Cain’s curse
In all honesty, I have tried to deconstruct or construct for that matter, the plain and simple meaning found in the next passage for some time and yet I still find myself at somewhat of a loss. Following after such an important topic as conquering sin, I don’t want to gloss over what comes next especially addressing Cain’s consequences for his sin, but it has been a struggle and I still feel clueless but let’s give it a go anyway. The goal for this space is and will continue to be, to examine as much if not all of the text of the Hebrew Bible and determine; #1, if it is true, #2, what the plain and simple meaning is and #3, if there is any pertinent application for us… so with all that said.
Genesis 4 continues on and informs us how Cain gave in to his evil inclination by murdering his brother Abel. We then see a very similar interaction between God and Cain like we saw back when Adam and Eve disobeyed. God asks Cain a very simple question, where is Abel your brother? And just like in the garden, it is a very plain question, a question that almost seems out of place or too basic for a God or the God to ask. Could it be that God was giving him a chance to repent? But just like his parents, Cain has a dodging answer. However, God does not let him off the hook. He says, “that the voice of Abel’s blood cries out from the ground.” God already knew what happened and then came the consequences.
Remember just a few verses prior, we were told that the ground had been cursed, that Adam and Eve and assumingly their children no longer lived in the garden of Eden and that Cain was a tiller just like his father, Adam. He was already working with a cursed or hindered ground and at this point they were still all commanded to eat the vegetation only, possibly both wild and cultivated. Now Cain is told that he would be cursed or hindered, more than the ground, which had soaked up his murdered brothers’ blood. Next, that when he works the ground, he or it, did not increase nor give him power, to be unstable and agitated, existing in the earth. Has Cain essentially lost his job or his purpose? How might this make him feel? We might already assume that he is prone to anger, if he killed once, is it plausible that he might kill again?
As I mentioned above, I have tried and tried to understand simply what follows. The translations that we have been given are confusing at best. Here is my interpretation of the remainder of the story for your consideration. What if Cain responds by saying that great lawlessness they carry, to drive out this day over the face of the earth. Hiding his face existing, unstable and agitated in the earth existed, killing all that he found. I came to this translation by looking only to the root words, not the inflected words. Then we see Yahweh respond, to make right all Cain’s killings, seven times avenged Yahweh set. Cain to consent to fall away, crippling all he found.
A little rough but interesting, isn’t it? Could I have it wrong, absolutely. Is my interpretation and the interpretation found in the bible both plausible, you bet. But given everything that I have exposed during my examination thus far of the ancient text, it is hard for me to accept that the English translation is an accurate account.
Next, we see that Cain has concluded his moving about because the text tells us that he built a city. If the Christian Bible is correct, that part of Yahweh’s consequences for Cain were to be a vagrant and a wanderer, how is it then that he is able to settle down? Hmm… can Cain have power over God’s consequences, I wouldn’t think so, so maybe something is amiss in their translation?
We are then given generations of Cain’s descendants ending with Lamech and another odd story. Again, I find myself questioning the narrative. It seems so odd and to me does not make any sense. Here is my attempt; women of Lamech, listen to this saying, because a wound killed a man, young men join together. Because seven times avenged Cain, Lamech seventy-seven. I’m still not sure what this is trying to say or the significance of what it is telling us. But it would seem that something happened that caused Lamech to compare the situation to Cain’s, but it will be avenged even more?
The chapter then concludes if you will by coming full circle. Although Adam lost a son, another son is given. Adam is given another seed, Seth, underneath Abel and Seth has a son named Enos. It then says, at that time made void the calling of the name Yahweh. To this point in the narrative, we have seen some kind of relationship and communication between mankind and God. Is it possible that this is now a pivotal moment in that relationship where man has turned from God? Much to consider but also much left unsaid and unclear. However, if the Hebrew Bible is true, we are told repeatedly that God will judge every deed and for mankind, that judgement may be just around the corner!