Creation and geneology of man question- Where did these other people come from?

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Permalink Reply by Nick Gonzalez on January 2, 2012 at 8:42pm

OK. I have 3 responses for the question, "who was Cain's wife". 

 

1.  Mrs. Cain.

 

 

2.  I'd tell you if I was "Able".

 

 

3.  Since the Bible does not say who was Cain’s wife we have to draw some conclusions based on what scripture says.  That being said, the best answer is that Cain's wife was his sister or niece or great-niece, etc.  Gen.  4:17-18. Since it was beginning of humanity it was okay to intermarry. "God did not forbid inter-family marriage until much later when there were enough people to make intermarriage unnecessary (Leviticus 18:6-18). Adam and Eve did not have any genetic defects, and that enabled them and the first few generations of their descendants to have a far greater quality of health than we do now. Adam and Eve’s children had few, if any, genetic defects. As a result, it was safe for them to intermarry (from GQ)".   For a much more detailed explanation see here.

 

Cain’s family began in Nod (v. 16). The name “Nod” (nôḏ) is related to the words for “restless wanderer” (nā‘ wānāḏ, v. 14). It was the land of fugitives from God. Here Cain fathered a child, Enoch, and named a city after him. ( No doubt Cain’s wife was a daughter of Adam; Gen 5:4 Adam “had other sons and daughters,” whose names are not given. 

 

 

For the question, "who was Cain afraid of", the possible answer is:  Able's family!  I like the way Answer's in Genesis, explains it,  Cain and Abel were born quite some time before the event of Abel’s death. Genesis 4:3 states:  "And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD".  Note the phrase “in the process of time.” We know Seth was born when Adam was 130 years old Genesis 5:3 and Eve saw him as a replacement for Abel Gen 4:25.  Therefore, the time period from Cain’s birth to Abel’s death may have been 100 years or more—allowing plenty of time for other children of Adam and Eve to marry and have children. By the time Abel was killed, there may have been a considerable number of descendants of Adam and Eve involving several generations.

 

I think Cain was rightfully scared.  Wouldn't you be?

 

Gen 4:13 shows how scared Cain is about the punishment he has received. He is afraid that someone might kill him.   God in his mercy responds to Cain and tells him not to worry v. 15 he will not be killed or the person who does will receive a punishment seven times worse.    Wow!

 

Permalink Reply by Trisha Reed on January 6, 2012 at 9:41pm

Ok,  answer #2 was great. I understand now Cain being afraid of Able's family (yes, I would be too). But answer #3 leads me to another question....Is the Book of Genesis not written in chronalogical order, because my understanding was

1. Cain killed Able.

2. Cain wandered and settled in Nod.

THEN

3. Seth was born.

And after that ,

4. Other sons and daughters were born (in 800 years, that doesn't surprise me that Adam had other kids).

So do you think it might have been one of Able's decendants rather than his sister? And why would someone marry somebody who killed thier daddy or grandpa. Also if Adam and Eve didn't have other children till chapter 5, did they have sisters to intermarry with?

 

OK. I have 3 responses for the question, "who was Cain's wife". 

 

1.  Mrs. Cain.

 

 

2.  I'd tell you if I was "Able".

 

 

3.  Since the Bible does not say who was Cain’s wife we have to draw some conclusions based on what scripture says.  That being said, the best answer is that Cain's wife was his sister or niece or great-niece, etc.  Gen.  4:17-18. Since it was beginning of humanity it was okay to intermarry. "God did not forbid inter-family marriage until much later when there were enough people to make intermarriage unnecessary (Leviticus 18:6-18). Adam and Eve did not have any genetic defects, and that enabled them and the first few generations of their descendants to have a far greater quality of health than we do now. Adam and Eve’s children had few, if any, genetic defects. As a result, it was safe for them to intermarry (from GQ)".   For a much more detailed explanation see here.

 

Cain’s family began in Nod (v. 16). The name “Nod” (nôḏ) is related to the words for “restless wanderer” (nā‘ wānāḏ, v. 14). It was the land of fugitives from God. Here Cain fathered a child, Enoch, and named a city after him. ( No doubt Cain’s wife was a daughter of Adam; Gen 5:4 Adam “had other sons and daughters,” whose names are not given. 

 

 

For the question, "who was Cain afraid of", the possible answer is:  Able's family!  I like the way Answer's in Genesis, explains it,  Cain and Abel were born quite some time before the event of Abel’s death. Genesis 4:3 states:  "And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD".  Note the phrase “in the process of time.” We know Seth was born when Adam was 130 years old Genesis 5:3 and Eve saw him as a replacement for Abel Gen 4:25.  Therefore, the time period from Cain’s birth to Abel’s death may have been 100 years or more—allowing plenty of time for other children of Adam and Eve to marry and have children. By the time Abel was killed, there may have been a considerable number of descendants of Adam and Eve involving several generations.

 

I think Cain was rightfully scared.  Wouldn't you be?

 

Gen 4:13 shows how scared Cain is about the punishment he has received. He is afraid that someone might kill him.   God in his mercy responds to Cain and tells him not to worry v. 15 he will not be killed or the person who does will receive a punishment seven times worse.    Wow!