Commentary - Genesis 4:1-8

Bird's-eye view

In this passage, we see the tragic outworking of the Fall, moving from the garden into the heart of the first family. The enmity promised in Genesis 3:15 between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent now erupts between two brothers. This is not just a family squabble; it is the first battle in a long war. The central issue is worship. Two men bring offerings to God, but God regards one and not the other. This divine distinction reveals the hearts of the worshipers and precipitates the first murder. Cain's response to God's rejection is not repentance but a sullen, murderous anger. God graciously condescends to reason with Cain, warning him of the danger of sin personified as a predator crouching at his door. But Cain rejects God's counsel, and his envy culminates in the premeditated murder of his righteous brother, Abel. This account establishes a fundamental biblical pattern: there are two ways to approach God, one of faith and one of works, and the way of works is invariably hostile to the way of faith.

This chapter is foundational for understanding the nature of sin, the necessity of blood atonement, and the conflict between the two humanities that will run throughout the rest of Scripture. It is the story of Cain and Abel, but it is also the story of the world. It is the story of two cities, the city of God and the city of man, and the irreconcilable conflict between them.

Outline

Commentary

1 Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a man with the help of Yahweh.”

The chapter opens with the first recorded conception and birth. The phrase "the man knew his wife" is a common biblical euphemism for sexual intimacy, but it is more than just a polite way of speaking. It points to a personal, experiential knowledge, not a merely clinical or detached act. This is part of God's creation mandate to be fruitful and multiply, which continues even after the Fall. Eve's exclamation at Cain's birth is telling. She says, "I have gotten a man with the help of Yahweh." There is a note of triumph here, but it seems to be a misguided triumph. Some have speculated that Eve thought Cain was the promised seed of Genesis 3:15, the one who would crush the serpent's head. If so, her hope was tragically misplaced. She looked at the son she produced, a "man," and perhaps thought the deliverance was at hand. But deliverance does not come through ordinary human effort, even when acknowledged as being "with the help of Yahweh." The seed who would crush the serpent would have to be more than just "a man." This is the first instance of a recurring theme: man's attempt to secure his own salvation, to produce the deliverer from his own strength.

2 And again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a cultivator of the ground.

The birth of Abel is mentioned without the same fanfare. His name means "breath" or "vapor," a tragically prophetic name given his short life. The two brothers take up two foundational occupations. Cain is a farmer, a cultivator of the ground, the very ground that was cursed because of his father's sin. Abel is a shepherd, a keeper of flocks. This distinction is not arbitrary. It sets the stage for the conflict that follows. Cain works with the cursed ground, bringing forth its fruit by the sweat of his brow. Abel tends to living creatures, a picture of care and oversight that will later be used to describe the work of kings and pastors. Their occupations reflect two different orientations toward the world and, as we will see, toward God.

3 So it happened in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to Yahweh of the fruit of the ground.

The phrase "in the course of time" indicates that this was not a spontaneous event, but a regular or appointed time for worship. Both brothers know they are supposed to bring an offering to God. The duty to worship is innate. Cain brings what he has produced: the fruit of the ground. On the surface, this seems appropriate. He brings an offering from his own vocation. He is giving to God from the work of his hands. But this is precisely the problem. He is bringing the product of the cursed ground, and he is bringing it on his own terms.

4 Abel, on his part, also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And Yahweh had regard for Abel and for his offering;

Abel's offering is different in several crucial respects. First, he brings of the "firstborn" of his flock. This signifies that he is giving God the best, the choicest portion. It is an act of honor. Second, he brings "of their fat portions," again emphasizing the quality of the sacrifice. Third, and most importantly, he brings a blood sacrifice. The book of Hebrews tells us that "by faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain" (Heb. 11:4). Faith is the key difference. Abel's faith was demonstrated in the nature of his offering. He understood, in some fashion, that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin (Heb. 9:22). He was acknowledging the curse of death that had entered the world and was approaching God on God's terms, not his own. Consequently, Yahweh "had regard" for Abel and his offering. Note the order: God accepted the worshiper first, and then the worship. The offering was an expression of the heart of the man who brought it.

5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.

In contrast, God had no regard for Cain or his offering. Again, the man and his offering are linked. God rejected Cain's offering because He rejected Cain's heart. Cain was approaching God through the fruit of his own labor, the works of his own hands, which is the very essence of false religion. He was, in effect, presenting his own righteousness to God, a righteousness derived from the cursed ground. When God rejected this, Cain's response was not humility or repentance, but rage. "Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell." This is the face of resentful pride. His worship was a performance intended to obligate God, and when God was not obligated, Cain's true nature was revealed. He was not angry that he had failed to please God; he was angry that God had failed to be pleased by him.

6 Then Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?

Here we see the incredible grace and patience of God. He does not strike Cain down for his insolent anger. Instead, He condescends to reason with him. He asks two questions that are meant to provoke self-examination. "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?" God knows the answer, of course. He is inviting Cain to look into his own heart and see the sin that is festering there. This is the first step toward repentance: an honest assessment of our condition.

7 If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is lying at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

God lays out the two ways for Cain. The path to acceptance is straightforward: "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?" The phrase "do well" here means to offer the right sacrifice in the right spirit, as Abel had done. Acceptance and a lifted countenance are the results of coming to God on His terms. But then God gives a stark warning. "If you do not do well, sin is lying at the door." Sin is personified here as a wild beast, a predator crouching and ready to pounce. This is a powerful image of the nature of temptation. Sin is not a passive thing; it is an active, malevolent force. God then says of sin, "its desire is for you." This is the same language used in Genesis 3:16 to describe the woman's desire for her husband. It speaks of a desire to master, to control, to dominate. Sin wants to consume Cain. But God gives him the charge: "but you must rule over it." Cain is not a helpless victim. He is responsible. He is commanded to master the sin that seeks to master him. This is the call to repentance and sanctification. God provides the diagnosis and the command, but Cain must choose to obey.

8 Then Cain spoke to Abel his brother; and it happened when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

Cain utterly rejects God's counsel. The text says he "spoke to Abel his brother." The ancient versions add "Let us go out to the field." This indicates premeditation. He lures his brother into an isolated place. The anger that was simmering in his heart now boils over into murderous action. "Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him." The seed of the serpent strikes the seed of the woman. Why did he kill him? John tells us plainly: "because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous" (1 John 3:12). This was a religious murder. Abel's righteous worship was a standing rebuke to Cain's self-righteousness, and Cain could not tolerate it. So he extinguished the light. This act sets the pattern for all the persecution of the righteous by the wicked that will follow throughout history. The city of man is founded on the murder of a righteous man, and its foundational principle is envy and hatred for the grace of God.

Application

This story is not just ancient history; it is a mirror. It shows us the two basic religions that exist in the world. There is the religion of Cain, which is the religion of human achievement, of self-righteousness, of approaching God on the basis of what we can produce. This religion looks good on the outside, it is often very earnest, but at its heart it is proud and resentful of grace. It brings the fruit of the cursed ground and demands that God accept it.

Then there is the religion of Abel, which is the religion of faith. It recognizes that we are sinners living on cursed ground and that we cannot approach a holy God on our own merits. It understands that a blood sacrifice is required, that a life must be given for a life. This is the religion of the gospel. Abel's sacrifice pointed forward to the ultimate sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. By faith, Abel offered a bloody sacrifice, and by faith, we look back to the bloody sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

We must all ask ourselves which offering we are bringing to God. Are we bringing our good works, our religious efforts, our moral achievements, and expecting God to be impressed? That is the way of Cain, and it leads to anger, envy, and ultimately to judgment. Or are we coming with empty hands, pleading nothing but the blood of Jesus? That is the way of Abel. It is the way of faith, the way of humility, and it is the only way to be accepted by God.

Finally, we must heed God's warning to Cain. Sin is always crouching at the door, desiring to master us. We are in a spiritual war. We cannot be passive. We are called to rule over sin, to mortify it, to put it to death by the power of the Spirit. This is not a suggestion; it is a command. And the only way to obey it is to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.