Genesis 4
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Summary
Eve gives birth to Cain and Abel. Both Cain and Abel bring offerings to the Lord. Cain brings fruits of the ground for the Lord. Abel brings the firstborn of his flock. God respects Abel's offering, but not Cains. God reminds Cain of his agency between righteousness and sin. In his wrath, Cain slays Abel. God curses Cain and places a mark upon him to protect him from those who might seek to slay him. Cain and his wife have children, and Eve bares Seth.
Commentary
Bible Central Commentary
These free resources were developed for use in the free ScripturePlus app. Many of the contributors are professors of religion and ancient scripture at Brigham Young University.
Stephen O. Smoot, “The Book of Moses,” The Pearl of Great Price: A Study Edition for Latter-day Saints (Springville, UT: Book of Mormon Central, 2022), 24–29.
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, “Moses 5; Genesis 4,” in Genesis, Old Testament Minute Commentary Series, ed. Taylor Halverson (Springville, UT: Book of Mormon Central, 2021).
Historical Commentaries
Many of the commentaries below are in the public domain and were authored over 100 years ago. In many cases, they do not reflect the findings of modern scholarship, but they may be helpful for understanding the history of biblical scholarship.
Videos
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Historical Settings
Time
*All Dates Are Approximate, according to the narrative of the Bible. These dates may reflect literary significance as opposed to the precise dates of history.
See Biblical Chronology- Before 4000 BC
Further Reading
RoseAnn Benson, “The Marriage of Adam and Eve: Ritual and Literary Elements,” in By Our Rites of Worship: Latter-day Saint Views on Ritual in Scripture, History, and Practice, ed. Daniel L. Belnap (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2013), 107–131.
Book of Mormon Central, “Why Are Secret Combinations Associated with Cain and Getting Gain? (Ether 8:22),” KnoWhy 585 (November 17, 2020).
Matthew L. Bowen, “Getting Cain and Gain,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 15 (2015): 115–141.
Taylor Halverson, “Was Adam a Monotheist? A Reflection on Why We Call Abraham Father and Not Adam,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-Day Saint Faith and Scholarship 31 (2019): 245–258.
Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible
Matthew Henry (1706)
Commentary on the Bible
Adam Clarke (1831)
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable
Thomas Constable
Rashi’s Commentary
Rashi (Shlomo Yitzchaki)
Notes on the Bible
Albert Barnes (1834)
Exposition of the Entire Bible
John Gill (1746–63)
Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch (1857–78)
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible
John Wesley (1754–65)