Genesis 4:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.

NIV: Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.

NASB: Cain had relations with his wife and she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch; and Cain built a city, and named the city Enoch, after the name of his son.

CSB: Cain was intimate with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain became the builder of a city, and he named the city Enoch after his son.

NLT: Cain had sexual relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain founded a city, which he named Enoch, after his son.

KJV: And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

NKJV: And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore E´noch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son—E´noch.

In spite of his fears, Cain's life did not come to an end as a result of the murder of Abel. God's punishment for his crime was severe, but not fatal. Instead of farming, Cain began to build a city where he had settled in the land called Nod. This seems to run contrary to the punishment meted out by God, that Cain would be a wanderer. Then again, as mankind begins to multiply, God seems to be less directly involved in their lives—this would include allowing more room for people to sin and suffer their own consequences. Whether Cain is blatantly defying God, or if the "wandering" God had in mind was simply to be forced into exile, the Bible does not say.

Cain also got married. Where did his wife come from? Our best understanding is that the murder of Abel happened decades—perhaps many years—after Cain and Abel were born. The first generations of humans after the garden lived for hundreds of years. It is very likely that Adam and Eve had many more sons and daughters after Cain and Abel, and before Seth. Ancient genealogies very often only mention offspring directly related to the story at hand, so we would not necessarily expect the Bible to spell out every child of Adam and Eve. It's very possible, by the time we get to Cain's wife, that there were other sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, who themselves had children and perhaps grandchildren. With such a long reproductive cycle, the population of the earth could have increased exponentially over several hundred years.

The point is that Cain likely married a sister or one of many nieces or even grandnieces. This early in human history, intermarrying with one's direct sibling would not have carried the genetic risks it does now. It was not forbidden by God; in fact, it would have been the only option for populating the earth. Later, as mankind's biology becomes more polluted, God will forbid Israel from this practice.

Cain, apparently a proud father, names his city after his son Enoch.

Genesis 4:17–26 describes Cain's family line after his murder of Abel. While the details are limited, Scripture does mention a few points of concern. Lamech, Cain's great-great-great-grandson not only took two wives, he also bragged about murdering a younger man. This attitude of blatant defiance sets the stage for God's judgment of a depraved earth in the story of the flood in Genesis chapter 6. This passage also describes Adam and Eve's son Seth, born after Cain, who becomes the ancestor of Noah.

The consequences of sin become apparent in chapter 4: envy, arrogance, rebellion, murder, punishment, separation from family, and separation from God. Adam and Eve's firstborn son, Cain, jealously murders his brother Abel and loses everything. Adam and Eve lose them both. Cain's descendants amplify his sinfulness. Still, God provides help for Eve in childbirth and even provides protection for Cain in his wandering. Eve remains a woman of faith, even in her loss. And the sons of Seth, born after the murder of Abel, become a people who proclaim the name of the Lord.

The first three chapters of Genesis explain the creation and loss of paradise, as Adam and Eve are separated from God both physically and spiritually. Their relationship with Him does not end, however. Eve recognizes His help in bearing her son Cain and later Seth. Cain and Abel both worship God until Cain kills Abel. God provides protection for Cain, whose descendants become innovative, artful, arrogant, and violent. The descendants of Seth, however, begin to call on the Lord's name. This chapter bridges the story of Genesis from our ultimate origins to the story of Noah, introduced in the next chapter.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.