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But God has compassion for Cain and gives him a mark so that no one will kill him. This would be an apt punishment for a murderer. So he complains to God: “Anyone who meets me may kill me” ( Gen 4:14).
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Where he wanders there is no law or morality. Having lost his family, his livelihood, and his home, he now dwells outside of civilization, a rootless vagabond. God replies to Cain: “What have you done? Listen your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!” By the inexorable logic of this discovery, God curses Cain “from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand” ( Gen 4:11).Ĭain, who brought his sacrifice “from the fruit of the ground” and has shed his brother’s blood on the soil, is now himself cursed “from the ground.” No longer a farmer, he becomes a wanderer, exiled from the fruitful soil and dwelling in the Land of Nod (literally “wandering”). Cain’s brazen lie (“I do not know”) is erased by the voice of his brother’s blood. And it is Abel’s blood, shed in violence, that calls out to God and implicates the murderer. But Cain rejects the obligation to care for Abel instead, he takes his life. He urges, “Let us not take his life….Shed no blood” ( Gen 37:21-22). This is why Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn son, convinces his brothers not to murder their younger brother Joseph. The firstborn son has authority and responsibility for his younger brothers. And more importantly, as the older brother, Cain is indeed supposed to be his brother’s keeper (literally “one who guards, protects”). For one, Cain does know where Abel is-he murdered him. This inversion of roles adds depth to Cain’s response when God asks, after the murder, “Where is your brother Abel?” Cain replies, “I do not know am I my brother’s keeper?” ( Gen 4:9). God’s preference of Abel’s offering over Cain’s is simply the first in this series, but Cain’s response makes it the deadliest. The ascent of David over his brothers is a later repetition of this same motif.
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This reversal-the ascent of the youngest-is a frequent motif in the Bible, particularly in Genesis, where the younger child is consistently raised above his or her siblings: Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Rachel over Leah, Joseph over his brothers, and Ephraim over Manasseh. The normal hierarchy of the firstborn and younger child is turned upside down. Both in style and in content, in God’s regard, Abel comes first-and Cain comes last. Notice the stylistic variation in the order of the brothers in this passage: “Cain…Abel…Abel…Cain.” The order of the brothers is as expected when the sacrifices are offered, but it is reversed when God responds. But it isn’t-God defies expectations and accepts only the youngest son’s offering. And by the normal rule of family authority, his sacrifice should be accepted first. Still, Cain himself is the family’s firstborn son, offering his sacrifice first. The word “firstlings” characterizes Abel’s sacrifice but not Cain’s. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. The description of the brothers’ sacrifices hints at the primacy of the firstborn: But this is more than simple envy: As the firstborn son, Cain holds legitimate authority over his younger brother. The most obvious motive is jealousy that God accepted Abel’s offering over Cain’s. In the biblical story, Cain has several motives for murdering his brother Abel.