Illustration created for this project.

Cain

The firstborn son of Adam and Eve, a farmer who murdered his brother Abel and was marked and exiled.

Role: Firstborn of Adam

Lived: Primeval age

What we know — and how we know it

Bible — stated in scripture (with verse) · 1 Scholarly — supported scholarly belief · 1

Family & lineage

BibleSon of Adam and Eve.

Genesis 4:1

↳ Adam · Eve

Name & titles

ScholarlyThe name Qayin is tied in the narrative itself to a wordplay on qanah, 'to acquire/get' (Eve's saying qaniti, 'I have gotten a man'). The same consonantal root also carries the sense 'metalsmith' in several Semitic languages and underlies the tribal name Kenite (Qeni), which scholars often read as onomastically linked.

Onomastic/etymological point on Hebrew קַיִן; comparative Semitic sense 'smith' and the Qeni/Kenite connection.

Where in scripture

Genesis Hebrews 1 John Jude

The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with Yahweh’s help.”
Genesis 4:1 — Born to Eve

Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.
Genesis 4:8 — Kills Abel

By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with respect to his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks.
Hebrews 11:4

unlike Cain, who was of the evil one, and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
1 John 3:12

Woe to them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in Korah’s rebellion.
Jude 1:11

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.

Genesis 4:1 Genesis 4:8 Hebrews 11:4 1 John 3:12 Jude 1:11

Family

In their own words — 2 recorded sayings

“And the Lord said to Cain, Where is your brother Abel? And he said, I have no idea: am I my brother's keeper?” — Genesis 4:9

“And Cain said, My punishment is greater than my strength. You have sent me out this day from the face of the earth and from before your face; I will be a wanderer in flight over the earth, and whoever sees me will put me to death.” — Genesis 4:13-14

Speaker attribution: Clear Bible MACULA (CC BY 4.0). Wording: Bible in Basic English (public domain).