Cain
The first brother — and the first warning about anger.
Old Testament · Primeval history · Genesis, Hebrews, 1 John, Jude · Also known as Firstborn of Adam and Eve
About Cain
Cain, the firstborn of Adam and Eve, worked the ground. When God accepted his brother Abel’s offering but not his, Cain grew angry. God warned him that sin was "at the door" and that he must master it. Cain didn’t — he killed Abel. Sent out as a wanderer, he was still given a mark of God’s protection.
Genesis 4 follows straight on from the story of Eden. Sin, introduced in Genesis 3, now spreads from parents to children and from a garden to a field. God’s question — "Where is Abel thy brother?" — echoes his earlier question to Adam: "Where art thou?"
The story
Two brothers, two offerings
Abel kept sheep; Cain tilled the ground. Both brought offerings. "The LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect." Cain’s face fell.
Genesis 4:1-5
Sin lieth at the door
God came to Cain before anything happened: "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."
Genesis 4:6-7
In the field
"Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him."
Genesis 4:8
Am I my brother’s keeper?
"Where is Abel thy brother?" God asked. "I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?" But "the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground."
Genesis 4:9-12
The mark
Sentenced to be a wanderer, Cain cried, "My punishment is greater than I can bear." God set a mark on him "lest any finding him should kill him." Judgment, and mercy, in the same breath.
Genesis 4:13-16
Key moments
- Offering not accepted: His face falls. (Genesis 4:5)
- God’s warning: "Sin lieth at the door." (Genesis 4:7)
- Kills Abel: The first murder. (Genesis 4:8)
- Marked and protected: Sent east of Eden. (Genesis 4:15-16)
Questions about Cain
In meetBible these answers are given in Cain’s voice. They are written by hand and checked against Scripture.
Why wasn’t your offering accepted?
Genesis doesn’t give a direct reason. Readers notice that Abel brought "the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof," while I brought simply "of the fruit of the ground." Hebrews says Abel offered "by faith." John writes that my "own works were evil." So the Bible points at the heart behind the gift — but the exact reason isn’t spelled out.
What was the mark of Cain?
Scripture tells you its purpose, not its appearance: "The LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him." Anything about what it looked like is speculation.
Did you regret what you did?
The only words recorded are, "My punishment is greater than I can bear." That is grief over consequences. Whether it was repentance, the text doesn’t say. Notice, though, that God answered even that cry with protection.
Connected people
Read it yourself
Start with Genesis 4.