Cain and Able

[nebula]

I am in no way trying to discredit scripture. I was in a debate about contridictions in the Bible over incest and so i thought i would put it out there for this community discuss.

One Light is correct that the Scripture is silent on who Cain's wife was and where she came from. Anything anyone tells you on the matter is pure speculation, even if they say "his sister."

As for the question of incest, it is written in the Law somewhere - sorry I don't have the time to look it up right now.

But this Law was given to the children of Israel after they were delivered from Egypt. There is no indication that the Lord told man whom he could or could not marry before these laws were passed on to Moses.

By the commands of the Law, Abram (Abraham) should not have been married to Sarai (Sarah), for they were half-siblings. But that was before the Covenant of Sinai. So that actually isn't a contradiction because as far as we know it was not commanded against at the time.

[Guest LadyC]

nebula

ok, here's God's list of prohibitions. it's found in leviticus 18.

your mother

your father's wife

your sister, (whole or half) "whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere" (v.9)

your grandchild

the daughter of your father's wife (step-sister)

your father's sister (aunt) "as she is your father's close relative"

your mother's sister (aunt) "as she is your mother's close relative"

your father's brother's wife (aunt)

your son's wife

your brother's wife

with both a woman and her daughter

your wife's sister as a rival wife (to spite your first wife)

during "uncleanness of her monthly period"

with your neighbor's wife

with a member of the same sex; the Bible says "that is detestable"

with an animal; the Bible refers to this as "a perversion"

(i think it's safe to say that if it's forbidden to have relations with your mother, it's also forbidden to have relations with your father...)

[exrockstar]

Who did Cain and Able marry?

There is no idication that Able married.

they both have to of been married since they were both sacrificing in behalf of their families. If one of them were still single then perhaps Adam would

of been sacrficing in their behalf.

Gen. 4

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.

Where are you seeing that they sacrificed on behalf of their families?

Cain was appaerntly married with someone....

Gen 4:"17 Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant " This wife was with him before the murder.

Cain was offering in behalf of her (for one).

note: the head of household offers in behalf of the family. So Adam would offer in behalf of his family including Cain and Able. That offering was the families "blanket."

[nebula]

they both have to of been married since they were both sacrificing in behalf of their families. If one of them were still single then perhaps Adam would

of been sacrficing in their behalf.

Gen. 4

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.

Where are you seeing that they sacrificed on behalf of their families?

Cain was appaerntly married with someone....

Gen 4:"17 Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant " This wife was with him before the murder.

Cain was offering in behalf of her (for one).

Ex -

The mention of the offering was in verse 3 of chapter 4.

The mention of Cain's wife is in verse 17 of chapter 4 - after he left Eden and settled in Nod.

There is no indication that Cain had this wife before he left and went to Nod.

[wyguy]

there was no such thing as incest back in genesis. God told adam and eve to fill the earth. it's entirely likely that siblings had relations together as man and wife. since people lived to be like 900 years old back then, i'm sure the land of nod probably was populated by some of the wayward decendants of adam and eve.

it was quite some time later when God first put restrictions on who could have relations with whom, and where certain relations became incestuous. you'll find those restrictions in leviticus... chapter 18 i believe. they extend as far as relations between siblings, direct ancestors/descendants, and between aunt/nephew.

True. It was only until the time of Moses that God put the restrictions in place to prevent genetic defects which would not have built up to any harmful degree until then.

Now, if you actually think about it, we ALL are marrying one of our relatives, as we all "one blood" related through Adam and Eve.

AIG says:

"Provided marriage was one man for one woman for life (based on Genesis 1

[exrockstar]

Ex -

The mention of the offering was in verse 3 of chapter 4.

The mention of Cain's wife is in verse 17 of chapter 4 - after he left Eden and settled in Nod.

There is no indication that Cain had this wife before he left and went to Nod.

i dont understand...you are concluding that there were only four people on earth at the time of the murder? - adam, eve, cain and able

[nebula]

Ex -

The mention of the offering was in verse 3 of chapter 4.

The mention of Cain's wife is in verse 17 of chapter 4 - after he left Eden and settled in Nod.

There is no indication that Cain had this wife before he left and went to Nod.

i dont understand...you are concluding that there were only four people on earth at the time of the murder? - adam, eve, cain and able

I am not concluding anything.

The Scripture does not say he had a wife at the time, nor does it say he was sacrificing for his family.

It simply says he was sacrificing - plain and simple. There is no indication of why he was sacrificing.

[exrockstar]

I am not concluding anything.

The Scripture does not say he had a wife at the time, nor does it say he was sacrificing for his family.

It simply says he was sacrificing - plain and simple. There is no indication of why he was sacrificing.

scripture doesnt say the Adam taught Cain and Able how to do an offering but you can conclude that.

So how can you "not conclude anything" yet still say "no. wrong?" to what i am saying.

You have made a conclusion.

When God commanded Adam and Eve to " "Be fruitful (Gen 2)" then how do you not conclude that they were not being fruitful?

Adam had seth when he was 130 years old. If you believe that Adam only had 3 kids by the age of 130 then that's not

being fruitful now is it?

so again i ask you "do you believe that there were only four people on earth at the time of the murder? - adam, eve, cain and able

[nebula]

scripture doesnt say the Adam taught Cain and Able how to do an offering but you can conclude that.

So how can you "not conclude anything" yet still say "no. wrong?" to what i am saying.

You have made a conclusion.

You said that they sacrificed for their families. That is putting a specific condition on the sacrifice. They could have been sacrificing for themselves. They could have been sacrificing a thank offering. Basically, there could be numerous reasons they were sacrificing. To say that they sacrificed for one particular reason is wrong.

Unless you can find something that directly indicates that they sacrificed for their family, you are merely speculating.

Edit to add: If Abel had his own family, why does the Bible not mention his having children?

When God commanded Adam and Eve to " "Be fruitful (Gen 2)" then how do you not conclude that they were not being fruitful?

Adam had seth when he was 130 years old. If you believe that Adam only had 3 kids by the age of 130 then that's not

being fruitful now is it?

The Scriptures mention that Cain was born first, Abel second, and then Seth third to replace Abel. It also mentions Adam had "other sons and daughters." It does not say when he had these other sons and daughters.

If you wish to assume they were born in between Can and Abel and Seth, that's fine. But admit that this is your speculation based on the reasons you stated above. To state it as fact is not correct for the Scriptures do not state it this way.

so again i ask you "do you believe that there were only four people on earth at the time of the murder? - adam, eve, cain and able

Scriptures does not say. Therefore, there is not enough evidence to state yes or nor. There may have been, but there may not have been.

I could likewise add how Cain could have lived in the land of Nod if no one had established it already? Why does it not say Cain settled in a land east of Eden and called it Nod?

Edited January 12, 2010 by nebula

[wyguy]

so again i ask you "do you believe that there were only four people on earth at the time of the murder? - adam, eve, cain and able

The Bible simply says that Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. (Genesis 5:4)

And while the murder story revolves around 3 main characters (Abel being murdered by Cain, and Seth as the first son born after the murder) it's clear there were many other children produced after Abel and Cain were born.

The reason the Bible doesn't mention the names of the other children is because they were not involved in the first murder or connected to it in any specific way.