Who was Cain’s Wife?
Answers from the scriptures at hungryfortheword.
At the top of the screen you’ll see a tab named “Ask Dr. Mathis.” I know that many Christians come across questions that might seem to be a little tricky on the surface. We’re here to help.
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Our question for today is from Mr. Rick Schaap in Hobbs New Mexico – he asks:
In Genesis 4:14 it talks about God’s punishment to Cain for killing his brother and Cain responds that the punishment is greater that he can bear – that he is a fugitive and everyone who sees him will want to kill him. My question is: who else is alive at that time who could kill him? Another question I have is later in the passage it talks of him settling in Nod and his wife bears a son named Enoch so where did she come from?
Thank you Rick. It turns out that this one has been around for quite a while. We must remember that Adam and Eve were genetically perfect at creation. Molecular decay took several centuries to claim their lives physically. In fact Genesis 5:5 states:
Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.
Genesis 5:4 states that Adam had other sons besides those named in the text
- Cain in Genesis 4:1
- Able in Genesis 4:2
- Seth in Genesis 5:3
Then the Bible tells us Adam had “other sons and daughters” besides these three. As a genetically perfect woman Eve could have borne well over 30 children! Genesis 5:3 it states that Adam was 130 years old when Seth was born, and Seth becomes the patriarch of the godly line of believers from Adam to Noah. The timeline of Genesis 4 and 5 shows that the episode of Cain and Abel took place after they were fully grown men with adult occupations. It is probable that both were already married because we know that Cain was – see Genesis 4:17
With near-perfect genetics it was perfectly reasonable that they ( Cain AND Able ) either married a sister or a near relative like a niece. Also, there is plenty of time for there to be adult female companions for Cain to choose from.
Remember that some 400 years after the flood Abraham married his half-sister with no ill effects. It is only in the Mosaic code some 400 years after Abraham that God prohibits marriage to near relatives. This is because the curse and, consequently, rapidly increasing genetic decay had so ravaged the genetic code that it was no longer safe to marry a close relative.
As to who would be around to want to slay Cain -
It is likely that there were several thousand people alive within the 130 years mentioned – none of whom would take kindly to Cain killing their relative.
Interestingly enough – every person alive is STILL a relative – although very much removed.
Now, these days we’re being told that mankind evolved from lower forms
The Opposite Is True
The human race God created is DEvolving from genetically perfect parents.
Thank you Rick, for taking the time to send us your question, and remember, all you have to do to get your question answered is send us an email to feedme@hungryfortheword.com. For more reading on this topic you can check out the fantastic treatments of the subject at Answers in Genesis and the Institute for Creation Research listed below.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/who-was-cains-wife
http://www.icr.org/article/cains-wife-it-really-does-matter/
