Cain’s Curse, v.11-12
Cain was cursed from the earth. The earth had opened its mouth to receive Abel’s blood, when he was murdered. Actually, Cain could have been killed, Gen 9:6; Num 35:33, because murder is a capital crime. The curse involved three things found in verse 12:
- He had been a tiller of the ground. But from henceforth the earth would not yield her strength (in retaliation for shedding Abel’s blood).
- He would be a fugitive (a run away, as from the law).
- He would be a vagabond (a person without a home; wanderer).
Cain’s Reaction, v.13-14
Cain’s reaction was self-pity. He said, “My punishment is greater than I can bear”. He, like most sinners, thought his punishment was unreasonable. Saved people, on the other hand, believe that they have been punished less than they deserve, Ezra 9:13.
Cain said:
- “Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth”. This is because the earth would no longer produce for him if he tilled it.
- “From thy face shall I be hid”. He understood that his fellowship with God had been permanently broken.
- “I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth”. So, he couldn’t stay with his family.
- “It shall come to pass, that everyone that findeth me shall slay me”. He would be hunted like an outlaw.
The Lord’s Protection, v.15
In the Lord’s mercy, he set a mark upon Cain to protect him from avengers. Furthermore, he committed to take vengeance on any avenger sevenfold, to discourage anyone from killing Cain.
Cain’s Wife and City, v.16-17
True to the curse, Cain went out from the presence of the Lord. He dwelt in the land of Nod, which was on the east of Eden (modern day Iran).
He married and his wife bare Enoch. People ask “Where did Cain get his wife”? Obviously, he married his sister, Gen 20:12.
Notice in Gen 5, Seth was born when Adam was 130 years old. Adam lived to be 930 years old and continued having sons and daughters. His children also married and procreated. Adam lived to see the children of his 9th generation. Lamech was born in 3130 BC and Adam didn’t die until 3074 BC.
By the time the events of Gen 4:16-17 took place, there was a growing population on the earth from the marriages between these sons and daughters. So, Cain built a “city”. You don’t do that for just two people. The practice of marrying sisters was stopped in Lev 18.
Cain named the city after the name of his son, Enoch. Many cities are named after men, Houston (Sam Houston), Austin (Stephen F Austin), Taft (Charles Phelps Taft), Beeville (Barnard E Bee, Sr), Kingsville (Captain Richard King), etc.
Cain’s Descendants, v.18
Enoch, Irad, Methujael, Methusael, Lamech. Lamech is in the same generation as Seth’s descendant, Enoch born in 3382 BC. Over 600 years of history has transpired since the creation of man, by this time.
Lamech’s Descendants, v.19-22
Lamech was the first polygamist. He had two wives, Adah and Zillah.
Their children were:
Jabal, the father of nomadic cattle men. Rather than flocks of sheep, he had herds of cattle. And rather than graze the same pastures, he moved around like a nomad and dwelt in tents.
Jubal, the father of all that handle the harp (stringed instruments) and organ (wind instruments). With these instruments, came two lines of music in the earth.
In Ex 32:18-19, 25, the Jews were singing and dancing naked while they were worshiping the golden calf. In Dan 3:5, music was used to signal the time that all men were to worship the image that Nebuchadnezzar made. In Job 21:11-15, the wicked are drawn completely away from God with music and dancing.
Music was originally intended for the praise and worship of God. In Ex 15:20, Miriam and the women danced together and praised the Lord with music. In Eph 5:19 and Col 3:16, Christians are exhorted to worship God with hymns, psalms and spiritual songs (that is, songs that minister to the spirit and not to the flesh). In Rev 5:8-9, the beasts and elders worship God with harps and songs. Of course, the book of Psalms is loaded with music to praise God and musical instruments accompany the songs. See Ps 150, for instance.
Tubalcain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron.
References to brass are predominately negative. The brazen laver, Ex 30:17-21, and the brazen altar, Ex 27:1-8, are negative references because of their association with sin. Other negative references to brass are found in Lev 26:19, where the earth will become brass for Israel’s pride; Deut 28:23, where the heaven becomes as brass when God curses Israel; 1 Sam 17:5-6, where Goliath’s brass armor is described; Job 40:18 where behemoth’s bones are as strong as brass; Is 48:4, where Israel’s obstinacy is compared to a brass forehead; 1 Cor 13:1, where a tongue talking Christian without charity is compared to sounding brass; etc. Evidently, in Cain’s line, the brass art was used to glorify man’s artistic ability.
Likewise, iron has many negative connections in the Bible. In the design of Noah’s ark and the tabernacle, iron was left out. In 1 Ki 6:7, no iron tool was to be heard in the construction of Solomon’s temple. In Num 35:16, iron is cited as a murder weapon. In Deut 3:11, Og’s bed was made of iron. In Deut 4:20, Egypt, where the Jews had been held in slavery, was called “the iron furnace”. In Deut 27:5, the stone altar was not to be defiled by iron tools. In Deut 28:48, God would put the Jews under a yoke of iron for disobedience. In Jud 4:2-3, Sisera, a type of the Antichrist, had 900 iron chariots. In 1 Sam 17:7, Goliath’s spearhead was made of iron. In Dan 2:40-41, the Antichrist’s kingdom is represented by iron. In Rev 9:9, the mutated locusts of the bottomless pit have breastplates of iron. Currently, Israel is protected by an iron dome.
Since the beginning of man’s technological and industrial advancements, progress has simply drawn men further from God and more toward the worship of man. Therefore, when the “man of sin”, 2 Thes 2:3-4, shows up, with a talking image, Rev 13:15, which can be seen and heard all around the world, men will have turned completely from God to worship the devil himself, Rev 9:20. A better word for progress is “degeneration”.
Lamech’s Self-Defense, v.23-24
Evidently, Lamech killed a man in self defense. He was wounded and hurt in the “fight”. Therefore, he claimed more protection than Cain was afforded. He claimed seventy and sevenfold vengeance against his avenger.