

David Scott, The Expulsion of Cain, 1831

Chapter II. Antediluvian and Post-Flood Humanity

Life 6–9

The unusual longevity of the patriarchs was necessary in the primitive history of mankind both for the speedy settlement of the earth and the dissemination of useful knowledge, and, especially, for preserving the purity of the original worship of God and faith in the promise of the Redeemer given to the first people. The patriarch of each generation could pass on his knowledge for centuries to the ancestors of other generations. Thus, Adam was a living witness of primitive legends until the birth of Lemech, and Lemech’s father, Methuselah, lived almost until the flood.

But, on the other hand, the longevity of wicked people could serve as a means of multiplying and spreading evil in humanity. And so, indeed, evil began to quickly spread in the world. It reached its highest development as a result of the mixing of the descendants of Cain and Seth. At this time, the land was already significantly populated, and along with its settlement, the terrible evil of depravity and corruption spread. “And the Lord [God] saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

.
(Gen.6,5). This was evidently not the mere natural depravity of a corrupt nature, but the general reign of open and bold sin and rebellion against God. From the criminally voluptuous communication of the Sethites with the Cainites, giants began to be born. Relying on their strength, they introduced into human society the horrors of violence, lawlessness, predation, voluptuousness and general disbelief in the promise of future deliverance. And so, at the sight of such a state of people, “... the Lord repented that he had created man on earth, and was grieved in His heart.
And the Lord said, “I will destroy from the face of the earth man whom I have created, from men to beasts and creeping things and birds of the air I will destroy, for I have repented that I made them” (Gen. 6:6-7). As created together with man and for man, animals must also share the fate of man. But the waves of vice have not yet flooded all of humanity. Among him was a man who “found grace in the sight of the Lord.” This was Noah, son of Lemech, “a righteous man and blameless in his generation.” He “walked with God” just like his ancestor Enoch.

And so, when the earth “was corrupt before the face of God and was filled with ... evil,” when “all flesh had perverted its way on the earth,” the Lord said to Noah: “The end of all flesh has come before Me, ... I will destroy them from the earth. Make yourself an ark... I will bring a flood of water on the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the spirit of life from under the heavens... But I will establish My covenant with you, and you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives will come into the ark. yours with you” (Gen. 6:9–18). God appointed one hundred and twenty years for the human race to repent, and during this time Noah had to carry out his extraordinary construction, which could only cause ridicule and threats among the people around him. But Noah's faith was unshakable.

Having received a revelation from God, he began to build the ark. The ark was built according to the exact instructions of God - from gopher wood and was tarred inside and out. The length of the ark is 300 cubits, the width is 50 cubits and the height is 30 cubits. At the top there was a long hole made throughout the ark, a cubit wide, for light and air, and at the side there was a door. It was supposed to consist of three tiers with many compartments intended for livestock and feed. “And Noah did everything as he commanded him

[The Lord]
God
…” (Gen. 6:22).

Of course, throughout the entire construction, Noah did not stop preaching and calling people to repentance. But his most eloquent sermon was, of course, his construction of a huge ship on land, far from the water. God's long-suffering still awaited the awakening of a sense of repentance among the wicked people during this construction, but all was in vain. Mocking and blaspheming Noah's preaching, people became even more carefree and lawless. They “ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.”

(Luke 17:27).

By the time Noah finished the ark, he was 600 years old, and then, seeing no more hope for the repentance of sinful humanity, the Lord commanded Noah to enter the ark with his entire family and a certain number of animals, both clean and unclean. Noah obeyed God and entered the ark. And so “... all the sources of the great deep burst open, and the windows of heaven were opened; and rain fell on the earth for forty days and forty nights

(Gen. 7:11–12).
After the end, the water kept coming and coming to the ground. For one hundred and fifty days its level rose, so that even the highest mountains were covered with water. “And all flesh that moved upon the earth lost its life”
(Gen. 7:21).

This is how God’s great punishment was accomplished for corrupted and drowned humanity. All people perished, and only one Noah’s ark, containing the chosen seed for the development of new life, rushed across the vast sea, prefiguring the coming Church of Christ.

“And God remembered Noah, and all... who were with him in the ark; and God brought a wind upon the earth, and the waters stood still.”

(Gen. 8:1).
Gradually the water began to decrease, so that in the seventh month the ark stopped on one of the peaks of the Ararat Mountains. In the twelfth month, when the water had subsided significantly, Noah sent a raven through the window to see if he would find a dry place, but the raven flew away and then returned to the ark. Then, after seven days, Noah released the dove, but it also returned, not finding a place where it could rest. Seven days later, Noah released it again, and then in the evening the dove returned, holding a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Noah waited seven more days and released the dove for the third time. This time he did not return, because the ground had already dried out. Then the Lord commanded Noah to leave the ark and release the animals to reproduce on earth. Coming out of the ark, Noah first of all gave thanks to the Lord for his miraculous deliverance. He built an altar to the Lord, took clean animals and offered them as burnt offerings. Such piety of Noah was pleasing to the Lord, and He “said in His heart: I will no longer curse the earth for man’s sake”
(Gen. 8:21).

Since Noah and his family were the new ancestors of humanity on earth, God repeated to him the blessing given to the ancestors: “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth

[and possess it].” (Gen. 9:1).

After the Flood, along with plant foods, the Lord allowed man to eat animal meat, but forbade him to eat blood along with meat, for “their soul is in the blood of animals.” At the same time, a law was given against murder - on the basis that all people are brothers, and each of them bears the image and likeness of God. “Whoever sheds the blood of man,” says the Lord, “his blood will be shed by the hand of man” (Gen. 9:6).

After the flood, religion was renewed by the new alliance that God made with Noah. By virtue of this union, the Lord promised Noah that “all flesh will no longer be destroyed by the waters of a flood, and there will no longer be a flood to destroy the earth.” God chose the rainbow as the banner of this everlasting covenant. Of course, the rainbow as a physical phenomenon existed before the flood, but now it has become a symbol of the covenant.

Cain's life in exile

After killing his brother, Cain heard the voice of God asking him where Abel was

“And the Lord [God] said to Cain: Where is Abel your brother?”

(Genesis 4:9)

Alas, Cain felt no remorse. He boldly responded to God:

"…Don't know; Am I my brother’s keeper?”

(Genesis 4:9)

According to the Lord, the voice of Abel's blood demanded vengeance:

“And [the Lord] said: What have you done? the voice of your brother's blood cries to Me from the earth;

and now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened its mouth to receive the blood of thy brother at thy hand;

when you cultivate the land, it will no longer give its strength to you; you will be an exile and a wanderer on earth.”

(Gen.4:10-12)

Cain reacted to his just punishment with predictable cowardice:

“And Cain said to the Lord [God], “My punishment is more than can be endured;

behold, You are now driving me from the face of the earth, and I will hide from Your presence, and I will be an exile and a wanderer on the earth; and whoever meets me will kill me.”

(Gen.4:9-16)

Cain did not want to atone even through a well-deserved exile for the severity of his terrible sin. Instead, he expressed fear that he himself might become a victim of murder.

The fratricide was afraid that someone from his own family would take revenge on him, in the present or future. To prevent lynching, God gave Cain a special sign.

“And the Lord said to him: For this reason, whoever kills Cain will have sevenfold vengeance. And the Lord made a sign for Cain, so that no one who met him would kill him.

And Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod, east of Eden.”

(Gen. 4:15,16)

The fratricide became a hermit. He moved to the land of Nod, located east of Eden. Some interpreters believe that “Nod” is not a proper name, but conveys the idea of ​​​​the nomadic lifestyle of Cain and all his descendants.

One day, in a new place, Cain built the city of Enoch, naming it in honor of his firstborn. It is noteworthy that the main element of the civilization that began to develop after the Fall was created by the first murderer.

Cain builds the city of Enoch. 1675 - 158.5 x 109.5 cm. Canvas. Baroque. France. Budapest. Hungarian Museum of Fine Arts.

CAIN

The etymology of the name Cain is unclear. The words of Eve at the birth of K.: (Genesis 4. 1; in the synodal translation: “I acquired a man”), which explain its meaning, are consonant with the name Cain and represent the popular etymology of his name. However, Heb. the root from which the verb is formed cannot form the basis of the name. Most often, researchers compare the name Cain with Aram. and Arab. words with the meaning “blacksmith” (Aram. / Syriac Arabic. cf. the name of the ancestor of blacksmiths in Gen. 4. 22 - Tubalcain ( )). There is much left unsaid in the story of K. and Abel in Genesis 4, so commentators on the text have sought to fill in the details missing from the biblical narrative.

The story of Cain and Abel. Miniature from the Homilies of Jacob Kokkinovathsky. 2nd quarter XII century (Vat. gr. 1162. Fol. 35v) The story of Cain and Abel. Miniature from the Homilies of Jacob Kokkinovathsky. 2nd quarter XII century (Vat. gr. 1162. Fol. 35v) The use of (man, man, husband) in the words of Eve (Gen. 4. 1) in relation to the newborn is unprecedented in the Bible. It can be explained both by the uniqueness of the situation (K. is the first man born on earth), and by a hidden reference to Gen. 2.23, where Adam says about Eve that “she will be called woman, for she was taken out of man.” In this regard, a more accurate translation of the verb (from the root - to acquire and create - Gen. 4.1) is “I created.” Thus, the birth of K., as it were, restores the semantic balance: first, a wife (woman - ) was taken from the husband (man - ); now, on the contrary, the woman creates the man ( ).

Progenitors Adam and Eve. Offering of Cain and Abel. Painting of the catacombs on Via Dino Compagni in Rome. Ser. IV century

Progenitors Adam and Eve. Offering of Cain and Abel. Painting of the catacombs on Via Dino Compagni in Rome. Ser. IV century Also, the mention of the Lord in Eve’s words is difficult for commentators: - (lit. - “I created a man with the Lord”). A certain analogue can be the expression “walk with God” (or “before God” in the meaning of “lead a righteous life” - Gen. 5. 22, 24; 6. 9). In the book. Genesis often says about God that He is “with” man (Genesis 21.20; 26.3, 24; 28.15; 31.3; 39.2). Most commentators (G. von Rad, G. Wenham, etc.) understand Eve’s words as follows: “I created man with the help of the Lord” (see, for example: Westermann. 1984. Vol. 1. P. 290-291) . This interpretation is also supported by the evidence of the Septuagint (διὰ τοῦ θεοῦ - Gen. 4.1), where the preposition διὰ often means “with the help.”

The further narration contains a motif characteristic of the Old Testament: rivalry between two brothers, the moral superiority of the younger over the elder(s), and the pleasing of the younger brother to God. The closest analogues are the stories of Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob. However, in the case of K. and Abel, the younger brother’s pleasing to God does not lead to his triumph, but to his death.

From view lit. criticism, the story about K. and Abel serves as a classic example of chiasmus (i.e., “cross” rearrangement of elements in successive sentences): “...she conceived and gave birth to Cain... And she also gave birth to his brother, Abel. And Abel was a shepherd of sheep, and Cain was a farmer. After some time, Cain brought a gift to the Lord from the fruits of the ground, and Abel also brought from the firstlings of his flock and from their fat. And the Lord looked upon Abel and his gift, but did not look upon Cain and his gift” (Genesis 4:1-5). The narration of the fates of K. and Abel is conducted in parallel, while in turn one brother is mentioned first, then the other. This composition iconically depicts the rivalry between brothers.

The two sons of Adam and Eve become the founders of the 2 main occupations of the people of ancient agrarian society - agriculture and cattle breeding (later in the same chapter the origin of other professions and crafts will be discussed), but nothing is said about how the institution of sacrifice was established. In the MT the sacrifice of the brothers is called in one word - (Genesis 4.3), in the Septuagint different terms are used: the sacrifice of K. is paradoxically called θυσία (the usual name for blood sacrifices; in the synodal translation - “gift”), and the sacrifice of Abel - δῶρον (“ offering", in the synodal translation - also "gift"). The question of why God accepted Abel’s sacrifice and rejected K.’s sacrifice has always worried interpreters, who have offered different, sometimes speculative, explanations (see sections “K. in the Jewish tradition” and “K. in the Christian tradition”). Blood sacrifices occupied a central place in religion. cult of Western Semites, in particular in Old Testament worship. However, in the texts of the Old Testament devoted to sacrifices, along with bloody sacrifices, grain sacrifices are also mentioned, albeit in 2nd place (for example: Lev 1-2). Therefore, God’s rejection of K.’s sacrifice can hardly be connected with the fact that his sacrifice was bloodless. This explanation is also not credible, according to the ancient Jews, cattle breeding was closer than agriculture: in the OT these activities are often mentioned together (for example: Jer 51.23).

The biblical text does not explain the reasons for preferring Abel's sacrifice; the choice of the object of divine love is the exclusive prerogative of God: “...I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau...” (Mal. 1.2-3; cf. also: Rom. 9.13). The biblical account says nothing about how the brothers knew whether their sacrifices were accepted by God or not. Usually in the ancient Near. In the East they learned about this from the entrails of the victim (Rad G., von. 1961. P. 105), but this method is hardly suitable in the case of the sacrifice of K. The image of smoke, which rises upward from the sacrifice of Abel and spreads along the ground from the sacrifice of K ., appears in Europe. literature and fine arts quite late, perhaps only from the 12th century. (Hovingh. 1956; Scheiber. 1956).

After God did not accept K.’s sacrifice, he became angry (in MT; in LXX - “distressed”) and “his face fell” (in Gen. 4.5 a figurative expression describing shame and resentment). God asked K. what was the reason for his grief (Genesis 4:5-6). God's next address to K. (Genesis 4:7) is one of the most difficult places to understand in the book. Being. It is possible that this verse, as it is read today. time is the result of damage to the text. In the Septuagint, for the most part, it coincides with the Hebrew text, and where it differs, it is the result of further editing of an already corrupted text. It is also possible that these words are an ancient saying, the meaning of which is no longer clear. The first sentence from God’s speech to K. in MT: “After all, if you do well, [there will be] a rise ()” (Gen. 4.7). What is most likely meant here is “lifting one's face,” a well-attested Hebrew idiom. language: “to raise someone’s face” means “to show someone preference, favor, to treat his request favorably” (about a superior or stronger person in relation to a lower or weaker one; see, for example: Gen. 19. 21; 32.21 - in MT 1 Kings 25.35; Job 42.8; Mal 1.8). “Lift up your face” means “to look proudly, without feeling shame and disgrace” (see: Job 11. 15; 22. 26; 2 Kings 2. 22; cf.: Gen. 4. 5-6: “his face fell” - “he was upset, offended, felt disgraced”). Either God will “lift up the face” of K., or K. will “lift up his face” to God - both interpretations fit Gen 4.7: K. is promised that if he “does well”, God will treat him favorably, and K. will no longer need to be upset. However, it can be assumed that what is meant here is not “lifting up the face”, but “lifting up (i.e., forgiveness of) sin”: “to lift up (someone’s) sin” in Hebrew. language means to forgive him (see, for example: Ex 34.7; Ps 31.5; 84.3 according to MT).

Cain kills Abel. Nave painting in the c. San Giovanni a Porta Latina in Rome. 2nd half XII century

Cain kills Abel. Nave painting in the c. San Giovanni a Porta Latina in Rome. 2nd half XII century The second sentence from God’s speech to K. (according to MT: “And if you act badly, sin lies at the door”) contains an obvious grammatical error: the word “sin” ( ) fem. gender, and the participle “lying” ( ) is masculine. If we do not resort to conjectures, then the most convincing reading is offered by those commentators who see it not as a participle as a modifier, but as a noun as an application. In this case, a comparison with Akkad is usually proposed. (“resting; viceroy; guard; demon lurking in ambush”). Thus, the following translation is obtained: “If you do not do good, then sin is a demon lurking at the door” (see, for example: Speiser E. Genesis. NY, 1962. P. 29). This comparison was first proposed by F. Lenormand and since then has been mentioned in almost any commentary to the book. Being.

The last sentence of Gen. 4.7 in MT: “He desires you, and/but you are his master”—almost literally. repeats the words of the Lord addressed to Eve in Genesis 3. 16. If we are talking about sin, personalized in the image of a demon, then it turns out that sin lusts for the sinner, as a wife lusts for her husband. The Synodal translation (“he attracts you to himself”) is incorrect in this case. Of the 2 meanings of EUR. The conjunction (and, but) is more appropriate here than “but”: K. desires sin, but he is given power over sin.

The next verse (Gen. 4.) begins with the words: “And Cain said to Abel his brother...” The verb “said” ( ) used here in the Hebrew language necessarily requires direct speech after itself, but in MT there is none: it is not clear what exactly K. said to Abel. According to the Septuagint, K. said to Abel: “Let us go out into the field,” and many researchers believe that this reading goes back to the Hebrew original (Tob. 1992. P. 236). It is possible that this is not the original text, but just an attempt by the authors of the Septuagint to “complete” the verse, which was already “incomplete” in their time. In the field, K. kills his brother. The Lord’s question then addressed to K.: “Where is Abel your brother?” (Gen. 4. 9) - echoes the Lord’s question to Adam: “Where are you?” (Genesis 3.9): in both cases the culprit tries to leave or justify himself. However, the blood of Abel cries out for vengeance, and the earth, which K. fed with his brother’s blood, curses him (Gen. 4.11; the phrase “cursed are you” ( ) is found in Gen. 3.14, as well as in Deut. 28.16, 19.) In the curse of K., as in the curse of Adam, an important role is assigned to the earth. K.’s words addressed to God: “You are now driving me out of the face of the earth...” are reminiscent of Adam’s expulsion from paradise (Genesis 4.14; the verb “drive out” is found in the book of Genesis 3 times; in addition to these cases, also in Genesis 21. 10). Thus, K.’s sin (the second in the history of mankind) is followed by a second exile - even further from God. To mitigate the punishment and save K. from the murderers, God places a sign (sign) on K., just as He made leather clothes for Adam and Eve after their expulsion from paradise, in order to soften their punishment. God says to K.: “When you cultivate the land, it will no longer give its strength to you; you will be an exile and a wanderer on earth” (Genesis 4.12 - in an archaic society, becoming an exile means being outside the protection of society). “...Behold, now You are driving me from the face of the earth, and I will hide from Your presence, and I will be an exile and a wanderer on the earth; and everyone who meets me will kill me,” K. answers God (Genesis 4:14). The question of who can meet and kill K., other than his parents, as well as the question of where K. found his wife (Gen. 4:17), is not reflected in the text of the Holy Scripture. Scriptures: the action of the story about K. is transferred from the primordial world, where there is only one single human family, into the world of history.

Having said further: “Everyone who kills Cain will be avenged sevenfold” (Genesis 4.15; apparently, it means that 7 people from the killer’s family will fall victim to revenge), the Lord made a sign to K. “so that no one, meeting with him, did not kill him” (Gen. 4:15). The sign ( ) in the OT is given to people to assure them of the truth of God's words or of His protection; a sign can be, for example, a rainbow (Genesis 9:12), circumcision (Genesis 17:11), a fulfilled prophecy (Exodus 3:12) or a miracle (Isaiah 7:11). Since in Heb. the text literally says “the Lord put a mark on Cain (or on K.)”, commentators usually assume that we are talking about some kind of sign on the body (for example, a mark on the skin - the so-called “Cain Seal”), however the MT says nothing about the nature of this sign.

K. settles in the land of Nod (), which is no longer mentioned in the Bible. Its name echoes K.’s curse: to be a “wanderer” (Gen. 4.12; from the verb). K. knew his wife, and she bore him a son, Enoch. It further says: “...and he built a city; and he named the city after the name of his son: Enoch” (Gen. 4:17). If we do not resort to conjectures, then K. should be considered the builder of the first city on earth. Since K. was destined to become “an exile and a wanderer” (Gen. 4.12), plural. commentators suggest changing the Heb. the text so that the builder of the 1st city was Enoch (see, for example: Westermann. 1984. Vol. 1. P. 326-327; Cassuto. 1961. Vol. 1. P. 186, 229-230); however, such “reconstructions” of the original text should be considered extremely subjective.

The Bible does not say anything about the further fate of K., and he is no longer mentioned in the OT, only the words in the non-canonical Book of the Wisdom of Solomon that “he who departed from it (i.e. from Wisdom - Author) the unrighteous perished in his anger from fratricidal rage,” obviously imply the crime of K. “Abel, killed by Cain” is also mentioned in the 4th Book of Maccabees, which is included in the Old Testament Greek. editions of the Bible (18.11).

Wives and children

The descendants of Cain were evil, depraved, hating God and people.

But among them there were many talented people who became the founders of some crafts and arts:

• Jabal - nomadic lifestyle of shepherds;
• Jubal - inventor of wind and string instruments;
• Tubalcain is the inventor of blacksmithing, the creator of bladed weapons and agricultural tools made of copper and iron.

The descendants of Cain died in the waters of the flood.

“Having walked around most of the land, Cain stopped with his wife in Naida - that was the name of this place - and settled there; his children were born here. However, he did not see a warning in the punishment that befell him; on the contrary, his depravity increased, as he indulged in every sensual pleasure, even if it was associated with cruelty against other people living in his society.

He increased his possessions by robberies and violence, and, inviting his comrades to commit shamelessness and robbery, he became their leader and mentor in various abominations.”

Josephus Flavius

What is the Seal of Cain

The seal of Cain could be a certain sign on his forehead, which made it known that God forbids revenge on him because of the murder of Abel.

But this is not a sign of anger, but of God’s mercy with which He treats all people without exception. In this way, God tried to prevent mass violence on earth and the emergence of mutual hatred between people.

The Creator also made it clear that he did not want the sinner to die, but thirsted for his repentance. Here we see an example of God's long-suffering for all future generations of people.

Willem van Herp the Elder, "Cain and Abel working in the field", 17th century.

Cain and Abel: meaning and interpretation of the tragedy

There is more than one interpretation of the tragic story of the two brothers. According to one version, both were in love with the same woman. According to her, Cain got rid of his rival for the heart of his beloved.

Another version says that Cain killed Abel completely by accident, not wanting to harm him.

However, Scripture says that the older brother killed the younger brother completely deliberately and in cold blood, having thought through his actions in advance.

The Bible tells the story of Cain and Abel for several reasons:

1. Show the terrible consequences of rebellion against God and the falsity of Satan's claim that people will not know suffering and death if they eat the forbidden fruit.
2. Leave a living example for all humanity, proving the great destructive power of hatred, envy, selfishness, lack of spirituality and causeless anger.

Interpretations of the story of Cain and Abel[ | ]

In the Orthodox tradition, sexual relations between Adam and Eve in Paradise were possible, but their stay there was apparently not long enough for them to have offspring. They were expelled from Eden before they had their first children. Jewish theologians, on the contrary, relying on tradition, believe that Cain could have been born in Eden. From the point of view of A.P. Lopukhin, this contradicts the text of the Bible and the translation of the name Cain, filled more with the hope of returning to Eden than with presence in it[8].

In Christianity[ | ]

The Apostle Paul says that Abel was preferred to Cain because of his faith and righteousness:

By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain; by it he received evidence that he was righteous, as God testified about his gifts; He still speaks with it even after death.

- Heb. 11:4

The Apostle John is unanimous with him, saying that these virtues of Abel became the reason for Cain’s unjust envy:

Cain, who was of the evil one and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, but his brother’s deeds were righteous.

- 1 John 3:12

The Monk Ephraim the Syrian, who lived in the 4th century, in his interpretation of the Book of Genesis, discusses the act of Cain[9], noting that the purpose of the sacrifice was to demonstrate gratitude to the Creator on the part of the one bringing it. According to Saint Ephraim the Syrian, Cain’s sacrifice to the Lord was made not out of love, but out of negligence, and therefore was rejected:

Cain had oxen and bullocks; He had no shortage of animals and birds to sacrifice, but he did not offer them on the day when the firstfruits of the earth should have been brought. And did he really have a shortage of classes in order to sacrifice good classes, or in the fruits of trees in order to choose the best from them? But he did not do this, although it was convenient; did not care about the good classes, or about the fruits of the best. There was no love in the soul of the sacrificer for the One who accepted the offering.

Saint John Chrysostom, interpreting Genesis. 4:9, says that in the question of the all-knowing God, “ Where is Abel your brother?

" calls for Cain to confess his sin, and Cain's answer is "
I don't know;
Am I my brother's keeper? “is evidence of Cain’s defiant attitude towards God and refusal to repent[10].
Cain and Abel. Titian, 1570-76

In Judaism[ | ]

The Jewish sage and philosopher Yosef Albo, who lived in Spain[11] in the 14th century, interpreted the reason for the murder as revenge for the life of an animal sacrificed by Abel. According to his interpretation, Cain's motivation came from equalizing the value of animal and human life and revenge for the animal's life as the next logical step.[12]

In the Haggadah, the image of Cain as a fratricide is interpreted more broadly - as ingratitude for the good done: according to the Haggadic story, Abel was much stronger than his brother and defeated him in the fight, however, touched by Cain’s request for mercy, he let him go. After this he was treacherously killed.

Cain and Abel. R. Begas, bronze, 1895; German Historical Museum

In Islam[ | ]

In the Koran Qabil

(Arabic: قابيل‎) and Habil are the sons of Adam and Havva (Eve). Qabil killed his younger brother Habil because Allah, obliging both to sacrifice, accepted only Habil’s sacrifice. A feeling of envy forced Qabil to kill his brother and become the first murderer in the history of mankind[13]. The story of Habil's murder is given in the Koran, but the names of the brothers are not indicated in it.

Read to them the true story of the two sons of Adam. So they both made a sacrifice, and it was accepted from one of them and was not accepted from the other. He said, “I will definitely kill you.” He replied: “Verily, Allah accepts only from the pious. ۝ If you stretch out your hand to me to kill me, I still won’t stretch out my hand to kill you. Verily, I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds. ۝ I want you to return with my sin and your sin and be among the inhabitants of the Fire. This is the reward for the wicked." ۝ The soul pushed him to kill his brother, and he killed him and turned out to be one of the victims. ۝ Allah sent a raven who began to rake the ground to show him how to hide the corpse of his brother. He said: “Woe is me! Can’t I do like this raven and hide my brother’s corpse?” So he turned out to be one of the regretful ones.

Original text (Ar.)[showhide]

ابْنَيْ قُرْبَانًا فَتُقُبِّلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِمَا وَلَمْ يُتَقَبَّلْ ال ْآخَرِ قَالَ لَأَقْتُلَنَّكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللَّهُ مهُ ِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ لَئِنْ بَسَطْتَ إِلَيَّ يَدَكَ لِتَقْتُلَنِي مَا أَنَا بِبَاسِطٍ يَدِيَ إِلَيْكَ لِأَقْتُلَكَ ۖ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَ ّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ تَبُوءَ بِإِثْمِي وَإِ ثْمِكَ فَتَكُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَاءُ الظَّالِمِينَ فَطَوَّعَتْ لَهُ نَفْسُهُ قَتْلَ أَخِيهِ فَقَتَلَهُ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِ ينَ فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ غُرَابًا يَبْحَثُ فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُ كَ يْفَ يُوَارِي سَوْءَةَ أَخِيهِ ۚ قَالَ يَا وَيْلَتَا أَعَجَزْتُ أَن ْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَٰذَا الْغُرَابِ فَأُوَارِيَ سَوْءَةَ أَخِي ۖ فَأ َصْبَحَ مِنَ النَّادِمِينَ

— 5:27-31 (Kuliev)

Other interpretations[ | ]

“Krugosvet” notes that the biblical story reflects the conflict between two ways of life, pastoralism and agriculture[6].

Leo Taxil, in his book The Funny Bible, noted that Cain's punishment was "exile and eternal wandering on the earth", but this contradicts the subsequent biography of Cain, since he founded a city and settled in one place.[14] .

What does she tell us about the biblical story?

The most important lesson to be learned from the story of Cain and Abel is found in 1 John:

“The children of God and the children of the devil are recognized in this way: everyone who does not do righteousness is not from God, and neither does he who does not love his brother...

We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers; He who does not love his brother remains in death.

Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

(1 John 3:10, 13, 15)

Hatred based on arrogance, envy and selfishness has caused numerous wars, thefts, murders and other terrible crimes. The saddest thing is that Cain’s example is followed not only by those who are alien to religion.

These days the spirit of arrogance and hatred is very strong among many people who consider themselves to be true followers of Jesus Christ. This hatred is expressed not only in acts of violence, but also in rude, contemptuous and insulting words expressed towards both non-believers and other believers belonging to other faiths. And most often this happens at the moment when a person receives reproof.

Brief description of Rubens' painting

Peter Paul Rubens painted Cain Killing Abel around 1600-1612. During his work, the master was strongly influenced by the works of the brilliant Michelangelo and other artists of the Renaissance in Italy and Spain.

Peter Paul Rubens “Cain kills Abel” (1608-09 Oil on canvas. 131 x 94 cm Courtauld Institute of Art, London

In Rubens's painting, the brothers are depicted as physically developed men, clearly accustomed to hard work.

Rubens presented a very interesting interpretation of the biblical story. In the picture, Cain kills Abel while the fire consuming the victim has not yet gone out.

Lying on the ground, the younger brother, perplexed, tries timidly to defend himself from Cain’s wrath. The elder brother is full of decisive malice, not a shadow of pity or doubt is visible on his face.

Supernatural [TV Series]

Cain is one of the most powerful demons. He is known as the Father of Murder, who used to train the Knights of Hell. Ancestor of Dean and Sam Winchester.

:six_pointed_star: History :six_pointed_star:

Cain was Abel's older brother. Contrary to popular belief, Cain killed his brother not out of envy, but because he fell under the influence of Lucifer. Wanting to save his brother, Cain makes a deal with the devil: he offers himself in exchange for Abel and he goes to Heaven. Lucifer agrees, but with one condition: Cain himself must send his brother to Heaven. Cain kills his brother. Later he kills himself because... The first blade began to control him. After his death, Cain turned into a demon.

After killing Abel, he became a demon, which other demons considered the most terrible of all. He trained the Knights of Hell and, together with them, did terrible things throughout the Earth for hundreds of years. But then he suddenly disappeared, and the other demons hoped that he was dead. He killed all the knights except Abaddon.

In 1863, he found Abaddon, who possessed his wife Colette Mullen, who knew the real him. The knight demands Cain to return to the knights and train them again, but Cain refuses. She tortures Colette, and then Cain strikes with the First Blade, but Abaddon manages to “fly away” and Cain kills his wife. He wants to avenge her, but Colette asks him to stop, saying that he is above it. Cain retires.

:six_pointed_star: Character :six_pointed_star:

Cain is much more "human" than many other demons, despite his age and status as the most feared demon. He loved his brother and became a demon for him. Having met his love, he retired and even after she was killed, he kept his word to her to end the demon's work and did not avenge her death. He sees a lot in common with himself in Dean and even admires his courage and intransigence.

:six_pointed_star: Powers and abilities :six_pointed_star:

Cain is an extremely powerful demon. He suppressed the powers of the King of Hell Crowley and silenced him with a simple gesture. He can kill simple demons with a touch just like angels, from which the demon's eyes light up not with white, but with red light. He was also able to single-handedly destroy an entire army of demons.

•Immortality - The Mark of Cain makes it almost impossible to kill, as it protects its bearer.

•Invulnerability - Cain is invulnerable to conventional weapons, he is the first demon to demonstrate absolute invulnerability to the power of Ruby's knife. He also has limited immunity to the pentagram.

•Regeneration - can quickly heal any wound received from ordinary or supernatural weapons. In particular, Cain stabbed himself with Ruby's knife without any consequences.

•Mark of Cain - it allows you to use •The First Blade, capable of killing any demon and angel.

•Super strength - he has enormous superhuman strength, which surpasses humans and demons.

•Terrakinesis - its appearance can create local tremors.

•Electrokinesis - when Cain came to take Tommy Tolliver to prison, electric lamps went out or flickered along his route.

•Superhuman Stamina - Cain does not need rest or food to survive.

•Suppression of powers - capable of suppressing powers, for example, he prevented Crowley from teleporting from his house and also deprived him of his voice.

•Red Light - Kain has the ability to generate light like White-Eyed Demons. Only this light was red, and was capable of destroying demons and other creatures. The most powerful light among demons.

•Teleportation - He is able to teleport and teleport other people.

•Telekinesis - Using telekinesis, he can move objects, open and close doors, and throw people and other creatures.

•Biokinesis - capable of causing internal bleeding with the power of thought, causing pain and depriving one of the voice.

•Weather Manipulation - His arrival can also be accompanied by sudden gusts of wind, and his death was caused by a thunderclap.

•Supernatural Sensitivity - Cain can see supernatural beings for what they are.

•Kill by Touch - Kain can kill weak demons with a touch, but this ability does not work on powerful demons and produces light.

•Telepathy - Knights are able to “pump” people’s thoughts and see what they saw. Cain is the strongest and the first Knight, surely he can do this too.

•Telekinetic exorcism - Abaddon can expel demons from their bodies with his touch, which means Cain can too.

•Resistance to exorcism - it cannot be banished by reading exorcism.

• Knowledge of magic - it is unknown how well Cain himself knew magic, but he was easily able to identify the spell used by Crowley. Cain probably learned a lot about magic during his life and, perhaps, was a powerful magician himself.

:six_pointed_star: Weaknesses :six_pointed_star:

Cain is one of the most powerful demons shown in the series, and with the Mark of Cain he has absolute immortality and invulnerability, however, despite such enormous strength, he has some weaknesses.

•The original entities - God, Death are capable of killing Cain, but on the condition that he removes the Mark from him, or if, in addition to Cain, there are other bearers of the Mark.

•Strong beings - creatures such as a mutated angel, archangels, can injure him or suppress his powers, but are not able to kill him.

•The First Blade is the only guaranteed weapon capable of killing Cain, provided that it is in the hands of another bearer of the Mark.

•Supernatural weapons - weapons such as the Death Sickle, the archangel's sword, the first blade are capable of killing Cain if he loses the Mark.

:six_pointed_star: Interesting facts :six_pointed_star:

•Is the first person to receive the Mark.

•Is one of the demons who were able to make friends with Dean Winchester. This was evident in Dean's look when he did not want to kill Cain and asked him to stop killing. Besides him Crowley and possibly Casey.

•Is one of the 7 people (Lilith, Dean Winchester and the 4 Princes of Hell) turned into demons without thousands of years of torture in Hell.

•Most demons and angels had great fear of the Father of Murder and preferred to stay as far away from him as possible.

•Theoretically, Cain, being a demon, should have the ability to use people as vessels. However, it remains questionable whether he can leave his body while wearing the Mark. Perhaps he would only gain this ability by getting rid of the Mark.

•The only demon that cannot be killed with a Colt.

Drama "Cain and Abel" directed by Kim Hyun-shik

South Korean director Kim Hyun-shik directed the drama “Cain and Abel.” The series is about two brothers, talented surgeons. One of them, Lee Sun Woo, returns to his hometown after a seven-year absence. The father is comatose, and the domineering mother wants to take a high position in the local clinic. The beloved gave preference to her younger brother, Cho In, whom the elder always envied. The plot of the drama also resembles a biblical story in that the father, as it seems to his older brother, loves Cho In more.

Family and offspring of Cain

From the biblical texts the name of Cain’s wife is unknown; the narrator only reports that having moved east of Eden in the land of Nod, “Cain knew his wife” (Gen. 4:16-17). At the same time, in the post-biblical tradition there is a number of information about the supposed wife of Cain, so according to the “Book of Jubilees” (c. 2nd century BC), Cain took his sister Avan as his wife (Jub. 4:9), in his turn Epiphanius of Cyprus in the “Panarion” (beginning 374/375), with reference to the Book of Jubilees, calls Sheba (Σαυή) the wife of Cain ( Epiphanius

, Panarion, Contra Sethianos, 6).

According to the Bible, in the land of Nod (Gen. 4:16), Cain gave birth to a son, Enoch (Hanoch), and he, in turn, gave birth to Irad. From Irad was born Mechiael, followed by Methuselah (Methuselah), and from Methuselah - Lamech (Gen. 4:18). Lamech had 2 wives. The first is Ada, from whom Jabal and Jubal were born. The second is Zillah, from whom the son Tubal-Cain and the daughter Noema were born.

References: recommended for everyone who likes to read

Good commentaries on the story of Cain and Abel can be found in the following works:

• Lopukhin A.P. “Explanatory Bible. The first book of Moses. Being";
• Ephraim the Syrian “Interpretation of the Book of Genesis”;
• Andrew Louth, "Biblical Commentaries of the Church Fathers and Other Authors of the 1st to 8th Centuries." .
• John Chrysostom “Interpretations and Discourses on the Books of the Holy Scriptures”;
• Rusakov A. “The fear of God and the fear of the flesh in the book of Genesis”;
• Victor Hamilton "Handbook of the Pentateuch of Moses."

The story of Cain and Abel helps us see how destructive the path of any sin that a person consciously embarks on is. Outward religious service cannot deceive our Heavenly Father, who sees the heart. It does not change a person, but only masks his shortcomings. If we want God to recognize us as righteous on the Day of Judgment, then it is important to do our best to get rid of selfishness, arrogance, envy, self-indulgence and destructive hatred of others.

Cain could have overcome sin if he had developed the opposite qualities. The sad story of Cain and Abel is written for us to walk the path of love and holiness, transforming our personality into the image and likeness of God and making us true followers of Jesus Christ.

Victor Glebov

Notes[ | ]

1. Midrash “Pirka D'Rabbi Eliezer (Pirka Rabbi Eliezer)” (ch. 21, 32a)
2. Papazyan, A. A., 1987, Original text (Russian)[show hide]
   The biblical text of the legend about K. and Abel is very short and difficult to understand. This is partly due to the abundance of interpretations in post-biblical literature. The motif of the temptation of Eve by the serpent (Genesis 3, see “The Fall”), identified in post-biblical and Christian literature with Satan, probably underlies the legend about K.’s conception from Satan. This tradition is known among the church fathers (Epiphanius, Irenaeus, Tertullian) and in the midrashim (Pirke de r. Eliezer 32a).

   .

3. Epiphanius of Cyprus
   Panarion. Against the Archons, the Twentieth and Fortieth Heresy (chapter 5)

   Original text (Russian)[showhide]

   And again, another myth is told by the heretics: they claim that the devil, having come to Eve, had communication with her as a husband and wife, and she gave birth to Cain and Abel from him. Therefore, they say, one rebelled against the other out of jealousy that they had among themselves, not because Abel pleased God, as the truth says, but on the contrary, the heretics say another fictitious word about this. Since, they say, both brothers loved their own sister, because of this Cain rebelled against Abel and killed him: for, as I said before, the archons say that Cain and Abel were born from the seed of the devil.

4. Tertullian
   About the flesh of Christ (chapter 17)

   Original text (Russian)[showhide]

   “But Eve did not conceive in her womb at that time through the word of the devil.” - No, I conceived. For from then on the word of the devil was a seed for her, so that she would give birth to what was rejected and give birth in sorrow.

5. Damned // Krylov’s Etymological Dictionary.
6. ↑ 123
   Cain and Abel // Around the World
7. see Murder of Abel by Cain#In Judaism
8. Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible // lopbible.ru.
9. Venerable Ephraim the Syrian
   Interpretation of the Book of Genesis // rusbible.ru.
10. John Chrysostom
    Conversations on the Book of Genesis, 19 // azbyka.ru.
11. Yosef Albo (1380-1444) - student of Crescas // Paths to truth from RIN.RU.
12. Cain, Hitler and Vegetarianism Archived copy of April 20, 2009 on the Wayback Machine // jewish.ru.
13. Ali-zade, 2007.
14. Leo Taxil. Funny Bible
15. Rashi. Commentary on the book Bereshit
16. ↑ 12
    (Jub. 4:9), s:Book_of_Jubilees/Books_I—X#IV, paragraph 2
17. ((beg. 374/375); Epiphanius
    , Panarion, Contra Sethianos, 6); s: On_the_eighty_heresies_of_the_Panarius,_or_the_Ark_ (Epiphanius/unspecified_translator)/1#On_the_Sithians,_the_nineteenth,_and_in_general_order_the_thirty_ninth_heresy, Chapter 6
18. Dmitry Rostovsky, Cell Chronicler, Chapter 9, paragraph 17
19. CHRONOGRAPHIC HISTORY, second work, paragraph 1
20. ↑ 1 2 Said-Afandi al-Chirkawi.
    History of the prophets / Said-afandi al-chirkawi. Per. from Avar language books “Kisasul Anbiya”. in two volumes.. - 4th edition, corrected and expanded. - Makhachkala: Nurul Irshad, 2010. - T. 1. - 361 p. — ISBN 978-5-903593-12-5., pp. 30-31
21. ↑ 12
    without indicating the work
22. ↑ 123
    Who is Cain's wife?
23. treatise Yevamot (first book of Nashim), sheet 62
24. Where did the grandchildren of Adam and Eve come from?
25. Bereshit Rabbah, chapter 22; edition of the Russian translation, Translation from Hebrew by Y. Sinichkin, A. Chlenova, 2012
26. Dmitry Rostovsky, Cell Chronicler, Chapter 9, paragraph 6
27. GENERAL HISTORY, paragraph 15
28. in Mkhitar Ayrivanksky, CHRONOGRAPHIC HISTORY, second work, paragraph 1
29. according to K. Patkanov, translator of Chronographic History, CHRONOGRAPHIC HISTORY, second work, note 84, with reference to Samuel Anetsi and Mikhail Asori
30. Life 4:16
31. Life 4:17
32. GENERAL HISTORY, paragraph 16 (most likely, descendants are meant)
33. s:EEBE/Yashar, Sefer ha- (haggadic work)
    

    the origin of Seir, which, according to Ibn Ezra, is shrouded in uncertainty, is explained in Sefer ha-Ya. so that Seir is the son of Hur, the grandson of Gori and the great-grandson of Cain.

34. Life 4:18
35. Lamech (English). www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Access date: January 10, 2022.

Cain:

• Quotes on Wikiquote
• Texts on Wikisource
• Media files on Wikimedia Commons

Spiritual Poems

Abel

It will soon be midnight. Where is he? Why has Abel not returned with the flocks now? And Eve looked with sad eyes: “Cain, have you seen your brother?” Without answering her, tormented by his conscience, Cain leaves their poor tent. How gloomy he is, driven by curse and shame. In the calm of the night, the mother turns her gaze. She has no time for sleep now. He runs hastily into the steppe. Sharp stones cut her feet. - Abel! - Eva exclaims inconsolably. - Abel! — the silence of the fields echoes loudly. Maybe he went far with the herd? The angel knows rightly... With a fiery sword he will intercede the path for me, but with a pleading look I will ask about my dear shepherd. And at the door of heaven, where the Guardian of the Canopy of Eden blocked her path with a scorching sword, Eve asked in a trembling voice: “Didn’t Abel pass here with his flocks?” - Cry, oh, Eve, bitterly! Where the hills were overgrown with wild terebinth along the ledges, Cain killed by a lifeless corpse He fell asleep forever in the middle of midnight darkness! This is death! It's finished! In trepidation, in confusion, not understanding the words, the mother hurries to her son. Suddenly she stopped. Sweet vision: Abel in front of her - how sweetly he sleeps! He scattered his curls and opened his eyes, As if he was smiling brightly at the heavens, As if he was admiring the brilliance of the starry night, A pure, serene young brow. - Darling, get up, wake up, how scared I was, How I ran here... get up, let's go home!.. Abel!.. And, kissing, she clung all to him. Abel didn’t say a word to her - pale and dumb. And a burning fire of suffering penetrated her heart. What did the angel say to her? And the first consciousness, a terrible consciousness, escaped from the lips: “Death!” - she screamed, falling on the corpse. The fog floated and the wind cried over the fields, which the murderer dared to stain with blood. And the sun greeted with mournful rays the first crying mother above her son.

Peter Porfirov (1870 - 1903) published: “Faith and Life” 2, 1981