We don’t get any such details about Cain’s crops, which may mean he didn’t give the best. In contrast, the next verse says that Abel gave “the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock.” Abel gave the best, and he took it from the first results of his labors, not as an afterthought or after he was sure he had a surplus. It’s worth noting that the Bible says Cain gave “some of his crops,” without describing the quality of the offering ( Genesis 4:3). Why precisely God didn’t approve of Cain’s offering is hard to say. God approved of Abel’s offering but not Cain’s, and as a result, Cain resented his brother. Photo credit: Pixabay/Cocoparisienne Why Did Cain Kill Abel? After this point, Cain had a son named Enoch and founded a city, and had various descendants who developed skills like playing music, forging metal, and nomadic herding ( Genesis 4:17-24). Cain replied that he could not bear the punishment of forever wandering and that “anyone who finds me will kill me!” God replied that he would punish anyone who killed Cain seven times over, and put a mark on Cain so that anyone who tried to kill Cain would be warned off ( Genesis 4:15-16). God rebuked Cain for his actions and told him that from this point he would be “a homeless wanderer on the earth” ( Genesis 4:12).

In this case, he asked Cain, “Where is your brother?” Cain responded, “I don’t know… am I my brother’s guardian?” ( Genesis 4:9). God took a tactic similar to the one he used in Genesis 3:9 after Cain’s parents had eaten the forbidden fruit: He approached the wrongdoer and asked a question. Later (the date is not clear, just “one day”) Cain asked Abel to walk with him in the field, and Cain killed Abel. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

“Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. Cain was upset and jealous of Abel as a result ( Genesis 4:5), and God warned Cain to be careful: God accepted Abel’s offering but did not approve of what Cain brought. Cain gave crops from his harvest, while Abel gave sections of firstborn lambs. At some point, Cain and Abel both gave offerings to God from their produce. Cain was the first son, the Bible doesn’t specify how much later that Abel was born.Īs adults, Cain and Abel took separate careers: Abel became a shepherd while Cain became a farmer ( Genesis 4:2). According to Genesis 4, after being exiled from the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had two sons: Cain and Abel.

Eve's three daughters