If Adam & Eve had two sons, Cain & Able, how did the rest of us get here?

Question

I have wondered this several times throughout my life and have not yet found an answer. I am not trying to be funny, I am really curious how the churches handle this question.

Answer 1

They had more than that...

God's first commandment to them was to multiply and fruitful.

They probably had a lot of children. You only hear about Cain, Abel, and Seth because of their notoriety. The bible doesn't say they were the only sons, only that had some sort of story to tell. Plus, women weren't regarded as much as men to the ancient writers so you really don't hear about the daughters.

Genesis 4 implies there were many people around by that time:

Genesis 4:16-18
16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. 17 Cain had relations with his wife and she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch; and he built a city, and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son. 18 Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael became the father of Methushael, and Methushael became the father of Lamech.

This next verse will verify the implication:

Genesis 5:1-5
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of {a son} in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.

4 Then the days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he had {other} sons and daughters.

5 So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.

Answer 2

The story of Adam and Eve was a myth. A human attempt at describing creation. Your question is the same question everyone has. The writers left some blanks because they had no answers.

Creation suggests there was a beginning. Eternity has not beginning, nor does it have an end. There is no time in eternity, no past, no future. The only thing created is what you are experiecning right now, and you are the creator. It is the human ego that DEMANDS AN EXPLANATION.

There are scientists who already know that the human experience is a series of "On and Off" experiences. Kind of like you are there and then your not, and then you are. Moment to moment. Words, really cannot not describe existence, and in that most of the human population is unaware of the truth, they do not try and explain something that cannot be described in words, they like there personal freedom.

Einstein also tried to explain to people that time did not exist, but words were so limiting most missed it.

You must realize which you really already do, that if you were floating in space a million miles from earth, could not see earth etc., and were not previously conditioned and taught things like, day, night, 60 seconds equals a minute, etc., etc., time would not exist for you. If you were born there and somebody came along and ask you what time it was you would say, what do you mean, what time is it, it is now, what other time is there, what do you mean by time. The only thing that would exist for you is what you were experiencing at that moment. Even moment, suggests time, so it is not accurate either.

The whole thing is more simple than you realize. What has been written only points to the truth. It is not "The Truth" or everyone would know and you and coutless others would not be asking the same questions over and over and over again.

The "Truth" you are looking for you already have. It is not lost, and that is why so many humans cannot find it. Have you ever tried to find something that is not lost? Try it? It is a rediculous exercise. It is so close, you cannot see it "OUT THERE", because it isn't "OUT THERE", it is deep within yourself.

Humans are so focussed on their sensory perception, they do not know how (on purpose) to turn those senses inward. As your suffering or desire for the truth increases you will eventually say, "Whats Out There" is not helping, and you will begin looking inward. Seek and you will find. But you will eventually have to give up seeking. Do not despair, it is part of the process. Your ego will force you to seek every bit of knowledge "Out There", until it gives up. When it does, your journey will begin, and the life that you are (experiencing-creating) will change.

The Garden Of Eden?, did the story not say they were born there. Where was there? Was it not here?

If you live here in the United States you are most likely a Christian BELEIVER of sorts. There is nothing wrong with that, or any other faith that is BELEIF based. Here, this may help, based on a great teacher, (a human) who knew the truth.

"Behold Heaven Is At Hand". -or-

"I Am In You And You Are In Me". -or-

"Split A Piece Of Wood And I Am There", Turn Over A Rock And I Am There"

Ponder this, and understand that the religious leaders could not control "Their Flock" without giving an explanation other than what was literally said. They were only a sleep like most humans are. On purpose, by the way.

TIME

HE Told Us The Truth - "Anyone Who Puts Their Hand To The Plow And Looks Back (past) Is Not Fit (or will not see) The Kingdom Of Heaven. No punishment, just truth.

"Give No Thought For Tomorrow (future) Tomorrow Will Have Its Own Thoughts.

The past and future is an illusion of the egoic mind. There is nothing real or eternal about either. They do not exist for you right now, and never have.

When the future arrives, what time is it? Is it not NOW? Does it ever turn out the way your mind tells you it will? You know the answer, so why listen to it.

Keep seeking, as you are beginning your way back home. Eventually, and so do not try and understand this right now, you will end up having to give up seeking "OUTSIDE YOURSELF". The Truth is not lost, and that is why you cannot find it. But you must keep seeking until you get to that point.

If you think, (thinking is a problem of its own) you are ready, start looking inside. Find out "How To Look Inside".

When you find out who you are, you will be GREATLY DISTURBED. Do not despair, just keep trying.

This thing you are looking for, "Is Not A Thing", and it LOVES YOU DEEPLY. Its love, surpasses all human understanding.

"You Are The Prodigal Son (Daughter), so just find your way back home......Do not give up or you will just be finding yourself looking later.

Answer 3

Genesis 4:17 says, "Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch." Who was his wife? It is implied in the biblical text that Cain married one of his sisters. Several facts lead us to this conclusion.
First, it is clear that Adam and Eve had a number of children. Genesis 5:4 says, "After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters." Since Adam and Eve were the first man and woman, and since God had commanded them (and their descendants) to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28), it seems reasonable to conclude that Cain married one of his many sisters. It is also possible that he married a niece or even a grandniece.
One must keep in mind that in the early years of the human race there were no genetic defects that had yet developed as a result of the fall of man. By the time of Abraham, God had not yet declared this kind of marriage to be contrary to His will (see Genesis 20:12). Laws governing incest apparently did not become enacted until the time of Moses (Lev 18:7-17; 20:11,12,14,17,20,21). Hence, there was no prohibition regarding marrying a sister (or niece or grandniece) in the days of Cain.
To learn more on this subject you can go to http://www.answersingenesis.org

Answer 4

At the time Cain killed able there were already cities according to scripture. This would lead one to conclude that Adam and Eve were in the Garden for a very long time and had many many children before they and all of their offspring were expelled for the sin of Adam and Eve.

Or one could view the Adam and Eve story as an allegory, and that God created many Adam and Eves.

Answer 5

If you read the account in Genesis 1, you'll see that on the SIXTH day, the races were created - all of them; and God saw that they were all good - then the Seventh day he rested, and on the EIGHTH day, God realized he didn't have a man to till the ground (a farmer), and so he created Adam - actually in the manuscripts he's "thee Adam" or "thee man" - a specific guy to till the ground -
Remember when Cain was thrown out of the garden? He went off and married - so who the heck did he marry? He married one of the 6th day creation, who had gone and built a city called Nod.
So, yes, there were thousands of people, not just Adam and Eve.
Eve is called the mother of all living, because if you are not in Christ, you are not living - and the seedline had to remain unpolluted from womb-to-womb so that the Christ would come through a pure line.

Answer 6

Adam and Eve had 3 sons NAMED in the Bible. Cain, Abel and Seth. In addition, it says that Adam lived 800 years after begettign Seth (at 130 years) and had sons and daughters. Now, if you had bothered to read the next chapter, all your questions would have been answered!

Answer 7

both sons were not their purely little ones. Cain, after fleeing went to stay with a significant team of human beings. If Adam and Eve all started the total human race, those human beings to whom Cain went, had to were his siblings or cousins.

Answer 8

I asked this question...the Book of Genesis makes no mention of any daughters names in the Bible so they just make up a passage of 130 some kids...like people buy that because they say so without the ability to question this. That mean Eve was kicking out kids until she was 170 something...unless Adam molested his own daughters if they existed because no one got a name for any daughters.

Answer 9

They claim Adam and Eve also had daughters.

Which implies incest.

You will also have to ignore the fact that offspring produced through incest are almost always unable to have children themselves. And a second generation incest would not survive.

Answer 10

Adam and Eve had two sons, and many more children after...and yes, the children are said to have procreated with each other....at least according to the Torah.