Who is Cain in the Bible? Cain and Abel - the biblical story of brothers.

The story of the first fratricide among people is known to everyone - even to unbelievers and those who have not read the Bible. However, there is still debate as to why Cain killed Abel. Most people agree that envy was the driving force; on the second, that Cain was jealous. But, like all biblical stories, this one has a broader interpretation.

Before we figure out why Cain killed Abel, let's remember the story itself. There were two brothers: Abel - a cattle breeder and Cain - a farmer. Both brought sacrifices to God: Abel - the first offspring of their flocks, Cain - the fruits of their lands. Only the gift of Abel was accepted, which ascended in flames to heaven, and the agricultural gift was rejected. Cain "greatly grieved" and killed his brother. Moreover, when God asked him about Abel, he lied to him, saying that he did not know what had happened to him. This and other biblical parables can be studied in more detail in the article.

Christian interpretation

First of all, of course, God's rejection of the gift of the farmer is striking, for which Cain seems to have killed Abel - he envied his success. And jealousy, no doubt, is also present here. However, St. Sirin believes that the point is not so much jealousy and envy, but why the Lord did not accept the gift. Sirin says that Cain had flocks and other goods, but he limited himself to less valuable ones in his sacrifice. God understood this, and therefore did not accept it. So Cain's guilt is deeper and began before he became jealous and killed his brother.

Jewish interpretation

There is a broader view of the reasons why Cain killed Abel: Haggadah (a collection of parables and legends in Judaism) indicates that there was a fight between the brothers. Abel won, but forgave and released Cain; the same considered himself offended by the loss and vilely killed his brother.

The symbolic meaning of the image of Cain

No matter what Cain killed Abel for, he remained in world culture as a scoundrel, a liar and the first sinner - before the history of the brothers in the Bible, the word "sin" was not mentioned. The seal of Cain - the sign left by God on the forehead of a fratricide - still denotes the "seal of a criminal" in relation to a person, and not necessarily a murderer. Precisely because murder is not the only sin (or crime) committed by Cain.

Who are Cain and Abel? What is the meaning of the parable of the two brothers, one of whom is a fratricide? What does she teach us? You will learn about this from our article!

Painful is the night on earth outside of Eden.
The abyss of death flows through the veins.
Whispering and crying, falling to his knees,
Old Adam to dying Eve:
"Who
cross the abyss?
Who
restore the Abel race?
Who,
paving the way through the sky,
say the words
to a person
and to God?
Who breaks parting flour -
Tree - for the tree,
By the hand - by the hand? .. "

An ancient Sumerian myth told how the heavenly goddess Inanna chose the shepherd out of two young men who sought her hand, rejecting the farmer. It was the shepherd who entered into a happy and divine marriage, joined, in the concept of the inhabitants of Ancient Mesopotamia, divine life, divine immortality.

But this kind of "divine marriage" was a violation of allegiance to the God of Israel.

“Sue your mother, sue; for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband; let her remove fornication from her face and adultery from her breasts... And I will punish her for the days of service to the Baals, when she censed with them, and having adorned herself with earrings and necklaces, went after her lovers, but she forgot Me, says the Lord” (Hosea 2:2) ;13).

The story, located in one of the initial chapters of the book of Genesis, also tells of a shepherd and a farmer. But they do not compete for the goddess Inanna (as Abraham's relatives did for centuries, who did not leave Ur) - they make a sacrifice to the Living God, who will then be revealed to Abraham. The history of the farmer Cain, the elder brother, and the shepherd Abel, the younger brother, is a foretaste of both the history of the calling of Abraham, and the history of the Exodus, and - foreshadowed by them - the Great Exodus of Christ, His Pascha ...

…They make a sacrifice – and in the sacrifice they are separated before the face of God. In fact, the entire history of the human race, according to Genesis, is a history of separation, so that the separated holy people can begin their difficult path to hearing the Living God, until such time when He Himself becomes in the midst of His people in an “equal place” (Lk.6 :17) and will divide by His appearance those who recognized in Him the Messiah, and those who did not.

“... Cain brought a gift to the Lord from the fruits of the earth, and Abel also brought from his first-born flock and from their fat. And the Lord looked upon Abel and his gift, but he did not look at Cain and his gift. Cain was greatly distressed, and his face drooped” (Gen. 4:3-5).

Little is said about Abel and his mysterious righteousness. He was accepted by God in spite of everything - despite the fact that he was not the firstborn, despite the fact that in his very name his mother, so inspired by the birth of the firstborn Cain, expressed all the disappointment that had befallen her. Just as Cain is not the promised seed of a woman, so his younger brother is all the more vanity and steam, and one cannot hope for him. If Cain, “a man from the Lord” (Gen. 4:1), failed, and did not return the entire human race by the power of his mind and cunning to Eden, did not manage to please God, then where can Abel and his sheep!

But God judged otherwise, and Cain's shock knew no bounds. The story of Genesis is mysterious and difficult to interpret, but it is clear that it seems to concentrate on the personality of Cain - the elder brother. As if in the beginning of insanity, Cain hears the words of God - from afar, from the distant coolness of paradise, the words with which God is trying to protect him.

“And the Lord [God] said to Cain, Why are you upset? and why did your face droop? if you do good, do you not raise your face? and if you do not do good, then sin lies at the door; he draws you to him, but you rule over him ”(Gen. 4: 6-7)

One of the translations of this passage is as follows: "He [sin] lusts you, you will be his master"(Gen. 4:7)

... It is very difficult to protect a person. For this, God must die. But the time has not come yet...

Cain hears the words of God, but his mind, already accustomed to seeing not a loving God, but an idol created according to his own ideas, bestowing power, understands them terribly and destructively for both brothers.

“You rule over him,” Cain hears, and speaks strange words to Abel.

Maybe Cain felt a certain delight and perceived it as a divine revelation. Everything is given to Cain to rule - even the righteousness of Abel! Indeed, why else is a younger, unsightly brother needed, if not for the great cause of an older brother, who, perhaps in this way, will fulfill the mother’s hope, become a liberator and the long-awaited “seed of a wife”, returning to lost heaven?! His sacrifice is small - it means that God is pleased to strengthen it by giving Abel himself, pleasing to God with his sacrifices! What a brilliant and terrible paradox! Only a great, extraordinary man, the savior of all mankind, can cross over human, brotherly blood! They wanted to be Cain. And he stabbed Abel.

And the Lord said:

“What have you done?” (Gen. 4:10)

Cain realizes what he has done. But he does not lay hands on himself - his long future life in fear and mental confusion will end with the fact that, as some ancient interpreters said, he will be killed by his descendant Lamech - he will take the unfortunate man hiding in the thicket for a forest beast ...

It seems that the salvation of mankind is lost forever. If anyone could save him, it was the unworldly Abel or someone from his seed. But Abel had no seed left. Seth, who was born instead of Abel to the primordial couple, stood too firmly on earth in his piety without going beyond a reasonable framework - he no longer sought to save the world, he was prudent. Adam and Eve realized with anguish that there would never be another like Abel on earth. And even the ascended Enoch was not a sufferer-victim who gave himself entirely - no, not to the cruelty of his brother, but to the mysterious call of God, who sought to descend to earth to share his death, and - so far could not.

He came down - millennia later. He became a victim, and it was not without reason that He mentioned the name of Abel and the shedding of His blood together (Matt. 23:35; Lk. 11:50-51).

There is no time for God. He united His human blood, shed by the hands of cruel warriors and the cunning of the high-priestly minds, who believed that “it is better that one person die than the whole nation perish” – united with the blood of Abel, becoming voluntarily his descendant.

More than reason and hope - Christ is a descendant of Abel. He is the Son and Seed of the Woman, the Man from the Lord. He Himself sacrificed Himself, not seeking sacrifices from others. He did not need power over the brothers - He gave Himself for the brothers ...

And his perfect Sacrifice reconciles all the brothers scattered over the face of the earth, who have lost all hope of the return of God to earth, who will speak to them in the coolness of paradise.

Ax - to the root! Will give birth
desert manna and honey?
Son of Abraham prayers
and offer sacrifices for sin.

But something under the sun has become
not like centuries ago:
put his hand on the ralo
unrecognized younger brother,

turn the earth with a plow,
sheds the blood of the lamb,
sea, north, south
looking for a brother, it will pass.

Smyrna full and backgammon
His garments and head.
Fulfill all truth
women's words will be fulfilled.

The rocks will crumble. Creene
in the sands will bloom forever.
Mary's only son
From the Lord - Man.

Who are Cain and Abel?

In the Abrahamic religions, Cain and Abel are the sons of Adam and Eve, born after the expulsion of their ancestors from Eden. As God bequeathed, Cain and Abel worked on the earth and ate the fruits of their hard work. Cain was a farmer and Abel a shepherd.

The story of Abel and Cain is the story of the first murder on Earth. The earth at that time was still very young, but it had already undergone the influence. Cain was the first person born on the young Earth, Abel the first person to die.

The story of Cain and Abel is told in, in the fourth chapter. You can read or listen to the chapter on Cain and Abel by clicking on the link:

The names Cain and Abel: meaning.

Name Cain came either from the Hebrew root KANA, which means "to create / bring into being", or from the root KINA, which means "envy". In favor of the first version, the lines of the Bible speak in which Eve speaks of Cain "I made a man." The name Cain has become a household name. Today it is customary to call an evil and envious person capable of meanness.

Name Abel(Hevel) probably goes back to the Hebrew word "hevel" - breath. However, many modern scholars say that the name Abel comes from the Akkadian "ablu", which means son.

Why did Cain kill Abel?

Cain the farmer and Abel the cattle breeder offered the fruits of their labors as a sacrifice to God. God favorably accepted Abel's sacrifice, as it was offered with a pure heart. Cain's sacrifice was rejected, because Cain sacrificed only out of habit, without love for God. Out of envy and anger, Cain kills Abel, thus committing the first crime on the young Earth.

History of Cain after fratricide.

After the murder, Cain tried to hide his sin before God. When God asked Cain where his brother was, he replied that he did not know, since he was not his brother's keeper. It is believed that God asked this question to Cain in the hope of confessing his sin, but Cain showed no desire to repent.

Cain and Abel. Zhitnikov Mikhail.

After the murder, Cain was cursed by God from the land where the blood of Abel had been shed. According to the word of God, the earth will not give strength to Cain. And he must become an exile and a wanderer on earth. And Cain was sent to the land of Nod.

Cain cries out to God, saying that his punishment is more than he can bear, and that anyone who meets him will be able to kill him.

And the Lord [God] said to him: for this, everyone who kills Cain will be avenged sevenfold. And the Lord [God] made a sign to Cain, so that no one who met him would kill him.

Cain is the father of Enoch and the ancestor of his line. He also founded a city and named it after his son ENOCH. Who was Cain's wife? There is no mention of this in the Bible, but there are two opinions, both based on the Book of Jubilees:

• Cain's wife was his sister Avan;
• Cain's wife was Saba.

The tribe of Cain has 7 generations. It is believed that the race of Cain was not saved during the Great Flood. In the apocryphal book of Enoch, it is written that the soul of Abel became the head of the martyrs and persecuted the descendants of Cain.

“This is the spirit that came out of Abel, who was killed by his brother Cain; and he complains about him until his (Cain's) seed is blotted out from the face of the earth and his seed is destroyed from the seed of men.”

The story of Cain and Abel. Manuscripts and interpretations.

The oldest known copy of the biblical narrative containing the story of Cain and Abel is the Dead Sea Scrolls (Qumran manuscripts). The bulk of the Qumran manuscripts date back to 250 BC. e. until 68 AD e. The scroll containing the story of Cain and Abel dates from the first century BC.

The story of Cain and Abel has also come down to us in a number of other texts (24 manuscripts in total). This story is subject to various interpretations.

The image of Abel is interpreted both as the first victim of the murder and as the first martyr; while Cain is seen as both the first murderer and the ancestor of evil. Some scientists suggest that bible story about Cain and Abel is based on an ancient Sumerian story about a conflict between nomadic shepherds and settled farmers.

The image of Cain is reflected in Kabbalah, where he is considered the son of the angel Samael and Eve, as well as in Gnosticism, where he is considered the son of Satan and Eve.

An interesting fact is that, following the story of Cain and Abel, the idea of ​​God's preference for the younger son is more than once observed in the Bible:

• The story of Esau and Jacob;
• History of Joseph and his eleven brothers;
• The story of David and his older brothers, etc.

The story of Cain and Abel became the archetype of fratricide. This story is interpreted in literature and other arts.

A medieval legend says that Cain was sent by God to the moon, so that from there he could see all the delights of earthly life and not be able to return. According to this legend, on a full moon, looking at the moon, you can see the image of Cain killing Abel. Cain with a bundle of brushwood is also synonymous with the moon in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.

...Two hemispheres and beyond Seville into the waves

Cain descends, holding his firewood

There is an interesting interpretation of the story of Abel and Cain, according to which this story explains the source of all wars. How is it that blood brothers who worship the same God become mortal enemies? According to the author of the theory, it is not the difference in dogmas or rituals that leads to wars, including religious ones, but “claims for equality” or “denial of hierarchy” (

After the expulsion from paradise, children began to be born to Adam and Eve: sons and daughters.

They named the first son Cain and the second Abel. Cain farmed and Abel ran livestock.

Once they offered a sacrifice to God as a token of love, humility and thanksgiving. Cain is the fruits of the earth, and Abel is the best animal of his flock. Abel was of a kind and meek disposition, he offered a sacrifice from a pure heart, with love and faith in the promised Savior, with a prayer for mercy and hope for the mercy of God; and God accepted the sacrifice of Abel, - the smoke from it ascended to heaven.

Cain was of an evil and cruel disposition. He offered sacrifice only according to custom, without the love and fear of God. The Lord did not accept his sacrifice - the smoke from it spread along the ground.

The Lord did this as an instruction that the sacrifice to God should be united with the inner sacrifice of a good heart and a virtuous life.

Seeing that his sacrifice was not accepted, Cain became angry with his brother and began to envy him. His face darkened. The Lord, seeing the bitterness of Cain, addresses him as if he were his own son, but standing on the edge of the abyss, warning against the already premeditated fratricide.

If you do good, then don’t you raise your face, and if you don’t do good, then sin lies at the door. He draws you to him, but you rule over him.

Gen. 4-11 With these words the Lord shows that any person, even with such inclinations as Cain's, can become a righteous man.

But Cain did not heed God's admonition and, having called Abel into the field, killed him. Then the Lord turned to Cain, wanting him to repent, and asked him: “Where is your brother Abel?” But the devil finally took possession of Cain's heart, and he boldly answered: "I don't know; am I my brother's keeper?" This denial of guilt no longer gave hope for correction.

Then God said to him: "What have you done? Your brother's blood is crying out to Me from the ground. For this you will be cursed, and the earth will not bear fruit for you, and you will wander on the earth."

The severe punishment broke Cain's stubbornness. He began to ask that someone, having met with him, kill him. But this desire, caused by despair, was criminal and therefore could not be fulfilled. As a punished murderer, Cain was to serve as a cautionary example to others. His drooping face, distorted by villainy, served as a sign that no one would kill him, neither a wild beast, nor a man.

Great was his crime and insult to the purity and holiness of love. But, despite this, there were people who decided to follow Cain into exile.

This story opens up two paths for us: the path with God and the path without God, the path of goodness and love and the path of evil, pride and arbitrariness. One leads to eternal life - the other to death ...

A person's life is a gift from God, therefore a person has no right either to deprive himself of life or to take it away from others. Taking the life of a neighbor is called murder and is one of the gravest sins.

…And God gave Adam and Eve another son. Their joy was immeasurable. In the hope that he would not be like Cain, but would replace Abel, they named him Seth, which means "foundation" - the foundation of a new humanity, peaceful, pious, in which there will be no fratricide and malice, which for centuries will step by step return to the path of the righteous, leading a person through the overcoming of sin to God.

Everything in the world happens for the first time. The Bible Book of Genesis in the fourth chapter tells how for the first time in the history of mankind the greatest atrocity happened. Abel and Cain? story of the first murder. At that time, the newly created world was still young, but by no means innocent. Human nature was damaged by original sin, and a person born in the image and likeness of the Creator crossed out his likeness in himself.

Cain and Abel? a story that has since been repeated countless times, in the most variety of options. A long line will stretch endless strings of murderers and their victims. If you think about it, then the victims can be called those who fell from a criminal hand, and those who went to this atrocity. The latter, as a rule, are victims of their dark spiritual passions. Greed, malice, envy and other creatures of Satan boiling in them? Here are the real perpetrators of the crimes.

Expelled from Paradise

But let's return to the pages of the Bible, on which the story of Cain and Abel appears before us. After Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise, they found themselves in a world that was very similar to the one where we all live. The similarity lay in the fact that, like us, its inhabitants became mortal, subject to disease and old age, and for the first time learned what suffering is. In addition, there was nothing free in this world, everything had to be earned through hard work. Soon they had sons? Cain and Abel.

The story told in the Bible begins with the fact that each of them chose his career in life. Older? Cain became a farmer, and his younger brother Abel? shepherd. The brothers had no doubts in matters of faith, since the existence of God seemed to them an obvious reality, and when the time came for the sacrifice, each of them approached it with a sincere desire to please the Almighty. Both laid on the altar the fruits of their labors: Cain - the firstfruits of the harvest, and Abel - the firstborn lamb from his flock.

Abel and Cain: the story of a rejected victim

It is not given to us to comprehend the motives for which the Lord preferred the sacrifice of Abel to the sacrifice made by his elder brother, but that is exactly what happened. Cain, instead of humbly bowing before the will of God, was filled with envy and a sense of wounded pride. He even darkened his face and changed outwardly. The Holy Scripture says that the Lord tried to reason with him and turn away evil thoughts. He literally warns him that sin awaits a person who does not do good, but even in this case, he must find the strength in himself to refrain from it.

Abel and Cain? history of human responsibility for their actions. Temptations lie in wait for each of us at some point in our lives, but is it one thing to desire something, and quite another? give free rein to your desires. Cain allowed the sin that was born in his soul to completely take possession of him. Choosing a moment when, in his opinion, there were no witnesses, he killed Abel.

Any murder? sin but shed blood sibling is doubly wrong. Apparently, the feeling of anger clouded Cain's mind so much that it never occurred to him that there was no place in the world where one could hide from the eyes of the all-seeing God. There were no people nearby at that terrible moment, but the Spirit of God was invisibly present.

Last chance to repent

The crime has been committed, but the all-merciful Lord does not deprive the unfortunate Cain of his last hope for forgiveness. With his question: "Where is Abel, your brother?" ? it gives him the opportunity to confess his deed and repent. But sin has already completely taken possession of the murderer. Answering that he does not know where his brother is, he lies to God himself, thereby finally breaking with him. Abel and Cain? the story of two brothers, related by blood, but so different in their spiritual constitution. One-womb brothers who have become symbols of righteousness and sin. This storyline will find an endless continuation in the world.

Punishment? harsh and inevitable

As a punishment, the Lord curses Cain and dooms him to eternal wanderings on earth and to eternal rejection. He even marks the killer with a special mark, which is called the Cain seal, so that everyone he meets knows who is in front of him and does not dare to take away his despicable life from him. The biblical story of Cain and Abel carries a deep philosophical meaning. Who killed whom? a vulgar simplification of the problem posed in this passage Holy Scripture. In this case, the motives that prompted the crime, the consciousness of responsibility for one's actions and the duty of resisting sin, as well as the inevitability of retribution for what one has done, are important.