Where did Cane's wife come from?

Question

I've started reading the Bible and noticed something as I read Genesis. OK God created Adam and Eve who then had Cane and Able. The Cane murders Able and moves away to Nod east of Eden. Then Genesis 4:17 says "Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch", but where did she come from? If Adam, Eve, Cane, and formerly Able were the only humans around, where did she come from?

Answer 1

Cain's wife was one of his sisters.

Answer 2

The Bible does not specifically say who Cain’s wife was. The only possible answer was that Cain's wife was his sister or niece or great-niece, etc. The Bible does not say how old Cain was when he killed Abel (Genesis 4:8). Since they were both farmers, they were likely both full-grown adults, possibly with families of their own. Adam and Eve had surely had more children than just Cain and Abel at the time Abel was killed - they definitely had many more children later (Genesis 5:4). The fact that Cain was scared for his own life after he killed Abel (Genesis 4:14) indicates that there were likely many other children and perhaps even grandchildren or great-grandchildren of Adam and Eve at that time. Cain's wife (Genesis 4:17) was a daughter or granddaughter of Adam and Eve.



Since Adam and Eve were the first (and only) human beings, their children would have no other choice than to intermarry. God did not forbid inter-family marriage until much later when there was enough people that intermarriage was not necessary (Leviticus 18:6-18). The reason that incest often results in genetic abnormalities in children is that when two people of similar genetics (i.e. a brother and sister) have children – genetic defects are far more likely to result because both parents had the same defects themselves. When people from different families have children – it is highly unlikely that both parents will have the same genetic defects. The human genetic code has become increasingly “polluted” over the centuries as genetic defects are multiplied, amplified, and passed down from generation to generation. Adam and Eve did not have any genetic defects, so that enabled them and the first few generations of their descendants to have a far greater quality of health than we do now. Adam and Eve’s children had few, if any, genetic defects. As a result, it was safe for them to intermarry. It may seem strange or even disgusting to think of Cain's wife being his sister. In the beginning, since God started with one man and one woman, the second generation would have no choice but to intermarry amongst themselves.

Answer 3

here's what you should do it's fun if you dig the sort of thing, cross reference king james with strong's dictionnary it has every word in the bible cross referenced with greek hebrew and latin origins, and while you're at it check out the torah it is the old testament of the bible in it's pure form, then there are alot of cool things in there like the goff, it's a spiral of souls that come from heaven to earth it's cool, anyway i'm off subject, the easy answer is two pronged possibility, one nobody knows the life span of adam and eve and when god said be fruitful and multiply they did it immediately and populated the earth,,, the second theory is one that i dig, that god created the entire universe and there are thousands of vessels that can harbor a soul, man as we know on earth could have been wandering "souless" for thousands of years but the first that were given souls were adam and eve, god had at least three bipedal creatures to choose to give a soul, neanderthal being the prime example, well this is turning into a manifesto haha,,, bottom line is you can read between the lines in the bible and study the goff it makes more sense,,

Answer 4

From the people that were created on the 6th day. Genesis 1, verses 27--31. A&Eve were created AFTER THE 7th day. I guess cain liked older women.

Answer 5

Just because Cain and Abel are the only ones mentioned as Adam and Eve's children doesn't mean they were the only ones....Adam and Eve had many children before and after Cain and Abel...because insest wasn't a sin until moses, their babies were fine....I know its weird but thats how it was.

Answer 6

Adam and Eve had a lot more kids than Cain and Abel...They were alive for hundreds of years...In those hundreds of years, you cant believe that they only had two kids...Thats just crazy! lol

Answer 7

Adam first wife she was named Lilith. She went crazy and ran off so god made eve.

Answer 8

Adam had many sons and daughters. Cain's wife was his sister and or sisters.
Either that or he found her in a cracker jacks box.

Answer 9

It's been a widely accepted belief among bible scholars that Cain's wife was his sister. Remember, they were much closer to perfection then, so did not have the genetic concerns we would have today.

Answer 10

Wonderful question! But expect to make a lot of enemies asking such though questions. Christianity can not thrive if everybody reads the Bible as carefully as you do...

Answer 11

Why on earth are you taking a poor translation of a 4000 year old Canaanite creation myth literally?