The LORD had warned Cain about the sin he was about to commit, but Cain, like his parents, gave in to temptation and allowed sin to rule over him by killing his brother. Afterwards, Cain denied responsibility, claiming he was not his brother’s keeper, and lied to the LORD. The LORD rebuked him, saying his brother’s blood cried out from the ground. As a result, the LORD banished Cain, declaring that the ground, which had received his brother’s blood, would no longer yield crops for him. Cain was sentenced to live out the rest of his life as a restless wanderer on the earth.
Another banishment—the first three humans, and all have fallen to sin. Adam and Eve were exiled from Eden, and now Cain was cast out from the LORD’s presence. Cain, who was a farmer, is now cursed to toil fruitlessly. A farmer who can no longer farm is like a footballer without any feet, stripped of his identity and purpose. Cain lamented to the LORD that his punishment was unbearable, as he would be exiled, hidden from God’s presence, forced to wander the earth, and vulnerable to being killed by others.
But the LORD said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over. ” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. – Genesis 4:15-16 (NIV)
Cain’s fear seems to be directed towards other people who might harm him, likely referring to potential descendants of Adam and Eve or possibly other humans who could seek revenge for his actions. One possibility is that, like Adam and Eve, God could have created parallel tribes who had populated the earth by this point, though the Bible doesn’t elaborate on this directly. Cain’s fear of being killed could indicate that there were others living beyond just his immediate family, making the notion of parallel tribes or other descendants plausible. However, just as God provided protection for Adam and Eve when exiling them from the garden, He extended the same mercy here by marking Cain for his safety.
Cain’s Lineage
Cain found a wife, and together they had a son named Enoch. Cain then built a city, naming it after his son similar to how men today name their business ventures after their offsprings. Enoch’s descendants included Irad, Mehujael, Methushael, and Lamech. Lamech took two wives, Adah and Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal, the ancestor of those who live in tents and raise livestock, and Jubal, the inventor of the harp and the organ, becoming the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. Zillah had Tubal-Cain, a skilled metalworker who forged tools out of bronze and iron, becoming an expert in craftsmanship.
Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times. ” – Genesis 4:23-24 (NIV)
Lamech’s boast reflects the moral decline within Cain’s lineage, where rebellion against God increasingly escalated. Unlike other descendants who were fruitful and contributed positively, Lamech exemplified corruption by becoming the first polygamist, marrying Adah and Zillah. This act of polygamy was a departure from God’s original design for marriage, indicating his self-indulgent and sinful intentions. His arrogance is further revealed in his declaration of killing a man for merely wounding him, showcasing pride in his violence rather than remorse or accountability.
By referencing God’s protection of Cain, Lamech distorts its purpose, taking God’s grace for granted. Instead of viewing the mark of Cain as a warning or grace-filled protection, Lamech arrogantly claims even greater immunity, declaring, “If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.” This distortion highlights his hardened heart and emboldened rebellion, as he justifies and amplifies sin rather than fearing judgment.
In the same way, many christians have taken the protection offered by the blood of Christ for granted. Rather than using this precious sacrifice as a means to deepen their relationship with God, they treat it as a blanket license to pursue their own desires, engaging in behaviours and committing atrocities that draw them further away from Him. This misuse of grace distorts its true purpose and keeps them separated from God.
Adam’s Family
Adam had another son, Seth, in place of Abel, whom Cain killed. Seth had a son named Enosh, and during this time, people began to call on the name of the LORD. Adam lived 930 years and had many children. His son Seth lived 912 years and had other children. Seth’s son Enosh lived 905 years and had Kenan, who lived 910 years and had Mahalalel. Mahalalel lived 895 years and fathered Jared, who lived 962 years and had Enoch. Enoch, who walked faithfully with God and lived 365 years before God took him away.
Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. – Genesis 5:24 (NIV)
As narrated in the Book of Hebrews, by faith, Enoch was taken by God, so he did not experience death. He could not be found because God had removed him, as he was the one who pleased God. How do we relate to death? We think that death comes untimely to those who displease God. But in the Bible, it came to those who have pleased God more than anyone else. Enoch’s name means “dedicated” or “disciplined,” and he was taken by God before Noah was born.
Lamech was the seventh person in Adam’s genealogy through Cain, while Enoch was the seventh in the genealogy through Seth. This stark difference highlights the importance of staying close to God, as opposed to straying away in rebellion. Out of all God’s creations, Enoch is the only one who was called back to the Garden and was not found on Earth again.
There are other mysterious disappearances in the Bible, notably Moses and Elijah. No one knows the location of Moses’s body, as it was hidden by God after his death. Elijah, on the other hand, was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire, and both men later appeared with Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9). These events emphasize the special and mysterious roles these individuals played in God’s plan.
Enoch’s son, Methuselah, lived 969 years, making him the oldest person recorded in the Bible, dying in the same year when God sent the flood. Methuselah’s son, Lamech, lived 777 years, the shortest lifespan among those mentioned, and had Noah. Lamech believed Noah would bring comfort in the labor and suffering caused by the curse on the ground. After Noah’s birth, Lamech lived 595 more years and died five years before the flood. When Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. All of Noah’s ancestors had passed away before God sent the flood.
Mankind’s Inclination to Sin
As the human population grew, daughters were born to them, and the sons of God found these women beautiful, marrying whomever they chose. During that time, and afterwards, the Nephilim were on the earth—the offspring of these unions. Then the LORD declared, “My Spirit will not remain with humans forever, for they are mortal; their lifespan will be limited to a hundred and twenty years.” Since Abraham and Isaac lived well beyond 120 years, this statement may not refer to individual lifespans. Instead, it could signify that God was setting a 120-year countdown to the flood, which would cleanse the earth and reset creation.
There are different views about the “sons of God” with one being that they were men from Seth’s line who married women from Cain’s line, but this doesn’t explain the extraordinary offspring and assumes Cain’s descendants were all sinful. Another view is that they were rebellious angels who took human form, driven by lust, and married human women, producing unusual offspring.
The Hebrew word “Nephilim” is translated as the “fallen ones,” which may refer to their identity as fallen angels. The author describes them as mighty warriors of great size and strength, revered as legendary heroes. However, in the eyes of God, they were sinners, destined for impending judgment. They represented the escalating violence and wickedness in the world, and mankind’s alliance with the “sons of God” to form such a union was detestable in the sight of the LORD. This echoes the alliance between the woman and the serpent in the days of Eden.
The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. – Genesis 6:5-6 (NIV)
A Sorrowful Father
So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them. ” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. – Genesis 6:7-8 (NIV)
God does not experience regret in the way humans do, as He has sovereignly planned everything. The term “regretted” in Genesis 6:7 may better be understood as “felt deep sorrow” rather than “was sorry.” Human sin is the source of God’s sorrow. God was grieved because mankind’s every inclination was toward sin, leading them to align with the fallen world. Yet, in the midst of this, there was one man who was deemed righteous—Noah, a man worthy of God’s favour and the hope for the renewal of the earth. However, Noah will not be like Enoch, who was able to return to the Garden; rather, he will also succumb to the temptations of the world around him.
Discussion Questions
- Who was Cain afraid might take revenge for Abel’s blood?
- Why did Lamech boast about his violent actions?
- What happened to Enoch?
- Who were the Nephilim?
- Does God experience regret?
The Jordan Valley 
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