Gen. 4 The birth of Cain and Abel, and their employment, Gen. 4:1–2. Cain’s offering, Gen. 4:3. Abel’s sacrifice, and God’s acceptance, Gen. 4:4. Cain’s rejected; his discontent, Gen. 4:5. God expostulates it with him, Gen. 4:6–7. He murders Abel, Gen. 4:8. God makes inquiry after Abel, Gen. 4:9.

This modest expression is used both in Scripture and other authors, to signify the conjugal act or carnal knowledge. So Gen. 19:8, Gen. 24:16, Num. 31:17, Matt. 1:25, Luke 1:34. Cain, whose name signifies a possession. A man, a male child, as Gen. 7:2, which was most welcome.

Abel signifies vanity, a vain, mortal, miserable man, whereas she thought Cain to be more than an ordinary man; or this name might prophetically design his miserable life, and untimely and unnatural death.

Either, 1. In general, at the return of the set time then appointed, and used for the solemn service of God. Or, 2. At the end of the year, when there might be now, as there was afterward among the Jews, more solemn worship and sacrifices; the word days being often put for a year, as Lev.

The firstlings; either, 1. The first-born, which God reserved to himself, both at this time, and afterwards by an express law, Ex. 13:2, Num. 3:13. Or, 2. The choicest and most eminent of the flock; for the best of any kind are oft called first-born, as Job 18:13, Jer. 31:19, Heb. 12:23.

Cain was very wroth; partly with God, who, had cast so public a disgrace upon him, and given the preference to his younger brother; and partly with Abel, because he had received more honour from God, and therefore was likely to have more respect and privilege from his parents than himself.

The Lord spoke unto Cain, that he might bring him to repentance, and the knowledge of his sin. Why is thy countenance fallen? The cause of this dejectedness is not from me, but from thyself.

If thou doest well, or, for the future shalt do well, i.e. repent of thy sin, amend thy life, offer thy offerings with a willing and cheerful mind and honest heart, in faith and love, as Abel did, shalt thou not be accepted? Or, pardoned, received into favour? Or, exalted, and either preserved in…

Cain talked with Abel, either, 1. Familiarly and friendly, as he used to do, thereby to make him secure and careless; or by way of expostulation and contention; in the field, into which Abel was led, either by his own employment, or, 2.

Where is Abel? Not that God was ignorant where he was, but partly to convince him of his sin, and to lead him to repentance, and partly to instruct judges to inquire into causes, and hear the accused speak for themselves, before they pass sentence.

I hear thy words, but what say thy actions? What a hideous crime hast thou committed! In vain dost thou endeavour to hide it or deny it. In the Hebrew it is bloods, either to aggravate the crime, or to show the plenty of the blood split, or to charge him with the murder of all those that might…

As the earth was cursed for thy father’s sake, so now art thou cursed in thy own person; from the earth, or, in regard of the earth, which shall grudge thee both its fruits and a certain dwelling-place, and which had more humanity to thy brother than thou hadst; for it kindly received and covered…

Or, that ground, which doth or shall fall to thy share, besides the first and general curse inflicted upon the whole earth, shall have this peculiar curse added to it, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength, i.e. its virtue and fruit, in such proportion as it hath hitherto done.

Hebrew, My sin; but sin seems here to be put for punishment, as before, Gen. 4:7, Gen. 19:15, Lev. 5:1, Ps. 69:27, Prov. 12:21; for Cain was not so sensible of his sin as of the ill effects of it, as himself shows, Gen. 4:14.

Consider how severely thou usest me; thou hast driven me out, with public infamy, as the word signifies, from the face of the earth, or, this earth, my native land, and from thy face, i.e. favour and protection, as the public enemy of mankind, and as one devoted by thee to destruction. Quest.

Therefore; or, assuredly, as the word signifies, Jer. 2:32, Jer. 5:2, Zech. 11:17; that thou mayst see how I hate murder, and how impartially I shall punish all murderers; and that thou mayst be unhappily free from this fear, that thou mayst live for an example to mankind, for a terror to thyself…

i.e. He was banished from the place of God’s special presence and habitation, from the society of his father, and of the only church which God had upon earth; and dwelt in the land of Nod, in the land which was afterwards called Nod, from Cain’s unsettled condition, because he continued wandering…

Cain knew his wife; of which phrase see Poole on “Gen. 4:1”. He built a city; partly to divert his troubled mind with business and pleasure, and partly for his own security against the enemies and evils which his guilty conscience made him fear, notwithstanding the assurance which God had given…

Lamech, the wicked branch of that cursed root of Cain, took unto him two wives, against God’s first institution, Gen. 2:24, Mal. 2:15, and without God’s leave.

He taught shepherds to dwell in tents, and to remove them from place to place, for conveniency of pasture. The first authors or inventors of any thing are commonly called its fathers. And he was the inventor of the art of keeping and managing cattle.

Or, the lovely instrument; but what kind of instrument this was, even the Jews do not understand. The meaning is, he was the inventor of music and musical instruments.

Tubal-cain, whom (as the learned conceive, and the agreement of the name and function makes probable) the heathens worshipped by the name of Vulcan, the god of smiths; and his sister Naamah, by the name of Venus. He first taught men how to make arms, and other instruments of iron.

Adah and Zillah, observing his fierceness and cruelty, feared that the vengeance of God or men would fall upon him, and upon them for his sake. Be it so that I have slain a man, and that a young man, why do you concern yourselves in it? It is to my own wounding and hurt, not to yours; I must suffer…

If the slaughter of Cain shall be punished in him that shall kill him, whosoever he be, my death shall be much more certainly and severely revenged by God upon any man that shall murder me. These words may be either, 1. A profane scoff: q.d.

She gave the name, but not without Adam’s consent, Gen. 5:3. She spoke by Divine inspiration. Note that the word seed is used of one single person here, and Gen. 21:13, Gen. 38:8; which confirms the apostle’s argument, Gal. 3:16.

Enos properly signifies a miserable man, to note the great wickedness and wretchedness of that generation, which the Hebrew writers generally observe. To call upon the name of the Lord; to pray unto God, to worship God in a more public and solemn manner; praying being here put for the whole worship…