Cain (Adam's son)???

Question

Why does Cain (Adam's son) and his offspring (sons and daughters) not merit (or derserve) a place in the great geneology?

Answer 1

Cain is not mentioned in Adams "generations" because his father is satan.

Abel died without having any progeny (children) and thus not in the line of Christ.

Gen 4:1-2
1 And Adam knew*1 Eve his wife; and she conceived*2, and bare Cain*3, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD*4.

Explanations from above verse: *1 knew = Sexual intercourse. *2 conceived = Second conception (Abel). *3 Cain = Born first (serpents son). *4 = Read as: "I have gotten a son with the help of the Lord:"

2 And she again*1 bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Explanations from above verse: *1 again = Hebrew word # 3254; yacaph (yaw-saf'); a primitive root; to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing).

In other words, Eve continued in labor and had the second of two children, who were twins.

From the Jewish Talmud, Jewish Encyclopedias, and Other Early Jewish Writings.

Yebamoth 103b: Rabbi Johanan stated: "When the serpent copulated with Eve, he infused her with lust."
Haye Sarah 126a: Another Rabbi states: "Thus I have learnt, that when the serpent had intercourse with Eve he injected defilement into her."

Haye Sarah 126b Another stated: "You rightly said that when the serpent had carnal intercourse with Eve he injected into her defilement."

Yevamot 103b: "According to the midrash, the snake seduced her to commit adultery with him. Thus a thrice repeated saying of Rabbi Yohanan has it that 'at the time that the snake had intercourse with Eve, he introduced filth into her..."

Ahare Moth 76b: One Rabbinic source stated: "Eve bore Cain from the filth of the serpent, and therefore from him were descended all the wicked generations, and from his side is the abode of spirits and demons."

Bereshith 36b: "For two beings had intercourse with Eve, and she conceived both and bore two children. Each followed one of the male parents, to this side and one to the other, and similarly their characters."

Shabbath 146a: "For when the serpent came upon Eve he injected lust into her."

Yevamot 103b: "...at the time that the snake had intercourse with Eve, he introduced filth into her.

Zohar I, 28b: "For they are the children of the ancient serpent which seduced Eve..."

Jewish Encycl.1905.Vol.XI p.69: "Satan was the seducer and paramour of Eve."

Legends of the Bible, by Louis Ginsberg, p.54: "Satan, in the guise of the serpent, approached her and the fruit of their union was Cain, the ancestor of all impious generations that were rebellious toward God, and rose up against Him. Cain's descent from Satan, who is the angel Sammael, was revealed in his seraphic appearance. At his birth, the exclamation was wrung from Eve, 'I have gotten a man, through an angel of the Lord."

Targum Pseudo-Jonathan: "Adam knew about his wife Eve that she had conceived by Sammael the angel of the Lord, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain."

Targum of Jonathan: "And Adam was aware that Eve his wife had conceived from Sammael the angel, and she became pregnant and bare Cain, and he was like those on high, not like those below; and she said, 'I have acquired a man, the angel of the Lord."

Jewish Encyc.1904-Vol.9.p.70: "The chief functions of Satan are, as already noted, those of temptation, accusation, and punishment. He was an active agent in the fall of man (Pirke R. El. Xii.) and was the father of Cain."

Jewish Encyc.1904-Vol.5,p.275: "Eve became pregnant, and bore Cain and Abel on the very day of (her creation and) expulsion from Eden (Gen. R. xii) Cain's real father was not Adam, but one of the demons..."

Pirqei de Rabbi Eliezer: "The serpent came into her and she became pregnant with Cain, as it says, "And the man knew his wife Eve. "What did he know" That she was already pregnant. (by Satan.)

Jerusalem Targum: "And Adam knew his wife, who had desired the Angel; and she conceived, and bare Cain; and she said, I have acquired a man, the Angel of the Lord. And she added to bear from her husband Adamhis twin, even Abel."

The Encycl. Britannica Vol.VIII - 1910. p.122 (Jewish Interpretations of Scripture): "The birth of Cain is ascribed to a union of Satan with Eve."

Answer 2

At first thought, one can safely assume that it was in the murder of his brother, Gen.4:11-12. But then again, the other characters in the genealogy had their own flaws as well. Dr. Barnhouse noted that it was in the offering that Cain brought forward. It was not only rejected - Gen.4:5 (a lesser of an offering), but it was also a cursed one (Gen.3:17). Failure to acknowledge a blood sacrifce could also have indicated Cain's lack of repentance for his actions.

Answer 3

Cain killed Abel! The genealogies listed are there to talk about God's people and the eventual coming of the Messiah. They are not to chronicle every humans existence back to Adam.

Answer 4

They're in it. Cain's son invented the first city. (Bad things in nomadic times.)

Start at Genesis 4:17 and read on.

Answer 5

Since his descendants eventually died in the flood it wouldn't have been too long of a list.... Seems more effort was made to document the branch of humanity that led to noah (so through the flood).

Answer 6

Well, mostly I think because he was bad! He murdered his brother, and then his descendants weren't so terrific either.

Answer 7

they had family trees back then already? wow. i thought they were too busy building an ark.

Answer 8

Because they were nothing special.