Could Cain's "wife" be Eve?

Question

there is no other logical answer since apparently there were no other humans other than adam, eve, cain and his brother who he killed

Answer 1

There is no reason to think the Genesis scriptures mention EVERY human alive at the time. Adam and Eve lived to be more than 900 years old. Cain could have married a sister, niece, cousin.

The prohibition on incest wasn't given until the time of Moses, centuries later. In the beginning of humanity there would have been few, if any, genetic problems caused by marriage between siblings.

Answer 2

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 3

In the past why did God allow marriage between brother and sister?

The Bible record does indicate that Cain married one of his sisters (Gen. 4:17; 5:4) and that Abram married his half sister. (Gen. 20:12) But later, in the Law given through Moses, such marriage unions were specifically forbidden. (Lev. 18:9, 11) They are not permitted among Christians today. Marriage to a close relative results in a more-than-average probability that damaging hereditary factors will be passed on to their offspring.

Why was brother-and-sister marriage not inappropriate at the beginning of mankind’s history? God created Adam and Eve perfect and purposed that all humankind descend from them. (Gen. 1:28; 3:20) Obviously some marrying of close relatives, especially within the first few generations, would occur. Even after sin made its appearance, there was relatively little danger of marked deformities in the children during early generations, because the human race was much closer to the perfection that had been enjoyed by Adam and Eve. This is attested to by the longevity of people then. (See Genesis 5:3-8; 25:7.) But about 2,500 years after Adam became a sinner, God prohibited incestuous marriage. This served to safeguard the offspring and it elevated the sexual morality of Jehovah’s servants above that of people around them who were then engaging in all manner of depraved practices.—See Leviticus 18:2-18.

Where did Cain get his wife if there was just one family?

Gen. 3:20: “Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she had to become the mother of everyone living.” (So all humans were to be the offspring of Adam and Eve.)

Gen. 5:3, 4: “Adam lived on for a hundred and thirty years. Then he became father to a son in his likeness, in his image, and called his name Seth. And the days of Adam after his fathering Seth came to be eight hundred years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters.” (One of Adam’s sons was Cain, and one of Adam’s daughters must have become Cain’s wife. At that time in human history when humans still had outstanding physical health and vitality, as indicated by the length of their lives, the likelihood of passing on defects as a result of marrying a close relative was not great. After some 2,500 years of human history, however, when mankind’s physical condition had greatly deteriorated, Jehovah gave to Israel laws forbidding incest.)

Gen. 4:16, 17: “Cain went away from the face of Jehovah and took up residence in the land of Fugitiveness [or, Nod] to the east of Eden. Afterward Cain had intercourse with his wife [“knew his wife,” that is, intimately so, KJ, RS; “lay with his wife,” NE] and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch.” (Notice that Cain did not first meet his wife in the land to which he fled, as if she were from another family. Rather, it was there that he had sexual relations with her to produce a son.)

Answer 4

yes,God had to have a way to replenish the earth and at that time there was adam,eve,cain and abel we know that cain slew abel so i think according to the bible it had to be,or God would have told us in the bible where when he was sent Cain into the land of Nod that there were other people according to the word there were only adam, eve, cain, and abel

Answer 5

Cain and Able where not there only children. Both Cain and Able each had a twin sister and other siblings too. They where permitted to marry there siblings as there was a pure blood line and God permitted it.

Answer 6

You missed the part in this Jewish story about Lilith, Adam's first wife. Though there's no reference to HIM having any contact with her, supposedly she WAS out in the world, so perhaps he found HER.

Answer 7

Ha! I can't wait to see the ridiculous explanations you'll get for this one. Thumbs up!

Answer 8

hey relax

it's just a story

it's not supposed to make sense or stand up to reason

most biblical morals and acts of "holy men and women" were felons

Answer 9

Yes, she was the only female around. Except for the ewe.

Answer 10

in all the years atheists have asked that of christians has it swayed anyone to stop being religious?