Gen 4 -12 An introduction to Cain and Abel From BI-101-A Introduction to Hebrew Bible

In Genesis 4 – 12 we see issues of trust and choices made in context of human relationships, increasing human strife and deterioration of human family.

Alongside this picture, we also see God’s continuing passionate relationship with us

God keeps asking the characters “Where are you”

Genesis 4: murder, sibling rivalry, deceit

The brother problem continues throughout Genesis genealogy:

• Which brother will secure his position?
• Two panels in story.
• #1 failure of conversation;
• Nature of God’s questions
• #2 conversation;
• Nature of God’s questions

Mark of Cain

• Cain kills Abel (premeditated)
• God states that Abel’s blood is crying out from the ground
• Gen 4:11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
• 12 When you till the ground, it will no longer yield to you its strength; you will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
  • Cain is cast out of God’s presence
  • Cain has to wonder the earth
  • He is banished from society
  • This banishment mirrors his parents “Adam and Eve”
    • Gen 3: 24 He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life.
• Cain is marked so he won’t be killed
• Cain builds a city which in this occurrence is a representative of a place away from God’s presence

[i] Partial Notes from Introduction to Hebrew Bible BI-101-A Introduction to Hebrew Bible 1 Denise Hopkins (Notes Taken at Wesley Theological Seminary by Terrell Harris)