Genesis 4, Summary

Genesis 4

Summary

Adam and Eve have two children, the firstborn they named Cain, and the second son was Abel. Abel became a shepherd, but Cain worked the land. After some time, both men presented God with offerings. Cain gave the LORD some of the produce he had grown, Abel gave the firstborn of his flock. The LORD “had regard” (v. 4) for Abel’s offering, but not for Cain’s. Cain was furious and would not listen to God, who tried to speak wisdom to him. Cain instead lead his brother out to the field, where he killed him in his anger.

The LORD asks Cain where Abel is, and Abel tells God that he doesn’t keep up with his brother. God reveals that He knows what Cain has done, and He curses him to never again be able to reap from working the ground, and to be a restless nomad.
Cain was grieved at this punishment, and cries out to God that if anyone finds Cain, they will kill him. Therefore, God sets a mark of some kind upon Cain.

Cain had children by his wife, and his son is named Enoch. The genealogy continues down to his great-great-great grandson, Lamech. Lamech has children, and they are known for various things: his son Jabal is the father of the nomadic herdsmen, Jubal was the father of many types of musicians, Tubal-Cain made all sorts of bronze and iron tools.

Lamech laments to his wives that he has killed a man for attacking him, and calls a curse of his own against those who would retaliate.

Adam and Eve have another son, and his name is Seth. Eve is overjoyed that God has given her another son to replace Abel.

The chapter ends with the statement, “At that time people began to call on the name of the LORD.” (v. 26).


Observations and Comments

This chapter is fairly straight forward.

The last line of the chapter mentions people calling on the name of the LORD. The word used in the Hebrew for “to call” is liq-ro, which also can be understood as to proclaim, or to cry out. Apparently, this is the first time that God was actually worshipped for who He is. Adam and Eve had, for a time, had communion with God because of the absence of sin. But when they separated themselves from God through disobedience, they lost the communication they had enjoyed with Him. There apparently was no desire for worship, for admiration expressed to God from the generations between the first couple and the time of these descendents mentioned in the closing verses of this chapter.